Spurs / Sonics : Sizzling
By Temple A. Stark, Casa Grande, AZ
"I don't give them no respect, none."
That was Jerome James after the Sonics took a victory at home - barely.
It was an emotional, physical game and an emotional 92-91 victory for the Sonics, who would have gone 0-3 if the had lost. In other words, down the black hole.
Unlike the previous two games, the Sonics could afford to trade baskets in the third and in the fourth quarters. They were doing that in the first two games but that wasn't gettign them diddly - they lost those by 22 and 17, if I recall correctly. (See 4th quarter scoring timeline at end of post)
7-1 center Jerome James has played well in the playoffs, including Thursday night, with six mammoth dunks and 7-7 shooting.
And though I love both teams, I pumped my fist so hard after the win that I probably sprained my wrist.
James, who played no high school ball, and first played competitively at Texas A & M, probably felt he would energize his team. But the Sonics still have a tough road to go.
Bruce Bowen and Ray Allen are going at it hard; little "fuck you" comments back and forth clearly visible on the cameras. I missed what started their scrap - pretty sure it was in the regular season. Allen, as smooth a player as you'll ever see, has called Bowen one of the dirtiest players he's had to play against.
He's tough but I don't see too much dirty. Pretty sure Karl Malone will hold that title for a long time, however.
Jerome James fouled out with 1:46 left in the game and, with 2.9 seconds left Tim Duncan missed the final mid-range shot, boink off the front of the rim.
Article comments
1 - Temple Stark
Wow - two surpriisng results tonight; not just the results but how the Sonics and the Mavericks dominated their games. Stunning.
Two series tied 2-2 (and that Pacers / Detroit one as well, 2-2.)
I was going to type up game recap stories and more tonight but headache intruded. Tomorrow for sure.
2 - Douglas Mays
Good post. Jerome James is becoming more evplved as a player, which includes dealing with the media. So he was all humble about it the day after, when he wasn't being grabbed by a reporter right after the game. He explained himself in a much more eloquent way. A talking to by Ray Allen was probably a good lesson on the issue.
Anyway, go Sonics! A team being written off as a bunch of spastic retards after pre-season. They are suprising everyone (including this town) that they are for real.
This is kinda cool. This hasn't happened since the '79 season for us here. Maybe the energy of last year's Storm (WNBA champs) is bleeding over to the Sonics. Maybe it is the coffee (the Sonics are owned by Starbuck's CEO, Howard Schultz).