SIMULBLOG FOR SONICS V. CELTICS

SONICS 113 BOSTON 100 – FINAL – ROAD TRIP IS OVER
Rashard Lewis is matching his all-star play of last season. This is very impressive. Teams are game planning for him more and more and Lewis has an answer everynight..
Talking to Bob Hill before the game and he really made it sound like their advantage in the game was R. Lewis and the inability for any opponent to match up on him.
Tonight Lewis has 18-6-5 and 5 STEALS !!!!
Nick Collison has another double-double. He is going to get close to one everynight with these types of minutes
Seattle did a really nice job of valuing possessions in this game.
Some how a 2-4 trip seems dramatically different then a 1-5 trip.
The Sonics next 6 games are at or below .500. If they could win 5 of those 6 then this team is suddenly 8-6. That would probably put them in first place in the Northwest.
How one game changes everything?
Career highs for Luke in assists and Collison in rebounds.

Time Substitution
4th Quarter
Starters: Cleaves, Wilkins, Lewis, Evans, Collison
10:00 Vlady for Evans
9:59 Allen for Wilkins
8:28 Ridnour for Cleaves (up 13)


Sonics 102 Celtics 85 with 4:11 left in the 4th Q
The Sonics are playing their best line-up. Ridnour, Allen, Lewis,. Vlady and Nick
The floor spacing is outstanding
If the Sonics lead the instinct is to go to a more defensive line-up but this team is going to win by beating people with their offense and if they lead I would doubt many teams can outscore that line-up. That is how they won in the past.


Sonics 96 Celtics 81 with 8:00 left in the 4th Quarter
Rashard Lewis just made a great play. In transition up by 13 the Sonics pushed and Lew by passed a three with a pump fake and drive to the basket to put the Sups up 15. In the past it has felt like the Sonics have taken the three and then missed and the opponent goes the other way in transition. This is what I call valuing a possession.


Sonics 92 Celtics 79 with 9:59 left in the 4th Quarter
Celtics on 4-0 run to open Q
Terrible offense from the Sonics on the opening possessions of the 4th
I really think you have to play Vlady with the line-up this line-up that opened the Quarter. The minute I wrote that he entered the game.
I really like the Sub pattern with Wilkins splitting between the 2 and the 3. the only problem is how poorly Wilkins is playing. The hope would be if you keep him in that role he can get comfortable and play well. He needs to do it soon.


Sonics 92 Celtics 75 at the end of 3 Quarter
Seattle answers with a 9-0 run. If you play the game correctly you will be rewarded.
Luke notches a double double. In the opening storylines we had how Luke would perform against the lesser point guards of the Celtics. Thus far he has passed with flying colors. The success of the team will be dictated by how Ridnour does in games where he does not have the advantage at the point.
Here are the subs for the 3rd Quarter
Time Substitution
3rdQuarter
5:36 Vitaly for Petro
3:17 Evans for Collison
3:17 Wilkins for Lewis


Sonics 77 Celtics 63 with 5:26 left in the 3rd Quarter
Great start of the 2nd half by Seattle.
The Celtics have answered with a 8-0 run of their own. The good news is that Seattle is still executing offensively and the possessions have been good. Defensively they are getting beat on the outside not on the inside. If they don’t panic they will be ok.
The ball movement continues.
The Sonics continue to keep the Celtics out of the paint.
Paul Pierce lacks energy. The Sonics need to make him play D and not let him get anything easy to get going.
Nick Collison does a ton of little things on the floor. Talking to Sonics assistant Bob Hill he talked about his floor movement and his understanding of where to move.
Johan Petro is still really lost with where he is supposed to be on the offense
Nick Collison is the answer at power forward


Sonics 63 Boston 45 at the half
Another 12-1 run by the Sups
Early in the game the Sonics allowed the Celtics into the paint and they have gotten the Celtics away from that.
The Sonics are running a great half court offense.
The best part of it is that the Sonics are spaced well and that means they are also offensive rebounding well and they getting back in transition at a much better rate.
Seattle’s zone defense has been very good.
Here are the substitutions for the second quarter
Time Substitution
2nd Quarter
Starters: Cleaves, Wilkins, Lewis, Radman, Vitaly
7:50 Ray Allen for Wilkins
7:50 Nick Collison for Vlady Radman
6:15 Luke Ridnour for Mateen Cleaves (up 11)
5:28 Reggie Evans for Vitaly Potapenko


Sonics 45 Celtics 34 with 5:28 left in the 2nd Quarter
Sonics open on a14-4 run
Al Jefferson is not much of athlete. He doesn’t have a lot of lift and he is awful defensively.
Dan Dickau got a very very short run
Sonics help defense is getting to the post much quicker.
Boston comes into the game as a good defensive rebounding team, but it is not evident. Nick Collison is raising havoc on the offensive glass keeping balls alive.
Mateen Cleaves just gave Seattle a GREAT 7 minutes.


Sonics 41 Celtics 30 qith 8:53 left in the 2nd Quarter
Mateen Cleaves hit two shots and is playing well as the back-up point
We highlighted Boston as a turnover prone team in the Storylines and it is holding true right now.
Great jump by the Sonics to open the 2nd Quarter.
Last night they struggled when they integrated the starters.


Sonics 31 Boston 28 end of the 1st Quarter
Allen is on fire 5 of his first 7
Seattle is hitting 65%.
Boston has a bad bench. Seattle has to take advantage of that.
Damien Wilkins needs a talent readjustment
Seattle defensive rebounding is not adequate
The Celtics shot chart would be amazing. I have them with 10 layups or 2 footers in the first quarter.
Here are the subs for the quarter

5:00  Vitaly for Petro
3:23 Wilkins for Lewis
2:14  Vlady Rad for Nick Collison
1:03 Cleaves for Ridnour (2 fouls)

Celtics 17 Sonics 16 with 5:44 left in the 1st Quarter
Celtics are getting layup after layup.
The Sonics defense is non-existent
The Celtics are going to the post and then the Sonics wilt.
The Sonics offense is matching the Celts but they don’t have a prayer unless they secure the middle of the paint.
This is ridiculous the Celtics are just going to the basket unabashed. There is no resistance.
When did LaFrentz change his first name?


STORYYLINES
1) Boston forces turnovers, can Seattle take care of the ball
2) Luke Ridnour - can he match up on an inferior group of point guards
3) Rebounding. The Sonics are currently 30th in the NBA in defensive glass
4) LOOSE BALLS -- The Sonics lost the game last night largely because of two loose balls they didn't hustle after.

Inactives for the Sonics: Rick Brunson, Flip Murray and Danny Fortson