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Sonics Win Sets Up San Antonio Series
Seattle Makes Easy Work of Grizzlies, Now Turns to Playoffs
By SonicsKevin
A year ago, Desmond Mason set a new career-high with 25 points in the season finale. This year, he scored 33 and helped seal his team the seventh seed.
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Confronted with a task -- and an opportunity -- the Sonics made quick work in dispatching of the Memphis
Grizzlies 109-94 this evening in KeyArena to secure a bigger prize than just their 45th win of the season --
the seventh seed in the Western Conference playoffs and a date with the San Antonio Spurs starting this
Saturday.
Coming into the game, Sonic fans and personnel alike were questioning the team's ability to compete in the first round of the playoffs because it had struggled in the month of April, losing six of seven games. Even coach Nate McMillan made a comment to media that his team would be swept after a loss to the Lakers in Los Angeles on Monday. Nevertheless, the Utah Jazz's loss last night to Dallas allowed the Sonics the opportunity to still collect the seventh seed if they beat Memphis and the Jazz were beaten by the San Antonio Spurs in Salt Lake City. By about halftime, the Spurs had taken care of business on their end of the deal, beating the Jazz on a last-second score by rookie guard Tony Parker. And the Sonics had about finished off the Grizzlies by halftime, using a 10-2 run just before half's end to extend their lead all the way to 16 as the teams headed for their respective locker rooms. In the third quarter, things got worse for Memphis as the Sonics embarked on a 13-3 run early in the third quarter. The capper to the run, a Jerome James flush, necessitated a Grizzly (or was it grisly?) timeout with the team down 21 and finished for all intents and purposes. Seattle wasn't about to let up, following up with another 13-4 run that extended the lead to a game-high 34. It was only fitting that the game would be a blowout, adding to the party-like atmosphere as the Sonics celebrated Fan Appreciation Night on what some might call a year of fan appreciation. Fans came early for bobbleheads with the likeness (and that term is used loosely) of coach McMillan, and enjoyed free giveaways along with their team's play. The party was officially on as the Sonics hit the fourth quarter with just shy of 100 points and a 29-point lead. Unfortunately, nobody told the visitors, who suddenly focused their play to make the game respectable and completely shut down the Seattle offense. This slightly dampened the spirits of many Sonics fans hoping for the team to get to 110 points and guarantee them free chalupas. Instead, only a jumper by Peja Drobnjak with a minute and a half left kept the team from breaking their record for quarter futility, and they ended up a point shy when Earl Watson dribbled out the clock. Any depression was only temporary, however, melting away as confetti began descending for the rafters and music began blaring to celebrate the Sonics' return to the playoffs after a one-year absence. Players also threw t-shirts into the stands as most fans remained in place after the final buzzer, with fans and the team mutually thanking each other for their effort this season. Nobody, save perhaps the Grizzlies, was quite that happy during a sloppy first quarter. Following a lineup change that put forward Vin Baker into the starting lineup for the first time since he returned from injury nearly a month ago, the Sonics were out of sync. They missed several shots from point-blank range and Brent Barry alone was guilty of three first-quarter turnovers. On the other end, the game quickly became a 'Stro Show' after Stromile Swift checked into the game. The second-year Memphis forward, a competitor in last year's Slam Dunk Contest, ripped off several spectacular dunks that induced ahs from the crowd. Swift scored eight of his team's final 10 first quarter points, on his way to a career-high 31 points and 10 rebounds. Swift lost that dunk contest to the Sonics' Desmond Mason, and he answered Swift's challenge with some highlight-reel rim rocking of his own, also leading to prodigious output. Mason finished with 33 points on 13 of 16 shooting. He had help from perennial All-Star Payton, capping an MVP-candidate season in impressive fashion with 30 points and nine assists.
San Antonio - Seattle Schedule:
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