In statistics, it is assumed that the outcome of unrelated events is exactly that, unrelated to what has happened previously. Just because on average a coin will land heads every other time doesn't mean that a tails is more likely to be followed by a heads instead of another tails.

Apparently, that's not true in the NBA. Rarely is there a chance to see the effect of random swings on a game, but the Seattle SuperSonics and Denver Nuggets playing twice in 24 hours, albeit with the location Seattle instead of Denver, provided just such a chance.

And, contrary to theory, the teams almost perfectly reversed many of the outcomes from Friday night's 96-90 Denver victory as the Sonics ran all over the Nuggets to take the second game, 104-77.

Nick Van Exel was well below average on Friday, scoring just seven points -- 16 off his average. He made up for lost scoring with a remarkable first half effort this evening, scoring more than half his team's points (24 of 45). Other than that, the first half played out much the same as it had a night before. The Nuggets were offensively inept, while the Sonics held the lead the entire half and generally controlled the game. It looked for a while as if the previous night's Sonic 13 point margin halfway through might be duplicated, but Denver went on a late run to cut the defecit to only seven.

The third quarter was all Denver on Friday night, as a cast of no-name Nugget players combined to turn the aforementioned 13 point Sonic lead at halftime into an eight point advantage for Denver heading to the fourth. Tonight, there would be no such Nugget run, as instead the Sonics went streaking towards an insurmountable lead with a fabulous third quarter. Adding insult to insult, the Sonics turned on perhaps their most spectacular aerial asault, with crowd-pleasing ally-oop finishes by Desmond Mason and Vin Baker to go along with other ferocious flushes. All told, the Sonics reversed their 21 point net loss from Friday's third quarter by gaining 20 points tonight, outscoring Denver 32-12 in the 12-minute span.

When the Nuggets finally came up for air at the quarter break, they found themselves down by 27 points. Denver tried to rally, but Seattle Coach Nate McMillan summoned his starters for one last stretch, and they put away the game by the five-minute mark, prompting McMillan and Nugget interim Coach Mike Evans to empty their respective benches.

Perhaps the most remarkable turnabout from game one to game two came on the glass. Denver dominated the boards on Friday night, getting double-digit totals from a pair of little-used players, Zendon Hamilton (16) and Ryan Bowen (12). Altogether, they outboarded Seattle 55-33. Part of the Sonics' problems was the absence from the rotation of Art Long, the team's best rebounder, who had started the previous 12 games but received a DNP-CD after a poor outing in a loss at Utah. Long was back in the starting lineup, and was joined in the rotation by 7-1 Jerome James, who has been used only sparingly since returning from a sprained ankle at the start of the New Year. James replaced rookie Peja Drobnjak, who has been a liability on the boards but is not as error-prone as is James. The moves worked spectacularly, as the duo -- with significant help by way of improved rebounding from starters Rashard Lewis and Vin Baker -- led the Sonics to a 53-32 rebounding advantage of their own, a 43 board turnaround in total margin. Long finished up with a double-double of 12 points and 11 rebounds, while James grabbed six boards in 15 minutes of play.

While Denver's surprising offensive contributors of game one, Bowen and Avery Johnson, saw their output fall from 36 combined points to five, the Sonics' stars stayed strong. Gary Payton, celebrating the fact that bobbleheads with his 'likeness' -- they actually look more like color commentator Billy McKinney -- were handed out before the game, was masterful. Payton, who made 11 of 18 shots for 25 points and handed out 12 assists, engineered the Sonics' third quarter run by getting his teammates involved. Lewis (17 points), Baker (15 points, 9 rebounds), and Mason (13 points on 6 of 9 from the field) rounded out five Sonics in double figures.

That was probably more scoring than the Sonics needed, thanks to tough defense which made the Nuggets' heads bobble. Just as they had in the previous night's first half, Denver struggled with shooting and turnovers, committing 19 miscues, many of them unforced, and shooting just 27 of 76 from the field.