Sonics Blaze Way to Third Straight Win

By SonicsKevin

Brent Barry, left, was a model of efficiency in hitting nine of 11 shots and scoring 22 points.

But it all seemed to be coming apart with two and a half minutes left in the game. Behind veteran forward Scottie Pippen, who made two consecutive jumpers, the Blazers tied the game at 87. With momentum and the Rose Garden crowd both favoring the Blazers, the Sonics turned to Gary Payton, who less than 24 hours earlier had sunk the Spurs with a late-second layin. Payton came through again, nailing a jumper from the left elbow to put the Sonics back ahead, 89-87.

After a Blazer miss, the Sonics got two cracks at putting Portland down two possessions. First, Desmond Mason missed a jumper, but Derek Anderson was called for a foul in the tussle for the loose ball. This time, the Sonics milked the clock, looking both to keep the ball away from Portland and also to get the best shot possible. The strategy backfired, with Brent Barry ending up holding the ball after a fake, called for a 24-second shot-clock violation.

Playing without star forward Rasheed Wallace, the Blazers felt that their best chance for a score down the stretch was former Sonic forward Shawn Kemp, replacing Wallace in the lineup. It was an odd matchup, with Kemp posting up the player he was traded for four and a half years ago, Vin Baker. On this particular possession, Baker tried to draw a charge on Kemp. When the referees held their whistles, Kemp was in perfect position to tie the game with a layup. His shot was too hard, but Kemp himself came up with the rebound before blowing another attempt. This time, it was the Sonics' Mason soaring high into the air to first tip the ball off the glass before powerfully securing it, the threat averted.

Again, the Sonics worked down the clock before shooting, but Payton could not put away the Blazers. Claiming the ball with 30 seconds left, Portland again went to Kemp in the post. Having learned from his mistake, Baker this time played Kemp straight up and stripped him of the ball as he started to make his move. Barry recovered and dribbled to the safety of the corner before taking a timeout.

With the game clock down to 12 seconds, the Sonics needed to inbound the ball and make free throws. After a second timeout, the first task was accomplished, with Shammond Williams taking the inbounds pass and being fouled. At 76%, Williams was the worst free-throw shooter in the lineup, but he made both attempts to put Seattle ahead 91-87.

Portland needed a score, and fast. Kemp again got the call, getting an open look at a three, but it was off and recovered by Gary Payton with six seconds left. His first free throw was a mere formality, providing a 92-87 final.

Again, the Sonics received surprising performances from unlikely contributors off the bench. By far the most unlikely was from forward Ansu Sesay, playing 12 minutes in his Seattle and NBA debut. The rookie, noticed more for his lengthy, picked-out afro on Friday night than his game, impressed, making all three of his shots and scoring seven points.

But the key for Seattle was the play of Barry, who was simply sensational. He nearly could not miss, making nine of his 11 attempts from the field and four of five from three-point range to score 22 points. His five assists and rebounds were simply icing on the cake.

On the other side, Portland had a difficult time overcoming the poor offensive play of four of their starters. Kemp, Pippen, Damon Stoudamire, and Bonzi Wells 14 for 50 from the field and score only 30 points. They were able to stay in position to win because of the contributions of the fifth starter, Dale Davis, and the Blazer bench. Davis, who seems to come alive against the Sonics, scored 19 points and grabbed 12 rebounds. Anderson scored 24 points, including a rare four-point play during the third quarter. Another former Sonic forward, Ruben Patterson, also added 12 points.

The Sonics seized control of the game early on, with a 9-0 run near the end of the first quarter. They quickly adapted to the different pace, scoring 29 points in the first quarter, a number that might have passed for an entire half the night before in a sluggish affair with San Antonio. Portland went on a run briefly at the start of the second quarter, but afterwards it was all Sonics, who took a lead as large as eight.

In the early second quarter, Seattle's lead grew to as large as 12 at the eight minute mark. Shortly thereafter, starting center Jerome James was removed in favor of Baker. Portland immediately went on an 11-0 run to get within one point. The Sonics would withstand this charge, thanks in large part to four straight points from Baker, but they would relinquish the lead when the Blazers unleashed seven unanswered points that spanned the third and fourth quarters to go up 73-71. It would be their final lead of the night, as the Sonics achieved a pre-Easter miracle.