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Spurs Win Wild West Duel
Rookie Beats Sonics With Late Jumper as Seattle's Last Try Comes Up Short
By SonicsKevin
Earl Watson, left, returned from injury and played 14 minutes, scoring seven points.
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With the San Antonio Spurs and Seattle Supersonics playing a game decided in the final seconds, the
obvious candidates to control the destiny of the game are Seattle's superstar guard Gary Payton and San
Antonio's MVP candidate, forward Tim Duncan. But instead it was a pair of young point guards who would
decide the outcome.
For the Spurs, that was 19-year old starter Tony Parker, who was left open as the Sonics' doubled Duncan in the left post. Parker, displaying little hesitation and composure belying his years, nailed the 18-footer to put San Antonio in the lead, 90-88. The Sonics still had six seconds to try to answer and either win or send the game into overtime. Instead of looking to one of their veterans -- Payton, Brent Barry, or Vin Baker -- to try to create something, Coach Nate McMillan inserted a cold Shammond Williams off the bench and gave him the ball on the inbounds. Williams drove the left baseline, drawing the attention of several San Antonio defenders. Looking to take advantage, Williams shoveled the ball to the other youngster on the court, rookie forward Peja Drobnjak, who dove towards the cup but had his attempt blocked by Tim Duncan. The Spurs recovered the ball and sent it the other way, glad to hold off a pesky Sonic squad that had started the three-game losing streak which this win ended. That the game was decided in the final moments was fitting, given that both sides laid claim to momentum and sizable leads in different parts of the game. The Sonics' quarter was the second. When Tim Duncan went out with just over eight minutes remaining in the period, Seattle took advantage, scoring the next nine points, seven of them from the bench, which combined for 39 of the Sonics' 88 points. The run left the Sonics with an 11-point lead, and they essentially traded baskets thereafter to go to halftime with a nine-point lead. That lead melted away in the blink of an eye, with the Spurs tying the game at 59 just over four minutes into the second half. It was all part of a 31-7 run that left San Antonio amazingly up 15 points and in command of a game they had trailed by double digits just a quarter ago. The Spurs' offensive precision and efficiency was simply exceptional as they battled back, with scores on 14 of 16 possessions. Even when they did miss during the early third -- which, with 12 of 17 (75%) shooting, was quite rare -- the Spurs managed to dominate the offensive boards, grabbing four of their five misses as the Sonics recorded but one defensive rebound in nearly nine minutes. The game seemed over, but the Sonics -- who have made a habit of never quitting under McMillan -- refused to let it be. They stifled San Antonio on offense, holding them scoreless for the quarter's final 3:09, and scored eight unanswered to cut the lead to seven after three. Again, the Spurs looked to have put the Sonics away with 7:15 left and a 10-point lead, along with momentum after a Danny Ferry three followed a Seattle turnover for a shot-clock violation. Yet the Sonics again fought back, this time with a 9-2 run that got them within one possession at the three minute mark. A play later, they were within two after David Robinson split a pair of free throws and Payton made a layup. Another play later, Jerome James tied the game at 88 with a short jumper inside the lane. The Spurs could not convert on two opportunities, while the Sonics missed a pair of shots on theirs before recovering the ball with 52 seconds left. After a timeout, Baker's attempt from the left baseline was blocked by Duncan, setting up the teams for an exciting finish.
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