Jimcs50
05-17-2005, 08:14 AM
MARK HARRISON / THE SEATTLE TIMES
Ray Allen, feeling the warmth of Seattle fans as he leaves the court after the Sonics' 101-89 victory in Game 4, says a hostile environment tonight in San Antonio is an obstacle that can be overcome. "As far as what happens on this court," Allen says, "we control that."
SAN ANTONIO — There's a scene in the film "Hoosiers" when Gene Hackman, who plays the basketball coach of the tiny Indiana high-school boys team, has one of his players measure the distance between the rim and the floor before their state-championship game inside a cavernous arena.
The small-town boys team was accustomed to more intimate surroundings and had never played in a setting that was so awe-inspiring.
It's a poignant moment in the movie, and cinematic proof that basketball is basketball no matter where it's played.
Sitting courtside inside an empty SBC Center after yesterday's workout, Ray Allen, the Sonics' resident thespian and film buff, waxed philosophically about the seemingly impossible task facing his team.
It had been less than 24 hours since he guided them to an improbable 101-89 Game 4 thrashing of the San Antonio Spurs in the Western Conference semifinals without two of Seattle's top three scorers.
Chances are good that All-Star forward Rashard Lewis, who sprained his left big toe last Thursday, won't play again tonight in Game 5, which will force Allen to once again provide the heavy lifting in terms of leadership and point production.
Beating the Spurs in Seattle — like the Sonics did in Games 3 and 4 — is one thing, but beating them on their home court where they've lost just four games all season, and just once in the playoffs, is quite another.
Still, Allen is undeterred, and as he is apt to do at times such as these, he tends to answer questions with questions before expressing his point.
"You tell me: What's changed?" he said. "The ball doesn't change, the basket is still the same, the free-throw line is still the same, and so is the three-point line. So what's changed? Really. What's changed?
"Yeah, it's a different building and their fans will give them energy just like our fans give us energy. But as far as what happens on this court, we control that. And we've got to remember that. Basketball is basketball no matter where you play it. The game doesn't change."
Still, in so many ways, the Sonics are not the same team that arrived in San Antonio more than a week ago for the start of the series. They were a confident bunch then, having recently disposed of Sacramento in the first round but having no idea what was awaiting them.
As the nightmarish Game 1 concluded, they literally limped away as reserve forward Vladimir Radmanovic suffered a series-ending right ankle sprain and Allen, too, rolled his right ankle during a devastating 103-81 defeat.
"We were shocked in Game 1," said reserve guard Antonio Daniels, who started in place of Lewis on Sunday and may do so again tonight. "They jumped on us early and caught us by surprise. It's similar to Sacramento.
"We went to Sacramento that first game and they got us and we was kind of like, 'Wow, that place was crazy.' Then the next game came around and we were a little more calm and we know what to expect, so we should be OK now."
To borrow a boxing analogy, the Sonics have picked themselves up off the canvas after staggering blows in the first couple of rounds.
They tied the series at 2-2 and believe they've discovered a winning formula with their potent three-guard lineup that stymied San Antonio in Game 4. Seattle shot 50 percent from the field, which is a 2005 playoff high for a Spurs opponent.
"The last two games we played the same style of basketball that we did earlier in the season when we beat these guys two times," center Jerome James said. "That's where they had their problems. They had problems playing that free, open-court style of basketball with defense behind it.
"Not only do we play a style similar to the Dallas Mavericks and the Phoenix Suns, but we play better defense than both of those teams. So that's a great combination. When we have that rolling, we're a tough team to beat."
A few keys for the Sonics:
• Getting off to a fast start. The first two games of the series were decided in the opening minutes. San Antonio led 35-22 in Game 1 and 28-16 in Game 2.
"They are very aggressive and they seem to play faster at home than they do on the road," coach Nate McMillan said. "Most teams, that happens when you play at home. The energy, the building, you can ride that some. They were very aggressive right from the start."
• Avoiding turnovers. Seattle's undoing in Game 2 was 17 turnovers, which led to 22 San Antonio points. In both home games, the Sonics had fewer turnovers.
"It's impossible to play a game with no mistakes, but we have to cut down on our mistakes because a team like this will make you pay for it," Daniels said. "You still want to be aggressive, but you've got to be smart with the basketball."
• Controlling Tony Parker. As he goes, so does the Spurs. He averaged 25.2 points in San Antonio's wins and just 15 in the defeats.
Ray Allen, feeling the warmth of Seattle fans as he leaves the court after the Sonics' 101-89 victory in Game 4, says a hostile environment tonight in San Antonio is an obstacle that can be overcome. "As far as what happens on this court," Allen says, "we control that."
SAN ANTONIO — There's a scene in the film "Hoosiers" when Gene Hackman, who plays the basketball coach of the tiny Indiana high-school boys team, has one of his players measure the distance between the rim and the floor before their state-championship game inside a cavernous arena.
The small-town boys team was accustomed to more intimate surroundings and had never played in a setting that was so awe-inspiring.
It's a poignant moment in the movie, and cinematic proof that basketball is basketball no matter where it's played.
Sitting courtside inside an empty SBC Center after yesterday's workout, Ray Allen, the Sonics' resident thespian and film buff, waxed philosophically about the seemingly impossible task facing his team.
It had been less than 24 hours since he guided them to an improbable 101-89 Game 4 thrashing of the San Antonio Spurs in the Western Conference semifinals without two of Seattle's top three scorers.
Chances are good that All-Star forward Rashard Lewis, who sprained his left big toe last Thursday, won't play again tonight in Game 5, which will force Allen to once again provide the heavy lifting in terms of leadership and point production.
Beating the Spurs in Seattle — like the Sonics did in Games 3 and 4 — is one thing, but beating them on their home court where they've lost just four games all season, and just once in the playoffs, is quite another.
Still, Allen is undeterred, and as he is apt to do at times such as these, he tends to answer questions with questions before expressing his point.
"You tell me: What's changed?" he said. "The ball doesn't change, the basket is still the same, the free-throw line is still the same, and so is the three-point line. So what's changed? Really. What's changed?
"Yeah, it's a different building and their fans will give them energy just like our fans give us energy. But as far as what happens on this court, we control that. And we've got to remember that. Basketball is basketball no matter where you play it. The game doesn't change."
Still, in so many ways, the Sonics are not the same team that arrived in San Antonio more than a week ago for the start of the series. They were a confident bunch then, having recently disposed of Sacramento in the first round but having no idea what was awaiting them.
As the nightmarish Game 1 concluded, they literally limped away as reserve forward Vladimir Radmanovic suffered a series-ending right ankle sprain and Allen, too, rolled his right ankle during a devastating 103-81 defeat.
"We were shocked in Game 1," said reserve guard Antonio Daniels, who started in place of Lewis on Sunday and may do so again tonight. "They jumped on us early and caught us by surprise. It's similar to Sacramento.
"We went to Sacramento that first game and they got us and we was kind of like, 'Wow, that place was crazy.' Then the next game came around and we were a little more calm and we know what to expect, so we should be OK now."
To borrow a boxing analogy, the Sonics have picked themselves up off the canvas after staggering blows in the first couple of rounds.
They tied the series at 2-2 and believe they've discovered a winning formula with their potent three-guard lineup that stymied San Antonio in Game 4. Seattle shot 50 percent from the field, which is a 2005 playoff high for a Spurs opponent.
"The last two games we played the same style of basketball that we did earlier in the season when we beat these guys two times," center Jerome James said. "That's where they had their problems. They had problems playing that free, open-court style of basketball with defense behind it.
"Not only do we play a style similar to the Dallas Mavericks and the Phoenix Suns, but we play better defense than both of those teams. So that's a great combination. When we have that rolling, we're a tough team to beat."
A few keys for the Sonics:
• Getting off to a fast start. The first two games of the series were decided in the opening minutes. San Antonio led 35-22 in Game 1 and 28-16 in Game 2.
"They are very aggressive and they seem to play faster at home than they do on the road," coach Nate McMillan said. "Most teams, that happens when you play at home. The energy, the building, you can ride that some. They were very aggressive right from the start."
• Avoiding turnovers. Seattle's undoing in Game 2 was 17 turnovers, which led to 22 San Antonio points. In both home games, the Sonics had fewer turnovers.
"It's impossible to play a game with no mistakes, but we have to cut down on our mistakes because a team like this will make you pay for it," Daniels said. "You still want to be aggressive, but you've got to be smart with the basketball."
• Controlling Tony Parker. As he goes, so does the Spurs. He averaged 25.2 points in San Antonio's wins and just 15 in the defeats.