Baker’s return helps Sonics win at home

  • Rich Myhre / Herald Writer
  • Sunday, November 25, 2001 9:00pm
  • Sports

By Rich Myhre

Herald Writer

SEATTLE – Vin Baker was back in the starting lineup after an injury, and Rashard Lewis was out as punishment for a slight infraction.

Somehow, this was a recipe for success for the Seattle SuperSonics on Sunday night.

With Baker giving the Sonics a much-needed low post presence, and with Lewis tossing in a game-high 24 points off the bench, Seattle pushed past the Indiana Pacers 99-88 at KeyArena. Following Friday’s 99-81 victory over Houston, it gave the Sonics their first two-game winning streak of the season.

With Baker, a power forward, and center Calvin Booth both back from extended injury absences, Seattle is finally getting a look at its usual rotation of players.

“For once, everything just felt normal,” said Sonics coach Nate McMillan. “We felt comfortable running our (offensive) sets. Defensively, we knew what we wanted to do because we had our normal rotation, as opposed to different lineups and trying to make adjustments out on the floor.

“I thought it was a solid game by this team at both ends of the floor,” he said.

Baker had not played since a Nov. 9 game in Boston, missing seven games with a bruised left knee. He finished with 19 points and six rebounds, tacking on a steal and blocked shot.

His best moments came midway through the fourth quarter. Playing with five fouls, Baker made a nifty block of a layin try by Indiana’s Jamaal Tinsley. The swat triggered a Seattle fast break, with Baker accepting an eventual pass from teammate Brent Barry for a layin and an 87-79 Sonics lead.

“(Baker) had a bounce in his step,” McMillan said. “He was getting up and down the floor, and I thought he did a good job establishing a low-post position for us and giving us an inside-out game. He gave us another guy to go to and freed us to get some other guys to play to their strengths, like Rashard and Desmond (Mason). They could roam around the perimeter and play against guys their size.”

“I had goose bumps (before the game),” Baker admitted. “It’s like starting all over again, being out seven games. It was like the first game (of the season).”

His ailing knee “felt great,” he said. “There was no discomfort, no pain. I really didn’t even think about it at all during the course of the game.”

Lewis, meanwhile, had been tardy to a Sunday morning practice, called a shootaround, because some downtown Seattle streets were blocked off because of a road race. He was five minutes late and that violation, according to McMillan’s code of conduct, earned Lewis a spot on the bench to start Sunday’s game.

He did not enter until midway through the first quarter, but still played 37 minutes, almost exactly his season average. They were quality minutes, too. Lewis was 9-for-16 from the field, 6-for-6 from the free throw line, grabbed seven rebounds, and added two assists, two steals and two blocked shots. Ten of his points and both steals came in the decisive fourth quarter.

“(Rashard) played great,” Baker said. “He was great on the boards and obviously he hit some big shots for us.”

The soft-spoken Lewis shrugged off punishment. “I didn’t have a problem with it,” he said. “(McMillan) was going to play me regardless, even though I didn’t start.”

Of greater importance, he added, was Baker’s return, which allows Lewis to move back to his more familiar small forward position.

“That’s going to help me a lot,” Lewis said. “With Vin back, that’s going to take more attention off Gary and it will take a lot more attention off me. With Vin back on the post, it’s just going to open up a lot of things for all three of us.”

Indiana broke in front behind 12 first-quarter points from Jermaine O’Neal, but Seattle carved into the deficit through the second period. There were 21 lead changes before the Sonics finally went on top to stay with eight unanswered points (six from Baker) to close the third quarter and open the fourth.

“We were close enough that we knew if we’d just put a run together, we could win the game,” said Seattle’s Brent Barry.

Defensively, the Sonics were as good as they have been this season in the final period, holding Indiana to just four field goals in 12 attempts and forcing the Pacers into nine turnovers.

To make room for Baker on the active roster, the Sonics placed center Antonio Harvey on the injured list with tendinitis in his right knee.

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