Daniels to miss tonight’s game in Utah

SEATTLE – It began with a slight fever and a sore throat, which could be a lot of things this time of year.

But by the time his temperature soared to 104 degrees and he had trouble swallowing glasses of water, Antonio Daniels knew it was not the usual wintertime flu.

He visited the doctor, who inspected Daniels’ swollen throat and announced a diagnosis of acute tonsillitis. The Seattle SuperSonics guard began receiving doses of antibiotics, including a syrupy penicillin substance to gargle, and by this past weekend his fever had vanished.

Daniels practiced with the team on Sunday, but did not accompany the squad to Salt Lake City for tonight’s game against the Utah Jazz. Instead, he is hoping to be ready for Tuesday’s KeyArena meeting with the Philadelphia 76ers.

“I’m definitely not ready to go,” he said. “I need to get my strength back and my timing back. I had to go without eating regularly (for several days last week) because my throat was so swollen, so I have to get my strength back up to form.”

After nearly a week of inactivity, Daniels was feeling so antsy that he came to the team’s practice facility on Christmas night and did a solo workout, including weight-lifting, running and shooting. He planned a similar session on Sunday night and another today, “and then I’m planning on playing against Philadelphia,” he said.

Daniels played in all of Seattle’s first 23 games, but became ill shortly after a Dec. 17 game against Phoenix. He missed several practices, but because of a quirk in the schedule, probably will miss just two games – last Wednesday’s contest with Denver and tonight’s game in Utah.

In years past, Daniels might have undergone surgery to remove his infected tonsils, “but I heard now that’s not healthy to do at my age,” he said. The doctor “said if it’s a chronic problem, then they might take them out. But this is just the first time it has happened to me.”

Missing from Sunday’s practice was forward Danny Fortson, reportedly because his daughter was ill. According to coach Nate McMillan, Fortson is expected to be in Utah tonight, but was probably going to travel to Salt Lake City on his own, bypassing Sunday’s 3 p.m. charter flight out of Seattle.