SEATTLE – For most of three quarters Sunday night, the Seattle SuperSonics were about as bad as they could be. Sloppy, slow and clearly out of sync, they seemed little match for the visiting Memphis Grizzlies.
Of course, every NBA game has a fourth quarter and the Sonics made the most of those final 12 minutes, rallying from a 16-point deficit – it had been 21 points late in the third quarter – for a remarkable 118-113 win at KeyArena.
As comebacks go, this was a dandy.
“You guys tell me how we won that game,” grinned guard Ray Allen afterward, facing a crowd of media. “I’m still asking myself that question.”
It was the sixth consecutive victory for the Sonics, who are alone atop the league’s Northwest Division. Seattle, which began its season with a loss to the Los Angeles Clippers, has not been 6-1 since the lockout-shortened 1999 season and has started this well only five other times in franchise history.
None of this seemed remotely possible for much of Sunday’s game. The Sonics jumped to an early 10-point lead, but then came completely undone. By the end of the first quarter Memphis led 29-27 and at halftime Seattle trailed 71-61. The Grizzlies had 100 points through three periods, or nine more points than the Sonics’ defensive average for an entire game.
“For three quarters, that team totally had our number,” said Seattle coach Nate McMillan. “They were controlling the game.”
Seattle’s biggest sin was a defense that was completely porous. Through three periods Memphis was shooting .600 (36-for-60) from the field, and at one point of the third quarter that percentage was closer to .700. The Grizzlies were getting to the rim with ease, and when they stayed outside they had mostly unbothered looks at the basket.
At one point, a female fan in a courtside seat hollered at the Sonics with obvious disgust: “Play some defense!”
Addressing his team at halftime and during second-half timeouts, McMillan was making the same plea.
“At halftime, we had said the first team to play some defense would win the game,” he said. “For three quarters we didn’t play well at all on the defensive end, but we hung around. We kept our heads for three quarters, and finally in the fourth quarter we found a way to get back in the game.”
The momentum swung in the late moments of the third quarter when Seattle scored on three straight possessions. One field goal was by backup guard Antonio Daniels, who then followed with a long 3-pointer and a fast-break layin in the first minute of the final period. Guard Luke Ridnour and forward Rashard Lewis then added baskets, and with the Grizzlies going scoreless Seattle had suddenly pulled within seven points, 100-93.
“We slowly chipped away at that (deficit),” McMillan said. “We started getting stops and making baskets, and we got some confidence back. Then the crowd got into the game and we fed off of that. … Our guys didn’t give up, didn’t quit.”
Guard Ray Allen, on his way to a game-high 34 points, would deliver 11 points in the fourth quarter (he was 3-for-4), including a fast-break 3-pointer from the left wing that tied the game at 110, and then a pull-up 10-footer from the key that put the Sonics on top to stay, 112-111. Ridnour made all three of his field goal tries in the period, Daniels went 4-for-5, and as a team Seattle was a blistering 12-for-17 (.706).
Memphis, meanwhile, made just two field goals in the last eight minutes, and one of those came in the late seconds with the outcome pretty well decided. In that same span the Grizzlies had four turnovers and three shots blocked.
“We dominated for three quarters because we kept attacking the basket off the dribble,” sighed Memphis coach Hubie Brown. “Our execution was outstanding. That was the best three quarters we have played this year on the road. … But our lack of execution down the stretch was very discouraging.”
For the Sonics, cautioned Daniels, “it’s only seven games into the season. We have a lot of games to go and now we just have to continue to do what we’ve been doing. That is, playing hard, playing together and playing well. That’s what’s getting us victories.”
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