Opponent: New Orleans Hornets
When: 6 p.m.
Where: KeyArena, Seattle
TV: None
Radio: KJR (950 AM)
Probable starters: For Seattle – forwards Rashard Lewis (6 feet, 10 inches) and Reggie Evans (6-8), center Vitaly Potapenko (6-10), guards Brent Barry (6-6) and Ray Allen (6-5). For New Orleans – forwards George Lynch (6-8) and P.J. Brown (6-11), center Jamaal Magloire (6-11), guards Baron Davis (6-3) and David Wesley (6-1).
Next game: Seattle at Dallas, 5:30 p.m. Tuesday.
Now that Seattle is officially out of the playoff chase, coach Nate McMillan said he expects to shuffle his rotation for the team’s remaining six games.
In particular, rookie guard Luke Ridnour will be moved up to be “one of the first guys off the bench,” said McMillan, adding, “We want to give him some minutes.”
Ridnour, who was getting regular minutes early in the season, has played sparingly in recent weeks. In fact, he has appeared in just eight of Seattle’s 17 games since the first of March and none of the team’s past six games.
For the season, Ridnour has played in 63 games, including three starts, and is averaging 5.2 points and 2.1 assists.
Ridnour would move ahead of Antonio Daniels, who has played well as both a starter and a backup this season. Daniels has appeared in 68 games, starting 32 times, and is averaging 8.2 points and 4.2 assists.
Daniels reaction to the demotion?
“A.D. wants to play,” McMillan said. “Not that I’ll totally go away from him, but in the first half (today) I’ll look at Luke coming off the bench with possibly Ronald (Murray as the two backcourt subs).”
Trivia question: Forward Reggie Evans had 14 rebounds in Friday night’s game against the Los Angeles Lakers, matching a Sonics season high set by Vlade Radmanovic. Who was the last Sonic to grab 20 or more rebounds in a game?
James update: The Sonics had hoped to have Jerome James back in action by now, but his abdominal strain continues to keep him sidelined. He did some riding on a stationary bike on Saturday, but was unable to join the team for practice. He is doubtful for today’s game, McMillan said.
That’s a fact: The Lakers shot 56 percent (39-for-70) in Friday’s game, making it the 13th time a Sonics opponent has shot 50 percent or better this season. Seattle is 0-13 in those games. When the opponent has shot under 50 percent the Sonics are 34-29.
By contrast, Seattle is 10-3 in games it has shot .50 percent or better, and is 24-39 when it shoots under 50 percent.
Trivia answer: Forward Shawn Kemp had 22 rebounds in a Dec. 12, 1995 game against the Dallas Mavericks.
Rich Myhre
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