Minutes after the end of Sunday’s Seattle-Utah game, Seattle police officers began hustling spectators to the KeyArena exits because of a bomb threat telephoned to Seattle Center officials.
Word of the threat reached the Sonics locker room and several players made hasty departures, among them Ray Allen and Rashard Lewis.
“The police department has ordered us to evacuate the building,” Sonics general manager Rick Sund told a gathering of reporters before they, too, were urged to head for the parking lot.
“They think it’s a crank,” Sund added, “but you never know. So for security purposes, we’re going to clear the building and the police are coming in to search it.”
Stats sometimes lie: Anyone glancing at the stat sheet after Sunday’s game – and not looking at the final score – might have figured the Jazz had won.
Utah and Seattle both converted 38 field goals. The Sonics had a slight edge in free throws, but Utah had a 24-20 edge in assists and a decided 36-25 margin in rebounds, including a 17-6 edge in offensive rebounds. The Jazz also had a whopping 54-30 advantage in points in the paint and a similarly lopsided lead, 23-9, in second-chance points.
The one stat that tipped the scale to the Sonics was 3-point shooting. The Sonics were 13-for-22 from beyond the stripe. Utah was 1-for-6.
Back on the court: Utah All-Star forward Andrei Kirilenko made his second appearance Sunday after missing 26 games with a sprained right knee. Kirilenko played 14 minutes and scored 14 points to go with three rebounds, three steals, two assists and two blocked shots.
Cough, cough: Forwards Vlade Radmanovic and Reggie Evans, and center Jerome James showed up for Sunday’s morning shootaround feeling ill, though all played against the Jazz.
Having illnesses get passed between teammates seems to happen every year, Sonics coach Nate McMillan said.
“It can start from someone’s child,” he said. “He gives it to (the player) and he brings it to practice. So, yeah, that happens.”
Rich Myhre
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