Opponent: Dallas Mavericks
When: 7:30 p.m.
Where: KeyArena, Seattle
TV: FSN, ESPN (both cable)
Radio: KJR (950 AM)
Probable starters: For Seattle – forwards Rashard Lewis (6 feet, 10 inches) and Reggie Evans (6-8), center Jerome James (7-1), guards Ray Allen (6-5) and Luke Ridnour (6-2). For Dallas – forwards Dirk Nowitzki (7-0) and Josh Howard (6-6), center Erick Dampier (6-11), guards Michael Finley (6-7) and Jason Terry (6-2).
Tough to be without Lewis
How much have the Sonics missed forward Rashard Lewis?
A bunch, obviously, because he is the team’s second-leading scorer at 20.7 points a game and the third-leading rebounder at 5.5.
But even more than that, Lewis’ presence on the court opens up the floor for the other Sonics. Not only is he Seattle’s best low-post scorer, but he is also one of the team’s top 3-point weapons.
Without Lewis on the court, coach Nate McMillan explained on Tuesday, opposing teams have more opportunities to double-team guard Ray Allen, Seattle’s leading scorer. Which helps explain why Allen’s shooting percentage has dipped in the eight games Lewis has been out.
Beginning with a March 29 game at Memphis (the start of Lewis’ injury absence), Allen has shot a combined 69-for-169 from the field, a .408 percentage. Before Lewis went out, Allen was shooting .426 from the field. Some of the drop may be late-season fatigue, but clearly he also is seeing tighter defensive pressure.
Compounding the problem is the absence of Vlade Radmanovic (stress fracture, right leg), another of Seattle’s top offensive threats.
“Missing Vlade is just as important (as Lewis),” McMillan said. “Vlade really spaces the floor for us. He took a lot of pressure off of Rashard and Ray because you couldn’t double-team them with Vlade out on the floor. So they all need one and other.”
Weary man: Before the playoffs start, and assuming Seattle can clinch the Northwest Division title as well as homecourt advantage in the first round, McMillan would like to rest some of his starters.
Foremost, he is concerned about Allen.
Allen has played 40 or more minutes in each of Seattle’s last six games and eight of the last 10. Through Monday’s games, he ranked eighth in the NBA at 39.3 minutes a game.
“I’m sure he has some heavy legs,” McMillan acknowledged. “He didn’t look the same” against Houston on Monday night.
Rich Myhre, Herald writer
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