Opponent: Toronto Raptors
When: 7 p.m.
Where: KeyArena, Seattle
TV: KONG (channel 6/16)
Radio: KJR (950 AM)
Probable starters: For Seattle – forwards Vin Baker (6 feet 11 inches) and Rashard Lewis (6-10), center Art Long (6-9), guards Brent Barry (6-6) and Gary Payton (6-4). For Toronto – forwards Morris Peterson (6-7) and Antonio Davis (6-9), center Eric Montross (7-0), guards Vince Carter (6-6) and Alvin Williams (6-5).
Next game: Philadelphia at Seattle, 7 p.m. Friday
Scouting report: The last time he visited Seattle, in March of this year, Toronto’s Vince Carter lit up the Sonics for 32 points in a 110-99 Raptors victory. The high-flying guard is capable of big numbers in any game, and slowing him will be a primary focus for Seattle’s defense tonight.
“We have to let him know early in the game that nothing is going to be easy,” said Sonics guard Desmond Mason, who will defend Carter at times tonight. “We have to stay in his face, because if we don’t and he gets warmed up it’s going to be kind of hard to stop him.”
What makes Carter so effective is an outstanding outside touch combined with an explosiveness to the basket. An “Air Canada” highlight reel usually contains an equal number of perimeter bombs – he shoots 39.9 percent from behind the 3-point stripe – and dazzling dunks.
“He’s definitely one of the top players in the league,” said Sonics coach Nate McMillan. “You have to defend him with the same attention as a Shaquille (O’Neal) or a Kobe (Bryant). You can’t cover those guys with single coverage throughout the game and expect them not to produce. They are special players and normally you have to send double coverage at them, you have to mix up your defenses and then hope they don’t have a big game against you.”
In Seattle’s favor will be the schedule. The Raptors played in Los Angeles on Friday night, then took a red-eye flight to Seattle for tonight’s meeting with the Sonics.
“We want to take advantage of that, of course,” McMillan said. “We’re facing teams that are (playing) back-to-back games. It’s just like it was for us earlier in the season, when teams were catching us when they’d had days off to rest and days to prepare. We’re in that situation now, and we want to take advantage of that.”
Seattle fans will not get a look at Raptors center Hakeem Olajuwon – the last, perhaps, since the 37-year-old center (38 in January) may retire after this season. Olajuwon is in Toronto, having missed the last five games with an infected toe on his left foot.
Injury update: The Sonics are slowly moving toward full health. Centers Jerome James and Calvin Booth, both on the injured list with ankle injuries, practiced Friday. Neither is expected to play tonight, but both should return for next Friday’s game against Philadelphia.
Trivia question: The Raptors, the NBA’s only Canadian team, have no native Canadians on their roster. There are, though, four Canadians on other NBA teams. Can you name them?
Why we love Brent: To NBA coaches, a go-to guy is someone who can deliver scoring in the late minutes of a close game. For the NBA media, though, a go-to guy is someone who can always provide an insightful comment or a clever quip.
Around the league, few are better than Seattle’s own Brent Barry.
After a 101-90 victory over the LA Clippers on Thursday, Barry was in rare form. He was boasting (tongue in cheek) about the brilliant play of Seattle’s backcourt, which combined for 49 points.
“I don’t know how anyone can beat us when Gary and I get it going like that,” Barry said with a sly smile. “I know (Clippers coach Alvin) Gentry was pulling his hair out, trying to think of a way to stop the two of us.”
Payton, of course, had 43 points in the game. Barry had just six.
Trivia answer: Rick Fox, Los Angeles Lakers; Steve Nash, Dallas Mavericks; Todd MacCulloch, New Jersey; Jamaal Magliore, Charlotte.
Rich Myhre
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