By Frank Hughes
The News Tribune
TORONTO – Canada’s only NBA team, the Toronto Raptors, played against the Seattle SuperSonics Sunday afternoon.
All-world forward Vince Carter returned from an inury that kept him out seven games.
New center Hakeem Olajuwon also returned from an injury, giving the Raptors a full contingent of players for about the first time this season.
And nobody in this country cared.
“This game is about as meaningless to the Canadians as an appetizer is to Jerome James,” Sonics guard Brent Barry said as Canadians rejoiced the victory of their country’s Olympic hockey team in the gold medal game against the United States.
Still, the game – pushed back a half hour so fans would not miss any of the hockey game – meant something to the Sonics, who bounced back from a lackadaisical first half to record a 101-92 victory, their sixth consecutive road victory.
It meant even more in the race for the final playoff spot. Combined with the Los Angeles Clippers’ loss to Indiana Saturday night the Sonics (30-26), who improved to four games over .500 for the first time this year, went ahead of the Clippers (27-30) by 3 1/2games with 26 games left to play. If the Sonics play .500 ball the rest of the way the Clippers need to go 17-8 to steal the playoff berth from them.
“I’m starting to get the feeling that we are going to make a run to get even better position,” Barry said. “We don’t want to be satisfied with where we are at. We are going to do our damndest to get wherever we can in the next month and a half.”
This victory, Seattle’s fifth in six games, came at the beginning of a five-game road trip in which every game is winnable. The composite records of the Sonics’ opponents on this trip is 102-171.
In fact, Sonics coach Nate McMillan challenged his team before the trip began to try and sweep all five games. Next stop is Tuesday in Cleveland.
“The only way we can sweep this road trip was to win here in Toronto,” Barry said. “We have taken care of one of the baby steps, and there is another one to take in Cleveland.”
The Raptors tried to sneak up on the Sonics psychologically. The Raptors (29-29) had lost seven straight games before Sunday without Carter, who strained a quadriceps muscle just before the All-Star break.
They made no indication that Carter would play, but about an hour before the game began, word started spreading that Carter and Olajuwon would be activated. Not that anybody other than McMillan was listening; they were all watching the overhead scoreboard and screaming whenever the Canadians scored in the hockey game.
As McMillan predicted, the Raptors came out with a lot of energy, and they immediately put the Sonics in a hole that grew to as much as 15 points in the first half, when the Sonics got outrun, outrebounded and turned over the ball nine times.
But just before the end of the half, the Sonics made a run that got them close enough to gain confidence.
And in the locker room, McMillan stressed reboundiing, protecting the ball and transition defense.
Everybody in the starting lineup – which scored all but eight of Seattle’s points – responded. Starting center Jerome James was dominant inside, playing a season-high 30 minutes and recording career highs of 18 points on 8-for-12 shooting and 12 rebounds, six offensive. He also had three blocks.
James had looked like a wonderful replacement for injured Calvin Booth at the beginning of the season, but then he went down with a foot injury that kept him out 20 games.
He finally appears to be regaining his early season form and could be the center that the Sonics have needed for years.
“It was just getting my timing back,” James said. “This game is played at a high pace. If you can’t keep up, then it is hard. (My play lately) just comes from more playing time. First, I had to find out what this team needs from Jerome James, and then execute that role night in and night out.”
The same could be said of Brent Barry, who has been incredible since Vin Baker went down with three dislocated toes.
Outdoing Gary Payton’s 22 points and Rashard Lewis’ 21, Barry went for a team-high 23 points, seven assists, six rebounds an a steal, hitting four of six 3-pointers, including a dagger with 3:26 left that fended off a Toronto threat. Barry has scored at least 17 points in nine of the past 10 games, seven of which has been victories.
“The floor is just opened up,” Barry said. “We are playing small ball. When we move the ball, the opportunities are there and I am just trying to take advantage of those opportunities. I am starting to remind myself of my rookie year when I was more active and going to the rim and trying to create off the dribble. That’s a good sign.”
Not for the Raptors, not that anybody would notice.
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