Sonics win fourth straight

By Rich Myhre

Herald Writer

SEATTLE – Having gone to overtime at Golden State the night before, the Seattle SuperSonics were a weary bunch Saturday night.

It helped to have an opponent more worn-out than they were.

Against the slumping Detroit Pistons, who were playing their fifth West Coast road game in seven nights – every one a loss – the Sonics broke on top to stay late in the first quarter and pushed the lead into double digits for good midway through the second period. The second half was a laugher from start to finish, with Seattle sitting atop a 117-89 cushion at the end.

For the Sonics, it was a night of many accomplishments. Foremost, it was the team’s fourth straight win, a season best, and the fifth victory in six games.

The 28-point margin was Seattle’s largest of the season, topping the 23-point spread against Orlando last Sunday. The Sonics also finished with a season-best 60.5 field goal percentage (46-for-76), erasing the previous mark of 53.8 percent vs. Sacramento on Wednesday.

In addition, Seattle won the second of back-to-back games for the first time in nine attempts this season. By contrast, the Sonics were 12-9 in the second of back-to-back games a year ago.

“Being 0-8 in back-to-backs, this was a big game for us to come out and win,” said Seattle’s Desmond Mason. “It was a huge game for us. Guys knew we were 0-8, and they stepped up and played. And this is the way we have to keep playing.”

“It was,” agreed Sonics coach Nate McMillan, “a solid team effort.”

Conversely, it was a dismal showing by the Pistons, who were clearly ready to board a plane for home and a Christmas respite. This was how bad it was for the visitors. Jerry Stackhouse was Detroit’s leading scorer with 18 points – despite being ejected for two quick technical fouls with 3:08 to play in the first half.

“There are a lot of excuses that we can make,” said Detroit coach Rick Carlisle, who did color commentary on Sonics radio/TV broadcasts a year ago. “But this is an effort that is beneath the dignity of what we’ve been about up until now. … We certainly didn’t bring our ‘A’ game, but (the Sonics) brought a game that was ‘A+.’ They really did it on both ends of the court. You’ve got to give them credit because they really played hard.”

Seattle spotted the Pistons an early lead before finally moving in front to stay late in the first quarter. Aided by runs of nine and 12 consecutive points, the Sonics surged to a 62-40 advantage at the break.

By then, Detroit’s hope of a comeback, already slim, was even more unlikely with Stackhouse out of the game. Stackhouse, who had made his first five shots and six of his first seven, was irate when Seattle’s Brent Barry reached to contest a jump shot and appeared to smack the Detroit player on the arm. The shot was an air ball and as the other players raced to the other end of the floor, Stackhouse screamed at official Leon Wood. The first technical was immediate and the second came as Stackhouse spoke some parting words as Wood started to walk away.

“(Stackhouse) was very hot the few minutes that he played,” McMillan said. “You don’t want to wish anything (bad) on someone, but it was nice to know he wouldn’t return.”

The lopsided outcome allowed McMillan to give several starters some much-needed rest. Backcourt starters Payton and Barry went to the bench early in the fourth quarter, not to return, and every Seattle reserve played and scored.

For all the festivity, the game featured one terribly frightening moment. With 3 1/2minutes to play, Seattle’s Vladimir Radmanovic made a steal near midcourt and outraced Detroit’s Damon Jones and Chucky Adkins to the basket. Radmanovic leaped for a two-hand dunk, but jumped so far from the basket that his forward momentum caused his body to swing up almost parallel to the floor. He was holding the rim, but lost his grip and crashed to the court, landing on the back of his neck with a frightening thud.

Radmanovic was down for two or three minutes, but was finally helped to his feet and then to the Seattle bench, where he watched the final minutes with an ice pack on his head and a sheepish grin on his face. He was walking unaided in the locker room after the game, despite being diagnosed with a slight concussion. Radmanovic, who was not available for comment, will be evaluated again today.

“That was scary,” McMillan said. “Hopefully everything will be OK. That was a very dangerous play. He could easily have hurt himself very bad, but he seems to be OK. But I’m sure he’ll be sore (today).”