Seattle @ Boston: Official Game Thread

Details:

When: Sunday, November 21st
Where: FleetCenter, Boston
Time (Seattle): 3:00
TV: League Pass

Projected Starters:

<font color="green">Seattle (9-1)</font>

Luke Ridnour
Ray Allen
Rashard Lewis
Reggie Evans
Jerome James

<font color="DarkGreen">Boston (3-4)</font>

Gary Payton
Ricky Davis
Paul Pierce
Raef LaFrentz
Mark Blount

Injury Troubles:

<font color="green">Seattle</font>

Vitaly Potapenko: Broken hand, ruled out.
Ibo Kutluay: Knee tendinitis, ruled out.
Flip Murray: Quadricep strain, ruled out.

<font color="DarkGreen">Boston</font>

Justin Reed: Hip pointer, ruled out.
Michael Stewart: Knee tendinitis, ruled out.
Delonte West: Broken thumb, ruled out.

Brief Notes:
<ul>
[*]Looking at the schedule, most Seattle fans wouldn't have circled this as an important game, but on second glance, it marks Gary Payton's first match-up with the Sonics since his trade to Boston. His reward is a head to head battle with the man tipped to replace him as Seattle's long term point guard in Luke Ridnour, who is impressing people on his own account so far this season.
[/list]
<ul>
[*]The Sonics also are attempting to bring their winning streak into double figures, and ensure a winning record on their longest road trip of the season (six games, currently 3-0). Former Celtic Vitaly Potapenko is on the injured list, but hasn't been missed so far as fellow former Celtic Danny Fortson and Reggie Evans are providing a lot of physical play and rebounding prowess at both ends of the floor. Evans is hovering around the 10rpg mark, while Fortson grabs an amazing 27% of all rebounds while he is on the floor.
[/list]
<ul>
[*]The Celtics come into this one after a heartbreaking loss to the Spurs, who amazingly enough have never lost to Boston while Tim Duncan is on the floor. The boys in green will be glad to see the back of Duncan and playing a team without a legitimate offensive post presence, but Seattle have been working their own high powered offense like clockwork. Fortson and Evans provide immovable screens, while Ridnour's penetration and excellent ball movement has resulted in numerous open looks for the likes of Ray Allen, Vlad Radmanovic, Rashard Lewis and the surprising Antonio Daniels. At the other end, Evans will have his hands full with the impressive LaFrentz, who's offensive game extends out past the perimeter, while superstar Paul Pierce can expect plenty of contact as always when he takes it inside.
[/list]
<ul>
[*]Ridnour Watch: Luke probably had one of his more quiet games against Toronto, but still iced his foul shots down the stretch and hit a couple of important treys. His match-up with Payton promises to be an interesting subplot; there is no doubt GP will try and use a bit of gamesmanship and experience to get the upperhand, and one can expect a bit of jawing from the former Seattle legend. Ridnour on the other hand has the advantage of pace and youthful legs, and will try and take Payton off the dribble to penetrate and create as much as possible, who is not nearly the defender he once was.[/list]

All predictions, analysis and discussion relating directly to the game, both before, during and after, to be posted in this thread.

 

This will probably be our toughest game to date. I don't know where this game will be won, but odds are from beyond the three point line. In AD we trust.

 

Paul Pierce has been putting up monster numbers, so I'm hoping he'll have a bad game today. When he's not playing well, the celtics can't really do much to win. I'm afraid he might have one of these nights where he shoots 20+ free throws, because our big men are very foul prone and can't really block shots effectivelly. Sonics will win by 6

 

It's as simple as this: if the Sonics shots aren't falling, they're done.
The Celtics have to play tough D, so I expect Tony Allen (a young Artest, minus the crazy) to spend lots of minutes in Ray Allen's face. And with Seattle's lack of real size, the Celtics have to go inside to Blount and Raef. They could put up some big numbers tonight.

 

<div class="quote_poster">Quoting CeltsMan54:</div><div class="quote_post">It's as simple as this: if the Sonics shots aren't falling, they're done.</div>

My mistake, have we been transported back in time a year? Is it the 2003/04 season again?

The big difference between this Sonics team and the past couple of seasons is that they have learnt to win when their shots aren't falling. They are playing defense, they are rebounding at an amazing rate and grinding out wins when they have to. Of course they'll have hot shooting nights, as their offense is based around two swingmen, but the biggest difference with this season's Sonics is they have learnt to win when they aren't shooting the lights out.

 

The Sonics are playing great all-around ball right now so I have no fear that they will mold to the type of game that the Celtics play and try to win however they can. Whether they will actually win however i'm not so sure of. It'll be tough but I'll say the Sonics stick it out and win by 2.

 

<div class="quote_poster">Quoting CeltsMan54:</div><div class="quote_post">It's as simple as this: if the Sonics shots aren't falling, they're done.
</div>

what sonics team you been watchin in the last month and a half, buddy?

 

haha...someone hasnt caught up with sonics news...but umm...i think sonics can win by 5...

 

Well, barring another Memphis comeback, the streak is over.

Ricky to the D killing us.

 

about time the streak ended i guess :[

sonics need to show they wont let this game affect them and bounce back with some wins

 

Bad shooting + getting killed on the glass = gettin your ass whooped

 

<div class="quote_poster">Quoting BODY_COUNT:</div><div class="quote_post">what sonics team you been watchin in the last month and a half, buddy?</div>
The same one as you, the one shooting 46% from the field in their 9 wins and shooting 36% from the field in their 2 losses. You know, the one that shot 21% from 3 point land tonight and lost by 19 to the Celtics just now...

 

<div class="quote_poster">Quoting CeltsMan54:</div><div class="quote_post">The same one as you, the one shooting 46% from the field in their 9 wins and shooting 36% from the field in their 2 losses. You know, the one that shot 21% from 3 point land tonight and lost by 19 to the Celtics just now...</div>HAHA...that was great....and you can't blame him after all that smack that you guys were talking.

 

<div class="quote_poster">Quoting CeltsMan54:</div><div class="quote_post">The same one as you, the one shooting 46% from the field in their 9 wins and shooting 36% from the field in their 2 losses. You know, the one that shot 21% from 3 point land tonight and lost by 19 to the Celtics just now...</div>
Well... when you make less shots, you usually don't win as much games. Ask any team in the league. The Sonics proved against New Jersey that they didn't need a stellar shooting performance in order to win. The Celtics just played better today and the Supes need to bounce back and regain form.

 

Oh goody, another fan who gets arrogant with the benefit of hindsight.

Fact is, he made a comment before the game which was completely false based upon Seattle's season so far and their ability to hold teams for important periods. We play badly for one game, and he can come in and gloat, completely ignoring the nine wins preceding that? Lovely. Find me a team that consistently wins while shooting poorly from the field then. You make more shots, you score more points, you win more games. That's basketball basics.

 

I think what he meant was that Seattle's record is decieving because they are shooting almost 43% from the 3 point line, and numbers like that are bound to fall down as the season goes on. I think Seattle has a pretty good team this year, but to this point, I truly believe that they're playing a little bit over their heads. But hey, I could be wrong. I will say one thing, if they shoot 43% from the 3 for the rest of the season then they might find themselves on top of the Western Conference.

 

It's these kinds of games we'll need to keep a lid on things, keep the hunger up and so forth.

 

The only person who's overachieving with the three ball right now is Ray Allen, who is shooting 56%. He and Ridnour are the only ones on the team who are shooting over 43%, which means they're bringing the average up, the Supes aren't really shooting that well from downtown as a team.

 

Celtsman54 - shooting the ball isn't the only factor that lost the ball for the sonics, that's what people have been tryin to tell you here...up to this game the sonics were outrebounding the other teams and playing great D for at least half of the game...they just didnt bring it tonight, shooting is shooting, one night the ball will go in, another night it won't, but the team was poundin the glass and shutting people down...ricky davis had a great game, the celtics rebounded well, and when you add the poor shooting you get a loss by 19...it's all good though, i don't think that loss will affect sonics players' confidence

 

This will still be a great road trip if we can go 4-2. Coming back to Seattle with a 10-3 record is nothing to be ashamed of. I think that we can steal the game in Memphis but we will have a difficult time matching up w/ Minnesota in Minnesota.