Details: When: Saturday, April 23rd Where: Key Arena, Seattle Time (Seattle): 7:30 P.M. TV: Fox Sports, League Pass Projected Starters: <font color="green">Seattle (0-0) </font> Luke Ridnour Ray Allen Rashard Lewis Reggie Evans Jerome James <font color="navy">Sacramento (0-0)</font> Mike Bibby Cuttino Mobley Peja Stojakovic* Kenny Thomas Brian Skinner Injury Troubles: <font color="green">Seattle</font> Vladimir Radmanovic: questionable. <font color="navy">Sacramento </font> Brad Miller: Broken fibula, questionable. Peja Stojakovic: Strained groin, questionable. Brief Notes: <ul> [*]The Supes have home-court advantage but it may not be much of an advantage with their home-away record this season. All records are thrown aside, however, come playoff time all that matters is the game at hand. Brad Miller may be out for the Kings while Vladimir Radmanovic is expected to suit up. [/list] <ul> [*]The Sonics are 3-1 on the season against the Kings. The last time they played the Kings womped the Sonics 122-101. [/list]* Useless NFL Draft pick of the day: Alex Smith. Aaron Rodgers is better. Quotable: "As long as he gets to the hole, gets some easy stuff, and takes the shot when he's wide open as opposed to trying to take tough ones early, he'll be great," said Allen. "He'll let it come to him and we'll try to find him early." -- Ray Allen on Vladimir Radmanovic Random Family Guy Quote Chris: I don't think I like feet as much as you do. Quagmire: Everybody likes feet. All predictions, analysis and discussion relating directly to the game, both before, during and after, to be posted in this thread.
Up seven with 90 seconds to go, Kings time-out. C'mon Supes hold onto this one and get the early series lead. Dominant first half, lacklustre third quarter.
Vlade's hair looked great, just great. Have to give credit to JJ he played awesome, I've never seen him on the offensive glass like that. Bibby won't shoot 1-15 again, we didn't execute very well towards the end of the game, and Ray Allen trying to draw a flop charge in the backcourt with 40 seconds to go almost cost us the game. Feels good to win a playoff game, though. 3 more to go.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting Roland Hood:</div><div class="quote_post">Vlade's hair looked great, just great. </div> Haha, whats up with that new hair anyway? This game was amazing. To be honest, I lost interest halfway through when the Sonics were just absolutely blowing them out, but the fourth quarter was fun to watch at least. I'm still trying to figure out how the Kings cut it to a one point game so fast. And why would Rick Adleman play Mike Bibby instead of Bobby Jackson at the point with that crappy game Bibby was having? His decision making was horrible. What was he thinking jacking up a three like that with 20 seconds on the shot clock? He'll never live that down.
We won the first round but no Sacramento isn't going anywhere. We did what we were supposed to do, which is win at home. Ray, Jerome, and Reggie played aggressively but everyone else seemed to be a bit tentative. Sweet Lew didn't have the bounce in his step that I hoped he would have. Vlad has a way to go as does rookie Damien Wilkins. Luke also looked like he the poster boy for having punk in your heart. Sacramento did not give their best effort today and they were still one possession away from sending this game into overtime. A win is a win, though. It doesn't matter how good or bad you play in the postseason as long as you win the game. We've done half of what we're supposed to do--which was winning at home. The next half comes on Tuesday. This game is behind us and it is time to think about improving our play for Game 2. This game is meaningless if we don't leave out of Seattle up 2-0. Let's go, fam.
Bibby will come back with a vengeance in Game 2 and you guys better get ready. If he had his typical playoff performance, this thread would not generate more than 6 posts if you know what I mean. Honestly. Btw, congrats to the Sonics on the win.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting purpleb0n9:</div><div class="quote_post">Bibby will come back with a vengeance in Game 2 and you guys better get ready. If he had his typical playoff performance, this thread would not generate more than 6 posts if you know what I mean.</div> Oh I'm sure there'd be > 6, we'd all just be complaining about Nate, Ray, Jerome et al. is all. I fully expect Bibby to come back to his normal self. I also expect Ostertag to go back to his normal self, too. Anyway for game 2 I'd like to see the following off the top of my head: We need to make sure we have some options for Rashard when he gets doubled in the post. With Peja on him he's getting another guy running at him and it didn't seem we got anything off it. Ridnour needs to play better. I saw him take 2 shots, one was an airball 3 and the other was a breakaway layup that he tried dipsy doo around Mike Bibby. Pretty sorry performance, he needs to step up. Also have to do a better job on the defensive glass, their bigs were playing volleyball out there. Lastly I guess I shouldn't be suprised since we haven't put away teams all season - whether it's because we shoot em in shoot em out but we just can't seem to take a 20pt lead to 30.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting purpleb0n9:</div><div class="quote_post">Btw who did the defensive job on Bibby? Ridnour? Or was he just missing everything that he took?</div> Ridnour did guard him when he was in the game and Daniels had his turn. I think it was half/half they did a good job on him but he also had a bad night to go with it.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting purpleb0n9:</div><div class="quote_post">Btw who did the defensive job on Bibby? Ridnour? Or was he just missing everything that he took?</div> He was just missing
Easy to say Bibby won't play like that again, but at the end of the day Rashard still only played 30 minutes, Fortson had no influence on the game whatsoever, and Ridnour was horrible as well. Plenty of improvements in both teams, not just the Kings. Get that punk out of your primary organs and let's bring on game two, fam and fams alike.
Luke disappointed me today. He's playing too nice, like he's not as good as everybody else out on the floor. Hopefully somebody will get him to be more confident. Bibby looked like he could've taken over whenever he wanted even if he was missing shots. Antonio and Luke seemed to be purposely letting him drive (especially baseline) from the beginning to let Jerome handle it, a defensive tatic which I doubt will work the whole series. Jerome was amazing, as was Reggie. Antonio was like "It's no big deal. It's no big deal." I guess we have to get to the Finals to impress him. The bad: We're no sure thing when it comes to getting much needed buckets and stops at the end of the game. The good: we won, so we still have time to work on that. I'm proud of the team for not succumbing to the experience of the Kings. Second best quote of the night: After watching Reggie chase down yet another rebound, Kevin Calaboro said something like "I wonder if when he throws a ball for his dog to fetch, Reggie races the dog to see who can get it first." Best quote of the night: Jerome James at the end of the game, responding to an interviewer asking him how satisfying the night was, said "It's not satisfying at all. It's one game. Three more to go."
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting Roland Hood:</div><div class="quote_post">He was just missing</div> Give the guards and Reggie credit. They shook Bibby up early. Luke stayed in his face and made good choices off the screens. Reggie rotated EVERY time on the screen, and showed long enough to get in Bibby's way. That opened Kenny Thomas up for a few early shots, but I'd rather have Thomas get hot than Bibby. Ridnour was not fabulous defensively, but he did a solid job playing within the plan that Nate put together. Bibby's shot was off, in fact I bet he got caught up in thinking about it after the first 3 or 4 shots missed. Bibby likes to pull up in transition when the defending guard backs off to guard the lane, and he shoots right off the screen. Luke, AD, Damien and sometimes Reggie rode him on transition, it was clear they were told that SOMEONE had to pick him up every time. Add Reggie showing on the picks and Luke and AD getting around fast, and it makes it hard for Bibby to get his rythm. If he gets open at the start he will start making the tough shots, but they never gave him that chance and he fell off his game. Jackson was 0-7 by the way...in answer to the "why no Bobby when Bibby stunk" question.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting psheehy:</div><div class="quote_post">Give the guards and Reggie credit. They shook Bibby up early. Luke stayed in his face and made good choices off the screens. Reggie rotated EVERY time on the screen, and showed long enough to get in Bibby's way. That opened Kenny Thomas up for a few early shots, but I'd rather have Thomas get hot than Bibby. Ridnour was not fabulous defensively, but he did a solid job playing within the plan that Nate put together. Bibby's shot was off, in fact I bet he got caught up in thinking about it after the first 3 or 4 shots missed. Bibby likes to pull up in transition when the defending guard backs off to guard the lane, and he shoots right off the screen. Luke, AD, Damien and sometimes Reggie rode him on transition, it was clear they were told that SOMEONE had to pick him up every time. Add Reggie showing on the picks and Luke and AD getting around fast, and it makes it hard for Bibby to get his rythm. If he gets open at the start he will start making the tough shots, but they never gave him that chance and he fell off his game. Jackson was 0-7 by the way...in answer to the "why no Bobby when Bibby stunk" question.</div> Bibby does have a habit of making shots with someone in his grill, though, but point taken.
