ducks
04-11-2005, 05:38 PM
Houston (46-31) at Seattle (50-26)
Preview - Box Score - Recap
Game Info: 10:00 pm EDT Mon Apr 11, 2005
TV: FxSW, FxSS Add to Calendar
Buy Tickets
The Seattle SuperSonics have been trying to clinch the Pacific Division title for over a week.
However, all the Sonics have to show for their efforts is a season-high four-game losing streak and an injury-plagued roster.
Seattle will try once again to clinch its first division title in seven years when it hosts the playoff-bound Houston Rockets.
Seattle can clinch the No. 3 seed and homecourt advantage in the first round of the Western Conference playoffs with a win or a Denver Nuggets loss. Denver hosts the Golden State Warriors on Monday.
Seattle lost 121-105 to the surging Nuggets on Saturday.
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``That's not important anymore,'' Seattle guard Ray Allen said of the division. ``The next game is what's important, not whether we clinch or whether we've lost four straight games.''
Allen had 32 points and Ronald Murray added 20 for Seattle, which was playing with just nine players in uniform.
All-Star forward Rashard Lewis missed his sixth straight game (foot), forward Vladimir Radmanovic (leg) sat out his 12th straight (leg) and guard Antonio Daniels (knee) missed his second in a row. On top of that, forward Danny Fortson didn't make the trip because of a sore shoulder.
``I don't know what it is, but something good is going to come out of the injuries,'' said Allen, who hit five 3-pointers. ``A lot of guys have to step up and provide valuable minutes for us and just be strong.''
Houston clinched a postseason berth with a 98-97 win over the Phoenix Suns on Saturday.
The Rockets stayed a half-game ahead of Denver for the No. 6 spot in the West, and improved to 9-9 against the five teams leading them in the West.
``We still have six more games left,'' said Tracy McGrady, who had 34 points for Houston. ``That's the only thing I'm focused on, and trying to move up this ladder. I don't care about clinching anything.''
The Rockets almost blew a 16-point lead in the fourth quarter. Houston committed two 24-second shot-clock violations in the final 58 seconds, and Bob Sura missed two free throws with 7.8 seconds to go to give Phoenix a chance for a victory.
``We've got to play better, man, we've got to play better,'' McGrady said.
Dikembe Mutombo, playing 23 minutes with center Yao Ming in foul trouble, had 12 points and 13 rebounds for the Rockets. Mutombo reached double figures in rebounds for the eighth time this season and second game in a row.
Preview - Box Score - Recap
Game Info: 10:00 pm EDT Mon Apr 11, 2005
TV: FxSW, FxSS Add to Calendar
Buy Tickets
The Seattle SuperSonics have been trying to clinch the Pacific Division title for over a week.
However, all the Sonics have to show for their efforts is a season-high four-game losing streak and an injury-plagued roster.
Seattle will try once again to clinch its first division title in seven years when it hosts the playoff-bound Houston Rockets.
Seattle can clinch the No. 3 seed and homecourt advantage in the first round of the Western Conference playoffs with a win or a Denver Nuggets loss. Denver hosts the Golden State Warriors on Monday.
Seattle lost 121-105 to the surging Nuggets on Saturday.
ADVERTISEMENT
``That's not important anymore,'' Seattle guard Ray Allen said of the division. ``The next game is what's important, not whether we clinch or whether we've lost four straight games.''
Allen had 32 points and Ronald Murray added 20 for Seattle, which was playing with just nine players in uniform.
All-Star forward Rashard Lewis missed his sixth straight game (foot), forward Vladimir Radmanovic (leg) sat out his 12th straight (leg) and guard Antonio Daniels (knee) missed his second in a row. On top of that, forward Danny Fortson didn't make the trip because of a sore shoulder.
``I don't know what it is, but something good is going to come out of the injuries,'' said Allen, who hit five 3-pointers. ``A lot of guys have to step up and provide valuable minutes for us and just be strong.''
Houston clinched a postseason berth with a 98-97 win over the Phoenix Suns on Saturday.
The Rockets stayed a half-game ahead of Denver for the No. 6 spot in the West, and improved to 9-9 against the five teams leading them in the West.
``We still have six more games left,'' said Tracy McGrady, who had 34 points for Houston. ``That's the only thing I'm focused on, and trying to move up this ladder. I don't care about clinching anything.''
The Rockets almost blew a 16-point lead in the fourth quarter. Houston committed two 24-second shot-clock violations in the final 58 seconds, and Bob Sura missed two free throws with 7.8 seconds to go to give Phoenix a chance for a victory.
``We've got to play better, man, we've got to play better,'' McGrady said.
Dikembe Mutombo, playing 23 minutes with center Yao Ming in foul trouble, had 12 points and 13 rebounds for the Rockets. Mutombo reached double figures in rebounds for the eighth time this season and second game in a row.