Kori Ellis
05-06-2005, 06:43 PM
My notes are in red.
Feud adds to Sonics-Spurs intrigue
Allen's greatness to be tested by Bowen's grateness in Round 2
By DANNY O'NEIL
SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER REPORTER
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/basketball/223205_bowen06.html
They seem like they should be friends, two of the most approachable players in any NBA locker room.
Ray Allen won the league's sportsmanship award two years ago, and Bruce Bowen recently completed his master's degree in public relations. Nice props for Bruce, but he just finished his Bachelor's.
They even share the same agent, Lon Babby, and there was a time when Allen and Bowen hung out together.
"Bruce used to be a good friend of mine," Allen said. "Used to be."
Where there once was friendship, now there is friction that's bound to flare up when the Sonics and Spurs play in the Western Conference semifinals, a best-of-seven series that begins Sunday.
It's a duel between one of the league's best perimeter defenders and one of its top scorers. Bowen is known to keep a padlock on his shoe, a not-so-subtle hint about his ability to lock down an opponent; Allen's 32.4-point scoring average was the highest total in the first round of the playoffs.
Only this professional rivalry has a personal element. In February 2004, Allen said he was so frustrated with Bowen after Seattle's loss to San Antonio, "I was at the point I wanted to fight him."
Thirteen months later, the anger was distilled just as clearly.
"He's out there playing some other sport," Allen said after the Sonics lost in San Antonio on March 30. "I don't know what you call it."
Countered Bowen, "I don't really know what to say to that."
Yes, he did.
"I've never heard the great ones say anything like that," Bowen said. "You never heard Michael Jordan say, 'Oh John Starks doesn't play basketball.' John Starks may have been physical with M.J. ... What did he do? He went and hit the gym hard and continued to play."
Touché.
:lmao
Forget taking a step back. Let's break out a microscope to scrutinize what might be the series' most important matchup.
Next week, Bowen is sure to be chosen to the league's All-Defensive team for a fifth consecutive season. Allen is a five-time All-Star. It's a salt-of-the-earth defender against a cream-of-the-crop scorer.
You could say it's like pairing oil against water, only Bowen and Allen don't have a problem mixing together. They're too busy mixing it up.
"He does the things that make you want to fight him," Allen said.
Bowen is constantly active. He compensates for relatively slow feet with quick hands and a competitive spirit. Bowen has slow feet? That's new. Bowen's quick feet are what make his D what it is.
They've played each other seven times since Allen came to Seattle. There have been four technical fouls between the two, plenty of raw feelings that started with a game on April 11, 2003, less than two months after Allen arrived in Seattle.
Bowen was ejected in the third quarter, assessed two technical fouls in the span of 27 seconds. The first came after he fouled Allen hard. The two went nose to nose, resulting in a technical foul.
"When I got here, it was like he was put out on the floor to harass me, to keep me from scoring and doing whatever they were going to do," Allen said.
Bowen was ejected 27 seconds later, assessed a second technical foul for cocking his right elbow at Brent Barry. Allen scored 21 of his 32 points after Bowen's ejection but the Sonics lost by eight.
But it was a game the following season -- Feb. 5, 2004, in Seattle -- when Allen's feelings came to a boil.
Allen had missed nine of 12 shots in the first half. In the third quarter, Allen and Bowen were assessed technical fouls after Bowen walked off the court, bumping into Allen, who responded with a shove. Allen scored 16 of his 23 points in the second half, the Sonics lost by six and Allen stayed steamed.
"I understand the persona on the court, he never likes anybody," Allen said after the game. "But what he does is sissy basketball, the way he cheap-shots."
Bowen said he gets satisfaction out of winning, not out of seeing someone antagonized by his defense.
"If I made it personal it would be that way," Bowen said on March 30. "But it's not a personal thing. I respect Ray a great deal. That's why I prepare for him the way I do because he's a very good player."
Allen scored 14 points in Seattle's loss in San Antonio on March 30, his lowest scoring game after the All-Star break. Allen resurrected his objections to Bowen's tactics afterward.
"I usually just swallow it when we win," Allen said. That's what he should be doing now instead of talking trash.
Bowen plays defense tight enough to be in an opponent's face. He plays a constantly nettlesome style that gets in their head. He's gotten under Allen's skin to the point that he's almost leaving a rash.
"People are going to feel the way they feel about me, regardless," Bowen said. "But on the court it's more important that I respect him more than anything else. Because if I don't respect him, he's going to light me up that night."
Feud adds to Sonics-Spurs intrigue
Allen's greatness to be tested by Bowen's grateness in Round 2
By DANNY O'NEIL
SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER REPORTER
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/basketball/223205_bowen06.html
They seem like they should be friends, two of the most approachable players in any NBA locker room.
Ray Allen won the league's sportsmanship award two years ago, and Bruce Bowen recently completed his master's degree in public relations. Nice props for Bruce, but he just finished his Bachelor's.
They even share the same agent, Lon Babby, and there was a time when Allen and Bowen hung out together.
"Bruce used to be a good friend of mine," Allen said. "Used to be."
Where there once was friendship, now there is friction that's bound to flare up when the Sonics and Spurs play in the Western Conference semifinals, a best-of-seven series that begins Sunday.
It's a duel between one of the league's best perimeter defenders and one of its top scorers. Bowen is known to keep a padlock on his shoe, a not-so-subtle hint about his ability to lock down an opponent; Allen's 32.4-point scoring average was the highest total in the first round of the playoffs.
Only this professional rivalry has a personal element. In February 2004, Allen said he was so frustrated with Bowen after Seattle's loss to San Antonio, "I was at the point I wanted to fight him."
Thirteen months later, the anger was distilled just as clearly.
"He's out there playing some other sport," Allen said after the Sonics lost in San Antonio on March 30. "I don't know what you call it."
Countered Bowen, "I don't really know what to say to that."
Yes, he did.
"I've never heard the great ones say anything like that," Bowen said. "You never heard Michael Jordan say, 'Oh John Starks doesn't play basketball.' John Starks may have been physical with M.J. ... What did he do? He went and hit the gym hard and continued to play."
Touché.
:lmao
Forget taking a step back. Let's break out a microscope to scrutinize what might be the series' most important matchup.
Next week, Bowen is sure to be chosen to the league's All-Defensive team for a fifth consecutive season. Allen is a five-time All-Star. It's a salt-of-the-earth defender against a cream-of-the-crop scorer.
You could say it's like pairing oil against water, only Bowen and Allen don't have a problem mixing together. They're too busy mixing it up.
"He does the things that make you want to fight him," Allen said.
Bowen is constantly active. He compensates for relatively slow feet with quick hands and a competitive spirit. Bowen has slow feet? That's new. Bowen's quick feet are what make his D what it is.
They've played each other seven times since Allen came to Seattle. There have been four technical fouls between the two, plenty of raw feelings that started with a game on April 11, 2003, less than two months after Allen arrived in Seattle.
Bowen was ejected in the third quarter, assessed two technical fouls in the span of 27 seconds. The first came after he fouled Allen hard. The two went nose to nose, resulting in a technical foul.
"When I got here, it was like he was put out on the floor to harass me, to keep me from scoring and doing whatever they were going to do," Allen said.
Bowen was ejected 27 seconds later, assessed a second technical foul for cocking his right elbow at Brent Barry. Allen scored 21 of his 32 points after Bowen's ejection but the Sonics lost by eight.
But it was a game the following season -- Feb. 5, 2004, in Seattle -- when Allen's feelings came to a boil.
Allen had missed nine of 12 shots in the first half. In the third quarter, Allen and Bowen were assessed technical fouls after Bowen walked off the court, bumping into Allen, who responded with a shove. Allen scored 16 of his 23 points in the second half, the Sonics lost by six and Allen stayed steamed.
"I understand the persona on the court, he never likes anybody," Allen said after the game. "But what he does is sissy basketball, the way he cheap-shots."
Bowen said he gets satisfaction out of winning, not out of seeing someone antagonized by his defense.
"If I made it personal it would be that way," Bowen said on March 30. "But it's not a personal thing. I respect Ray a great deal. That's why I prepare for him the way I do because he's a very good player."
Allen scored 14 points in Seattle's loss in San Antonio on March 30, his lowest scoring game after the All-Star break. Allen resurrected his objections to Bowen's tactics afterward.
"I usually just swallow it when we win," Allen said. That's what he should be doing now instead of talking trash.
Bowen plays defense tight enough to be in an opponent's face. He plays a constantly nettlesome style that gets in their head. He's gotten under Allen's skin to the point that he's almost leaving a rash.
"People are going to feel the way they feel about me, regardless," Bowen said. "But on the court it's more important that I respect him more than anything else. Because if I don't respect him, he's going to light me up that night."