Jimcs50
05-20-2005, 07:06 AM
Friday, May 20, 2005 - Page updated at 01:36 a.m.
There wasn't enough time to formulate much of a plan after Tim Duncan had given the Spurs the lead. Just five-tenths of a second remained and midnight was quickly closing in on the Sonics.
Needing a miracle, they turned to Ray Allen, who had guided them through so many obstacles in this improbable season, in which they were picked by many to finish last in the Western Conference.
Allen weaved a course that began beneath the basket and eluded Bruce Bowen through a series of screens before Antonio Daniels delivered him a pass in the corner.
But with Duncan bearing down hard on Allen, who was falling out of bounds, his shot lofted high and drifted to the right, bouncing off the front of the rim.
The miracle never arrived. The Sonics lost 98-96 and San Antonio won the Western Conference semifinal series 4-2 and advanced to the conference finals where it awaits the winner of the Phoenix-Dallas series.
"I just wanted to have my hands in the air," Duncan said. "Close my eyes and hope for the best."
Duncan scored the winning basket with 0.5 seconds left on a play that began with Manu Ginobili at the top of the key. The Spurs guard drove hard to his left in the final seconds.
Sonics reserve center Vitaly Potapenko moved to cut off the Spurs guard and motioned for someone — anyone — to cover Duncan, who cut beneath the rim. Luke Ridnour was the closest around, but the 6-foot-2 guard was in no position to stop the jumper or even commit a hard foul.
"I think I over-committed," said Potapenko, who provided the defensive stand on Duncan in Game 3. "I think I did too much. ... I thought he [Ginobili] was going for a shot and went with him instead of staying home."
Even after Duncan's shot, the Spurs couldn't relax. The Spurs had been on the receiving end of last-second losses before.
A year ago, Derek Fisher needed just two-tenths of a second to break the Spurs hearts. Allen had a little more time and a similar shot, but was off the mark.
"I can't lie to you," San Antonio coach Gregg Popovich said. "I thought L.A. right at the bat."
The Sonics were hopeful.
"We never quit," Daniels told himself seconds before the Sonics' final possession. "We never give up."
Still, the NBA playoffs will continue without the Sonics, who were serenaded by the sold-out crowd of 17,072.
"We gave it all we had," Daniels said. "Everything we had, we gave. ... I got nothing but good things to say about this season and the guys in this locker room."
The Sonics huddled at midcourt, as they had after every game, for the last time. Each of them had a little something to say.
Allen, who wept freely, thanked them for "the best season I've ever had."
"The one thing I did learn is regardless of what they say about us at the beginning of the year, we're the ones who step on the floor and make it happen," he said as he sat at the podium during a teary-eyed postgame interview. "We believed in ourselves. I will always remember that regardless of what somebody says about this team being the underdog, that's what we were every game. All year long.
"We rode out and had fun. We got to this point because we believed in each other and hopefully everybody learned that lesson this year."
A series that favored the home team and swayed after several foot injuries, varied from the script last night.
The Sonics entered the must-win game with a five-game winning streak at home, but played without All-Star forward Rashard Lewis, who sprained his left big toe, and Vladimir Radmanovic, who sprained his right ankle.
Despite that, the Sonics were in position to take the lead with 14.4 seconds remaining. Trailing 96-95, Daniels was fouled on a rebound. But he missed the first free throw, then made the second to tie the score, which set up the Spurs' winning play.
The Spurs had been relatively healthy throughout the series until midway in the fourth quarter when Duncan rolled his left ankle after attempting to leap over Nick Collison and landing on the Sonics forward's foot.
The All-Star forward remained on the court for several long seconds, clutching his foot and writhing in agony.
Still, he scored 10 of his game-high 26 points after suffering the injury and atoned for a missed shot that could have won Game 3 at the buzzer.
Duncan was awful for three quarters as he missed 12 of 13 shots, but scored 12 in the final period and finished with 6-for-21 shooting. He also had nine rebounds and five assists. Tony Parker and Robert Horry added 14 points, Ginobili had 13 and Nazr Mohammed had 12.
Allen had 25 points and Daniels added 22.
Daniels and Allen more than compensated for the absence of Lewis and they were aided by center Jerome James, Ridnour and Wilkins, who each had 10 points.
"I couldn't ask for a better group of guys to play with," Daniels said.
Said Allen: "For it to end like that, so abrupt, was strange. The minute I thought about it, it was over."
Percy Allen: 206-464-2278 or [email protected]
Seattle vs. San Antonio
1 San Antonio 103, Seattle 81
2 San Antonio 108, Seattle 91
3 Seattle 92, San Antonio 91
4 Seattle 101, San Antonio 89
5 San Antonio 103, Seattle 90
6 San Antonio 98, Seattle 96
Copyright © 2005 The Seattle Times Compa
There wasn't enough time to formulate much of a plan after Tim Duncan had given the Spurs the lead. Just five-tenths of a second remained and midnight was quickly closing in on the Sonics.
Needing a miracle, they turned to Ray Allen, who had guided them through so many obstacles in this improbable season, in which they were picked by many to finish last in the Western Conference.
Allen weaved a course that began beneath the basket and eluded Bruce Bowen through a series of screens before Antonio Daniels delivered him a pass in the corner.
But with Duncan bearing down hard on Allen, who was falling out of bounds, his shot lofted high and drifted to the right, bouncing off the front of the rim.
The miracle never arrived. The Sonics lost 98-96 and San Antonio won the Western Conference semifinal series 4-2 and advanced to the conference finals where it awaits the winner of the Phoenix-Dallas series.
"I just wanted to have my hands in the air," Duncan said. "Close my eyes and hope for the best."
Duncan scored the winning basket with 0.5 seconds left on a play that began with Manu Ginobili at the top of the key. The Spurs guard drove hard to his left in the final seconds.
Sonics reserve center Vitaly Potapenko moved to cut off the Spurs guard and motioned for someone — anyone — to cover Duncan, who cut beneath the rim. Luke Ridnour was the closest around, but the 6-foot-2 guard was in no position to stop the jumper or even commit a hard foul.
"I think I over-committed," said Potapenko, who provided the defensive stand on Duncan in Game 3. "I think I did too much. ... I thought he [Ginobili] was going for a shot and went with him instead of staying home."
Even after Duncan's shot, the Spurs couldn't relax. The Spurs had been on the receiving end of last-second losses before.
A year ago, Derek Fisher needed just two-tenths of a second to break the Spurs hearts. Allen had a little more time and a similar shot, but was off the mark.
"I can't lie to you," San Antonio coach Gregg Popovich said. "I thought L.A. right at the bat."
The Sonics were hopeful.
"We never quit," Daniels told himself seconds before the Sonics' final possession. "We never give up."
Still, the NBA playoffs will continue without the Sonics, who were serenaded by the sold-out crowd of 17,072.
"We gave it all we had," Daniels said. "Everything we had, we gave. ... I got nothing but good things to say about this season and the guys in this locker room."
The Sonics huddled at midcourt, as they had after every game, for the last time. Each of them had a little something to say.
Allen, who wept freely, thanked them for "the best season I've ever had."
"The one thing I did learn is regardless of what they say about us at the beginning of the year, we're the ones who step on the floor and make it happen," he said as he sat at the podium during a teary-eyed postgame interview. "We believed in ourselves. I will always remember that regardless of what somebody says about this team being the underdog, that's what we were every game. All year long.
"We rode out and had fun. We got to this point because we believed in each other and hopefully everybody learned that lesson this year."
A series that favored the home team and swayed after several foot injuries, varied from the script last night.
The Sonics entered the must-win game with a five-game winning streak at home, but played without All-Star forward Rashard Lewis, who sprained his left big toe, and Vladimir Radmanovic, who sprained his right ankle.
Despite that, the Sonics were in position to take the lead with 14.4 seconds remaining. Trailing 96-95, Daniels was fouled on a rebound. But he missed the first free throw, then made the second to tie the score, which set up the Spurs' winning play.
The Spurs had been relatively healthy throughout the series until midway in the fourth quarter when Duncan rolled his left ankle after attempting to leap over Nick Collison and landing on the Sonics forward's foot.
The All-Star forward remained on the court for several long seconds, clutching his foot and writhing in agony.
Still, he scored 10 of his game-high 26 points after suffering the injury and atoned for a missed shot that could have won Game 3 at the buzzer.
Duncan was awful for three quarters as he missed 12 of 13 shots, but scored 12 in the final period and finished with 6-for-21 shooting. He also had nine rebounds and five assists. Tony Parker and Robert Horry added 14 points, Ginobili had 13 and Nazr Mohammed had 12.
Allen had 25 points and Daniels added 22.
Daniels and Allen more than compensated for the absence of Lewis and they were aided by center Jerome James, Ridnour and Wilkins, who each had 10 points.
"I couldn't ask for a better group of guys to play with," Daniels said.
Said Allen: "For it to end like that, so abrupt, was strange. The minute I thought about it, it was over."
Percy Allen: 206-464-2278 or [email protected]
Seattle vs. San Antonio
1 San Antonio 103, Seattle 81
2 San Antonio 108, Seattle 91
3 Seattle 92, San Antonio 91
4 Seattle 101, San Antonio 89
5 San Antonio 103, Seattle 90
6 San Antonio 98, Seattle 96
Copyright © 2005 The Seattle Times Compa