BronxCowboy
07-17-2005, 09:07 AM
link (http://www.nba.com/jazz/Revue/05game3.html)
Salt Lake City -- Britton Johnson came up with all the big shots for
the San Antonio Spurs in a tight 74-72 win over a pesky Seattle
Supersonics squad to kick off day two of the 2005 Reebok Rocky
Mountain Revue Saturday in Salt Lake City.
The former University of Utah star has made a lot of great memories
playing in Salt Lake City. Add Saturday's 17 points, 6 of 11 shooting
performance to that list. The 6-10 forward also displayed a great deal
of range in making 4 of 5 threes on the day.
But with the game tight late, it was his three with .50 seconds left
that would give the Spurs all the cushion they needed to win the game.
The Spurs took control of the game early, with a balanced scoring
attack led by point guard Andre Barrett. Barrett's pull-up jumper at
the 8:54 mark put the hot Spurs up 8-2. But Seattle managed to keep
the score by countering with Noel Felix, whose six straight points for
the Sonics in the last three minutes of the first kept San Antonio
from pulling away. Spurs guard Billy Thomas popped a three as the
buzzer sounded, leaving the Spurs up 25-19.
It was much of the same in the second quarter, as nine first-half
turnovers kept Seattle from mounting a serious challenge. University
of Utah product Johnson stepped up for San Antonio, hitting a three at
5:24, then following with another one 30 seconds later to keep the
Spurs up by 5, 32-27. After hitting two free-throws (to score eight
consecutive points for the Spurs), Johnson would top off his hot
streak with a strong block on the Sonics' Jermaine Blackburn. But
Seattle would make a run before the half, led by the strong post
presence of rookie first-round pick Johan Petro. The score at the
half: San Antonio 40, Seattle 35.
Seattle would have their chances in the second half. Led by the sturdy
play of Scales, the Sonics would manage to tie the game up briefly at
45 halfway through the third, but Johnson was there again, combining
with former Florida guard Justin Hamilton to keep Seattle at bay.
Hamilton stole the ball at midcourt, then raced for slam. Twenty
seconds later he would drive into the middle of the lane for a
floating finger roll that placed San Antonio back up by four, 49-45 at
3:33 left in the third. Johnson then proceeded to take a charge from
Andre Brown before nailing a three with less than two minutes in the
quarter.
Seattle managed their strongest charge in the fourth, taking advantage
of Jermaine Blackburn's 10 points in the period. But Johnson was there
again to secure the win.
Down by just 3 with less than two minutes in the game after a Robert
Swift free-throw, Johnson drove the final nail in the coffin with a
perfectly shot three from the top of the key. After a series of missed
San Antonio free throws, Seattle had a chance to win the game, but
Aaron Miles three at the buzzer missed the rim entirely.
Alex Scales played a strong game to lead the Sonics, scoring 15 points
on 6-of-12 shooting to go with 5 assists. Melvin Sanders, Andre
Barrett, and Josh Asselin all joined Johnson in double-digit point for
the Spurs.
Salt Lake City -- Britton Johnson came up with all the big shots for
the San Antonio Spurs in a tight 74-72 win over a pesky Seattle
Supersonics squad to kick off day two of the 2005 Reebok Rocky
Mountain Revue Saturday in Salt Lake City.
The former University of Utah star has made a lot of great memories
playing in Salt Lake City. Add Saturday's 17 points, 6 of 11 shooting
performance to that list. The 6-10 forward also displayed a great deal
of range in making 4 of 5 threes on the day.
But with the game tight late, it was his three with .50 seconds left
that would give the Spurs all the cushion they needed to win the game.
The Spurs took control of the game early, with a balanced scoring
attack led by point guard Andre Barrett. Barrett's pull-up jumper at
the 8:54 mark put the hot Spurs up 8-2. But Seattle managed to keep
the score by countering with Noel Felix, whose six straight points for
the Sonics in the last three minutes of the first kept San Antonio
from pulling away. Spurs guard Billy Thomas popped a three as the
buzzer sounded, leaving the Spurs up 25-19.
It was much of the same in the second quarter, as nine first-half
turnovers kept Seattle from mounting a serious challenge. University
of Utah product Johnson stepped up for San Antonio, hitting a three at
5:24, then following with another one 30 seconds later to keep the
Spurs up by 5, 32-27. After hitting two free-throws (to score eight
consecutive points for the Spurs), Johnson would top off his hot
streak with a strong block on the Sonics' Jermaine Blackburn. But
Seattle would make a run before the half, led by the strong post
presence of rookie first-round pick Johan Petro. The score at the
half: San Antonio 40, Seattle 35.
Seattle would have their chances in the second half. Led by the sturdy
play of Scales, the Sonics would manage to tie the game up briefly at
45 halfway through the third, but Johnson was there again, combining
with former Florida guard Justin Hamilton to keep Seattle at bay.
Hamilton stole the ball at midcourt, then raced for slam. Twenty
seconds later he would drive into the middle of the lane for a
floating finger roll that placed San Antonio back up by four, 49-45 at
3:33 left in the third. Johnson then proceeded to take a charge from
Andre Brown before nailing a three with less than two minutes in the
quarter.
Seattle managed their strongest charge in the fourth, taking advantage
of Jermaine Blackburn's 10 points in the period. But Johnson was there
again to secure the win.
Down by just 3 with less than two minutes in the game after a Robert
Swift free-throw, Johnson drove the final nail in the coffin with a
perfectly shot three from the top of the key. After a series of missed
San Antonio free throws, Seattle had a chance to win the game, but
Aaron Miles three at the buzzer missed the rim entirely.
Alex Scales played a strong game to lead the Sonics, scoring 15 points
on 6-of-12 shooting to go with 5 assists. Melvin Sanders, Andre
Barrett, and Josh Asselin all joined Johnson in double-digit point for
the Spurs.