March 2005 Oklahoma City Thunder Wiretap

Sonics And Suns Receiving Credit Around The League

Feb 28, 2005 3:12 PM

For the first time ever, a week-long series of games featuring regional contests, divisional games and historic playoff matchups highlight the NBA schedule as part of Rivalry Week, which runs through Wednesday, March 2. NBA.com asked current players, NBA Legends and WNBA players what they thought was the best team rivalry in the game today.

ALEX ENGLISH, Denver Nuggets Legend
"Out west I used to say the Spurs and the Lakers. Now, I would say the Spurs and any of the top two teams: Phoenix and Seattle."

GILBERT ARENAS, Washington Wizards
"Besides us and Miami? Me and Dwyane, we got our little thing going: buddies off the floor, warriors on the floor. I wanted to say Indiana-Detroit ... but it?s not a game without Ron Artest. When Ron?s there you can expect anything to happen. That?s the biggest rivalry. The Phoenix Suns against the Seattle SuperSonics could be the best matchup."

The Miami Heat and Los Angeles Lakers also received votes due to the ongoing fued between Kobe and Shaq.

NBA.com

Tags: Phoenix Suns, Oklahoma City Thunder, NBA

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Redd Holds The Key To The Bucks Future

Feb 27, 2005 7:12 PM

Ray Allen is the reason I didn?t get much sleep on Saturday night. Michael Redd, on the other hand, will be the reason I will be able to sleep soundly from now on. I stayed up late Saturday and woke up bright and early Sunday morning, reflecting on the glorious past of Ray Allen dawning a Milwaukee Bucks uniform. The more I thought about Ray, the more I missed him. Even Larry Harris called shipping Allen to Seattle quite possibly the worst trade to Bucks franchise history.  As I sat at the game wondering how the Bucks went from within one shot of the NBA Finals to a lottery team fighting to stay above water, the next 48 minutes of basketball changed me.

We are going to be alright after all. After watching Michael Redd dismantle the Sonics for 35 points, I have come to realize that we may never see Ray Allen in a Bucks uniform, but if there ever is a clone on this planet of Ray, I?m darn sure it?s Michael Redd. Allen and Redd were best friends when they both played together and it is obvious that Ray has rubbed off on Michael. Not only is Michael as swift as Ray on the court, off the court he has been everything a fan can ask of him. Nobody will ever be able to replace Ray Allen in this community and Michael Redd isn?t trying too, he is just trying to be remembered for his own legacy and what his impact will be on this team.

Zach Eisendrath/RealGM

Tags: Milwaukee Bucks, Oklahoma City Thunder, NBA

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Sonic Meltdown In Milwaukee At The Hands Of Michael Redd

Feb 27, 2005 5:29 PM

In Ray Allen?s first game back in Milwaukee the first quarter score said it all.  The Seattle SuperSonics began the second quarter down 31-10 to the 22-31 Milwaukee Bucks, unable to buy a bucket.

The Sonics shot poorly versus Minnesota and still managed to pull out the win in the fourth quarter.  If they could do it versus the Garnett-powered Timberwolves, than by process of deduction, the Bucks would be even easier to come back against.  

It never got any better.  The Supersonics had no answer for Ray Allen?s replacement Michael Redd.  Every time the Sonics tried to make a run, Redd was there with an answer.  The fourth quarter tone was set by Redd when he picked Flip Murray with 4 seconds left in the third, drove the court and finished with an emphatic jam with no time left on the clock.  Redd finished with 35 points on 14-25 shooting.  Compare that to Ray Allen who finished with 16 points on just 4-16 shooting.  The Sonics were blown out by the Bucks 99-73, a rare thrashing for the Sonics, but the fact that it is rare did not make it any easier to swallow.

Hunter Johannason/RealGM

Tags: Milwaukee Bucks, Oklahoma City Thunder, NBA

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Redd Outplays Allen In His Return To Milwaukee

Feb 27, 2005 5:23 PM

Michael Redd scored 35 points for the Bucks, as they blew out Ray Allen and the SuperSonics by a final score of 99-73.

The game was out of reach in the first quarter when Milwaukee held the Sonics to just 10 points, while scoring 31 of their own.

This was Allen's first game back in Milwaukee and he was held to just 16 points on 4 of 16 shooting.

Milwaukee will host the new-look Sixers on Tuesday.

Yahoo!

Tags: Milwaukee Bucks, Oklahoma City Thunder, NBA

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Allen Returns To Milwaukee For First Game Since Trade

Feb 27, 2005 2:59 PM

Ray Allen will play his first game at the Bradley Center since  being traded from the Milwaukee Bucks two seasons ago.  Allen missed last season's game due to an ankle injury.

?I can see like ghosts running around here. You see past players that you?ve played with coming out of doorways and shots going up from players you used to play with a long time ago,? Allen said Saturday.

?I don?t harbor resentment against anybody. They didn?t do me wrong here, they traded me,? Allen said. ?They made a decision to move on, to go in another direction. Same as Seattle on their side and the guys they moved. There?s no hard feelings.

?Emotionally, I won?t try to attach myself any more to the game than this is a team we?ve got to beat. It won?t be any deeper than that. I?ll see people in the crowd. Familiar faces before and after the game are one thing, but once I get onto the floor, it?s basketball.?

The News Tribune

Tags: Milwaukee Bucks, Oklahoma City Thunder, NBA

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Sonics Start Cold; Finish Hot

Feb 26, 2005 3:40 AM

In a game when the Sonics could do no right, they still managed to pull off a 99-88 win versus the struggling Minnesota Timberwolves who now reside 12.5 games back of division leading Seattle.  The Sonics survived the first half riding on seldom used Vitaly Potapenko who was the only one to shoot over 40% in the first half.

The Sonics did finally catch up in the fourth quarter and it was smooth sailing from there as Ray Allen caught fire, finishing with a game-high 32 points.

The Seattle Times

Tags: Minnesota Timberwolves, Oklahoma City Thunder, NBA

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Sonics Maintain Their Chemistry While The NBA Explodes With Trades

Feb 24, 2005 4:45 PM

The rumors began to flare up about a week before the February 24th 3 p.m. NBA trade deadline.  With a good number of contracts expiring at years end, many thought it would be best for the Sonics to make the appropriate trades to let go of players they would most likely have no chance of re-signing.  This would have been the case had the Sonics played out the season as the worst in The West as everyone predicted.  However, going into the deadline with a 37-15 record has thrown a very big cog into the Sonics? trade/contract equation.

Much of the Sonics success this year, as Coach Nate McMillan can attest to is due to the fact that the Sonics have excellent team chemistry.  Every player plays hard and every player knows his role.  This has led to an previously unimaginable 11-game lead in the Pacific Division over pre-season favorites Minnesota and Denver with only 30 games remaining.  

Now teams around the league are looking at the Seattle Supersonics and Phoenix Suns model and saying, ?We can do this!  We don?t need to load our roster with an abundance of superstars; we just need good players that play well together!?  Look at Golden State, a team that is poising itself to pull a Sonics like run next season with the signing of solid players like Troy Murphy and two great guards, Jason Richardson and newly traded for, Baron Davis.  The fast-shooting, bruising, court running, unselfish, smooth passing teams are back and they are wining.  

That being said, it is important to know which Sonics players have contracts that are set to expire at seasons end:

Hunter Johannason/RealGM

Tags: Oklahoma City Thunder, NBA

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Sonics Asking $205M For Taxpayer Financed Expansion Of Key Arena

Feb 24, 2005 1:43 PM

The price keeps going up for the Sonics proposal of an expansion to Key Arena.  It started at around $175-million and has now ballooned to nearly $205-million in just two months.

The City of Seattle and the Sonics say they?re losing money on KeyArena and need to renovate it to gain better use of seating and to increase the number of events there.
KeyArena books about 145 dates a year. Other venues across the country get 200 or more, officials said.

?I?m fairly cool at this point,? said Senate Majority Leader Lisa Brown (D-Spokane). House Majority Leader Lynn Kessler (D-Hoquiam) called the proposal ?difficult? to swallow.

?I was asked, after saying I wouldn?t support it ? before the start of session, to at least wait and hear the details. So that?s a reasonable request, and I will look at it,? she said. ?But it?s a difficult one because we have so many other pressing things.?

Tacoma News Tribune

Tags: Oklahoma City Thunder, NBA

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Seattle Likely To Hold On To Winning Team

Feb 24, 2005 1:37 PM

The rumors are out there:  Radmanovic, Allen, Murray, Fortson, all players the Sonics would consider trading, some with contracts ending at the end of this season.  However, with the deadline fast approaching (3 p.m.) it does not appear likely that the Sonics will make any trades.

The other issue Sonics general manager Rick Sund is facing is that he is handcuffed by Allen?s contract situation, which is not yet resolved. Until the team knows whether Allen will be back, it does not want to make any moves that might influence its flexibility this summer.

Also, coach Nate McMillan is concerned that making any moves would alter the team?s chemistry, which has been a big part of its success this season.

Tacoma News Tribune

Tags: Oklahoma City Thunder, NBA

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Sonics And Allen Still Far Apart On Extension, Not Likely To Be Traded

Feb 24, 2005 4:03 AM

The Seattle SuperSonics and Ray Allen have been negotiating all season long on a contract extension, but it appears that no deal will be completed before the trade deadline.

The Seattle Times and ESPN are reporting that the Sonics have had discussions with other teams regarding a trade involving Allen, including one that would send him to the Boston Celtics for Paul Pierce.

"I don't worry about that," Allen said. "You don't, you stay here and you help. It's a win-win situation."

Seattle Times

Tags: Boston Celtics, Oklahoma City Thunder, NBA

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Seattle Talking About Trading Flip And Vlad

TSN

Karl Wants To Reunite With Redd Or Allen

Rocky Mountain News

Sonics Live By The Three And Manage To Survive Without It

Hunter Johannason/RealGM.com

Fortson Remains In Pennsylvania; May Not Play Tonight Versus Rockets

The Tacoma News Tribune

Allen Hoping The Sonics Make A Deal For One More Piece

Rocky Mountain News

Ray Allen Says He Could Play For Karl In Denver

Rocky Mountain News

First Place Sonics Shopping Lameduck All-Star

Yahoo!

Warriors Best The Supersonics; Fortson Still Absent

The Ledger.com

Fortson Makes Return Tonight Versus Golden State

Tacoma News Tribune

Seattle's Revenge: Suns Handed Loss In A Battle Of The Most Improved

Yahoo!

Fortson And The People's Pigtails Set For Two Game Suspension

NBA Press Release

Kings Lose To Seattle For 3rd Time This Season

Yahoo!

Voice Of The Sonics Goes Bigtime

Seattle Supersonics

Sonics Push Lead To 10.5 Games, Lewis Gets $1 Million For All-Star Nod

Yahoo!

Ray Allen Is Back

The Seattle Times

Allen?s Condition Worsens

Tacoma News Tribune

McMillan To Take The Rest Of The Week Off

Tacoma News Tribune

Sonics Slip Past Battered Kings

The Seattle Times

Ray Allen To Sit Tonight Versus Sacramento

Sonics Press Release

Sonics Taken Down By Spurs, As They Battle Without Allen And McMillan

Missoulian.com