Sonics Win Expansion Team Battle
After losing their first matchup against the Barons, the Sonics evened the ledger with a 102-93 win in Baltimore.
Arron Afflalo top scored for the Sonics, tallying 24 points on the night. Vince Carter made an impact off the bench with 16 points, while Andrew Nicholson (14 points, 7 rebounds, 5 assists) and Patrick Mills (13 points, 10 assists) were also instrumental in the win.
While the Sonics were able to share the offensive load, the Barons only had 2 double-digit scorers. Marreese Speights led the way with 18 points, while T.J. McConnell had 17 points and 9 assists.
Sonics Withstand Late Spurs Run
The Sonics came away with a 98-94 win against the Spurs. With a 13-point lead to start the 4th quarter, the Sonics appeared to be comfortable, but the Spurs managed to get back into the game thanks to great 4th quarter performances by Kawhi Leonard and Tony Parker. The Spurs won the 4th quarter 30-21, but fortunately for the Sonics, they did just enough to hold on to the win.
Arron Afflalo led the way once again, scoring 24 points. Andrew Nicholson had 20 points and 10 rebounds, while Patty Mills was close to his own double-double with 13 points and 9 rebounds. Kawhi Leonard (24) and Tony Parker (22) led the scoring the for the Spurs.
Sonics Dominate Hawks in Atlanta
The Sonics had no problem accounting for the Hawks, as they registered a 97-82 in Atlanta.
Patrick Mills led the way with 16 points and 8 assists. Arron Afflalo, Vince Carter and Andrew Nicholson all scored 18 points each, while Andrew Bogut got the best of Dwight Howard, with 13 points, 11 rebounds and 4 blocks.
For Hawks, Kent Bazemore tallied 16 points. Kyle Korver (14) and Dennis Schroder (12) also had significant contributions. However, the ineffectiveness of Howard ended up being one of the major weaknesses for the Hawks. Superman seemed to find his kryptonite in the form of Andrew Bogut, as he had 6 points off 3-13 shooting and only 7 rebounds on the night.
Patty Keeps Sonics Rolling in Boston
The Seattle Supersonics managed to win the battle of the point guards in their 109-103 victory over the Boston Celtics. In an intriguing head-to-head, Patty Mills’ effort of 29 points and 5 assists just managed to top Isaiah Thomas’ effort of 26 points and 5 assists.
However, the main difference in the game was the supporting cast. The Sonics got great contributions from Arron Afflalo (22), Andrew Bogut (12 points, 9 rebounds, 5 blocks), Andrew Nicholson (11 points, 9 rebounds) and Nick Young (10). The Celtics, on the other hand, really only had meaningful offensive performances from Al Horford (21 points, 15 rebounds) and Avery Bradley (14).
Sonics Edge Lakers, Win 6th Straight
The Sonics managed to hold onto a 122-120 win against the Lakers after DeAngelo Russell missed a game-winning attempt from beyond the arc.
The Sonics managed to get another vintage performance out of Vince Carter. The retiring legend scored 25 points off 10-17 shooting from the field, including some dunks that could have been seen in the highlights of his prime years. Arron Afflalo also continued his impressive run of form sans All-Star break, with 24 points. Along with Carter and Afflalo, Andrew Nicholson (15), Andrew Bogut (13), Nick Young (12), Patrick Mills (11) and Tony Snell (10) all managed double figures.
The Lakers were also able to take advantage of a free-flowing game, with 5 double-digit scorers of their own. Julius Randle (9 rebounds) and Lou Williams both led the way with 17 points each. DeAngelo Russell had a double-double with 16 points and 11 assists, while Yi Jianlian (15) and Brandon Ingram also had meaningful contributions.
Last 5 Games
@BAL: 102-93 W
SAS: 98-94 W
@ATL: 97-82 W
@BOS: 109-103 W
@LAL: 122-120 W
Overall: 38-15
Injury List
Shaun Livingston – Broken Nose – 1-2 Weeks (Hurt)
Wilson Chandler – Broken Nose – Day-to-day (Recovering)