Game blog: Sonics at Lakers 11/3/06

Before we get to the Lakers/Sonics game, I must thank the people who put together the League Pass. The four games at once channel is awesome.

This is the first of a home and home weekend series between the two teams. It should be fun.

FIRST QUARTER

Well, I’m still sitting here waiting for ESPN. If Tirico is calling the game, I can wait all night.

Lamar Odom comes into this game averaging 28/11/7. He’s the MVP thru two games.

The Lakers jump out to an early 5-0 lead. Kobe hasn’t scored yet, and I haven’t seen a play yet.

Guess who’s on the board. 7-0 L.A. I don’t think this Cleveland/San Antonio game could possibly have a longer finish.

Luke Ridnour and Rashard Lewis hit back-to-back threes to answer right back. This Seattle team has some serious offensive weapons.

Wow, Lebron’s dunk on Duncan was something else. I guess that’s worth missing the start of the Lakers/Sonics game. I hate stupid national coverage.

Who is Becky Hammon? Where does ESPN find these women to ask inane questions? GO TO THE SECOND GAME!!!

HOORAY!!!

No Tirico! Life is good.

It’s 13-8 after a Rashard Lewis bucket.

After a Kobe jumper, Luke Ridnour buries another three. He usually kills the Lakers.

Bryant delivers a fancy pass to a wide-open Lamar Odom for another three, and then off a turnover, the duo connects again for an Odom lay-up.

Luke Walton buries another from long range to give the Lakers a 27-11 lead. Bob Hill wants to talk about it. So far, Walton has 10 points, Odom has 9, and Kobe has 3 assists. I’d write something about the Sonics, but this isn’t looking like a bounce back effort to this point.

Back from the timeout, Bynum blocks a shot, which leads to a beautiful give-and-go between Bryant and Odom. This is really ugly for Seattle. 12-0 run for the Lakers.

Kobe looks really odd wearing #24.

Smush Parker converts a three-point play to further the dominance. The Lakers are shooting 83% so far.

Ray Allen and Earl Watson lead the Sonics on a mini 7-0 run. Allen’s shot is still as smooth as ever.

After Odom's free throws put the Lakers up 38-22, Allen hits a three and is fouled by Ronny Turiaf. Bad idea. That’s a rare four-point play. Where’s Walt Williams? The Sonics have made this respectable to end the quarter. 38-26 Lakers after one.

SECOND QUARTER

Turiaf hits a jumper to start the quarter. If you’re a Lakers fan, it’s impossible not to love him.

Wow, did Sacramento just steal one in Chicago. The Bulls blew a four-point lead with 15 seconds left. Impressive.

Odom knocks down a triple to put the Lakers up 45-30. It seems as though he can’t miss early in the year.

I love the way Mo Evans hustles. He’s always around the ball. How did he not fit in Detroit? I know the Pistons have a great starting lineup, but Joe Dumars seems awfully quick to move bench pieces. However, he’s smarter than I am so there has to be a great reason.

Watson dishes a gorgeous alley-oop to Damien Wilkins. Very highlight-film like. The resemblance is uncanny.

Speaking of highlight worthy, Odom goes behind the back to Evans for a bucket. The Lakers have 50 points at the 7:32 mark of the second quarter. Seattle’s defense doesn’t seem very improved in the early going.

Odom has 14 points and 5 assists already and the Lakers are shooting 71%.

Kobe takes his first ridiculous shot of the season, a spinning left handed shot put that surprisingly winds up an air ball. That was horrible.

Here come the Sonics. It’s a 12-0 run to cut the lead to four. Earl Watson is hitting everything and has 10 points off the bench. I should point out that Lamar Odom is not on the floor during this run and that is not a coincidence. By the way, the Lakers still have 50 points at the 5:06 mark.

Phil Jackson puts Odom right back on the floor and he misses. At the other end, Chris Wilcox keeps the run going with an offensive rebound and put back.

Kobe, the playmaker, throws a great bounce pass to Walton for a lay-up. L.A. goes back up by six.

Ray Allen buries a fall away shot with two on the shot clock. You can’t possibly defend that. He has 13 points.

After some Walton free throws, Allen throws an incredible pass to Lenny Wilkens. Sadly, this isn’t 1970 and Wilkens is working as a TV commentator, therefore making it impossible to get Allen his assist. It was still a perfect pass.

Odom goes left for an easy lay-up. Teams should really work harder to make him go right.

Kobe Bryant and Mickael Gelebale start a trading baskets war. Kobe wins after converting a three-point play to put the Lakers up by nine. Kobe looks a little ginger and rusty, which isn’t surprising considering he missed the whole preseason.

The Lakers lead 65-56 at the half. Kobe has 11 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists and 5 turnovers. He tells Jim Gray he needs to “get in his groove.” He played 19 minutes in the first half, which seems like a lot. We’ll see if Jackson goes with Evans more in the second half.

Seattle has to feel pretty good to only be down by nine. They only shot 42%, while allowing the Lakers to shoot 60%. This could be way worse and I feel a Ray Allen onslaught coming.

THIRD QUARTER

I just realized the great Mouhamed Sene has no points and two rebounds so far. I hope his cousin is watching.

Rashard Lewis starts the half with a basket. He’s been quiet.

Odom hasn’t been. He nails another three. He’s made all four he’s tried from downtown.

Ray Allen goes right to the basket for an easy lay-up. And so it begins.

Seattle runs a brilliant fast break that Sene can’t finish. He shot his lay-up into the bottom of the backboard, but the good news is that he was fouled. He then missed both free throws. I miss Robert Swift.

The Sonics get three chances on the offensive end, and Ray Allen makes the Lakers pay for it. You can’t give him multiple chances.

At the other end, some nice passing leads to an Andrew Bynum dunk. The Lakers continue their excellent team basketball.

Ray Allen hits two more shots. He has 24 now. It’s 75-69 Lakers.

Kobe answers with a spin move for an easy basket. He seems to lack his normal explosion though.

This game has gotten very sloppy. It’s 77-71 and nothing is really happening, especially for the Lakers offensively. The ball movement seems to have completely stopped.

Rashard Lewis bangs down a three, and this is a three-point game. The Sonics are hanging tough here.

Kobe air balls a lay-up. I think he could use a rest.

Ray Allen buries a jumper and is fouled. Tie game. It’s a 12-2 run for the Sonics. Allen has 12 in the quarter. See, I knew it.

Smush Parker hits from long range to give the Lakers the lead again, until Lewis answers right back. Both teams are feeling it from behind the arc.

Kobe goes to the rim for an easy hoop. Danny Fortson didn’t scare him apparently.

Fortson puts back his own miss on the other end. He’s a load, which Tom Tolbert also points out.

We’re tied at 82. Seattle has never led in this game. The Lakers have led by 20.

Bynum makes two free throws. Kobe isn’t on the floor, so let’s see what happens. Odom hits from 17-feet. He has 21.

Ray Allen is left wide open for a triple. That’s not a good idea defensively. Allen has 30, 15 in the quarter, and he’s only warming up. 86-85 Lakers.

Earl Watson gives the Sonics their first lead with another three-point basket. What a display of shooting by Seattle. They lead 88-86 after three quarters. They won the quarter 32-21. I’m impressed and not surprised one bit.

FOURTH QUARTER

Bryant starts the quarter with a missed jumper. The Lakers look totally listless.

Wilkens hits a runner in the lane to give the Sonics a four-point lead. Seattle has all of the momentum right now.

Turiaf hits two free throws. The Lakers have Turiaf, Bryant, Farmar, Evans and Radmanovic on the floor, so they’re going small to counter the Sonics, who have Allen, Lewis, Ridnour, Collison and Watson playing.

Lewis scores in the post for Seattle, then after Mo Evans runs down another loose ball, Kobe nails a free throw to cut the Sonics lead back to three.

Wilkens blows by Bryant for an easy dunk. That was totally uncontested.

Vlad Radmanovic hits a wide-open three following Kobe’s penetration. Turiaf blocks Earl Watson’s shot and Jordan Farmar converts a nearly impossible lay-up to tie the game at 94. Turiaf then hops down the court. He’s an emotional fellow. This is quite the little game.

Odom gets back to the line following a timeout and hits both free throws to give the Lakers the lead again.

Whoa, Ray Allen missed a three. A Lakers turnover leads to a Chris Wilcox jam. We’re tied again.

Ridnour blows by Farmar for a lay-up. Phil Jackson isn’t thrilled about that one and wants to talk it over.

Back from the break, Ronny Turiaf throws a horrible pass that bounces off the official. That’s turnover #18 for the Lakers.

Ray Allen misses another three, barely, and Kobe Bryant takes advantage with another three-point play to give the Lakers the lead 99-98. This is a seesaw battle.

Ridnour hits a floater, Luke Walton answers with a free throw and we’re tied again.

Lewis gives Seattle the lead again with a fast break basket. The Sonics decide inexplicably to double team Walton, which allows him to dish to Turiaf, who gets to the foul line for some free throws. 102-102.

After a Lewis miss, Turiaf gives the Lakers the lead from 18-feet. He has 10 and the crowd is alive. This is hard to keep up with it’s so back and forth.

Wilcox hammers home a Ridnour miss to even the score at 104. This is anyone’s game with 3:22 to go.

Walton misses another free throw, but gets the back end to give the Lakers the lead.

Lewis finds Wilcox with a nice little pass to draw the foul. Wilcox misses the first, makes the second. Guess what? We’re tied.

Luke Walton gets a lay-up after a near turnover. Walton has 20 points. Allen misses on a drive to the hoop and Walton grabs the rebound.

The Lakers move the ball well, but Kobe can’t finish. Rashard Lewis hits a tough shot with one on the shot clock to tie the game at 107.

Smush Parker goes to the left hand for a lay-up. That was pretty.

At the other end, Allen misses a shot he should make and Ronny Turiaf battles for the rebound. Wilcox fouls him to send him to the line. The crowd loves Turiaf. They chant “Ronny, Ronny.” He makes both free throws to put L.A. up 111-107 with 56 seconds left. Timeout. Turiaf has 12 points and 5 rebounds off the bench. Great balanced scoring for both teams.

This has been a heck of a game.

Back from the timeout, Turiaf makes two INCREDIBLE blocks. Well, one incredible block on Wilcox and one with a lot of arm on Lewis. Kobe only hits one free throw. 112-107 with 40 seconds left.

Rashard Lewis gets a tip-in to cut the lead to three. Odom makes only one free throw, but it’s still a two-possession game. Good thing for the Lakers, as Lewis hits a three immediately.

Odom goes back to the line. The first is good. The second is also good. 115-112.

Allen gets a good look from straight away, but his triple is short. Odom grabs the board with 15 seconds left. It looks like the Lakers will escape here. Odom hits the first. He has 27. Make it 28 with the second.

Lewis misses the three, and fittingly Ronny Turiaf grabs the game icing rebound. The Lakers are 3-0. Seattle gave it everything they had.

Your final: 118-112.

Odom leads the way with 28 points, Kobe finishes with 23, and Walton has 20.

Ray Allen finishes with 30. He didn’t score in the fourth quarter, so he wasn’t warming up after all.

See you Sunday for the rematch.