168? How you like them Nuggets, Kiki?

Not sure what to say about this one. The Nuggets set the NBA season record for points in a half in the first half, then matched it in the second. If Kevin Durant had scored 73 rather than 23 points, the Supes still would’ve lost. It’s enough to make one yearn for those European soccer leagues where teams can get bumped down. Maybe instead of bringing Mo Sene (7 points in 9 minutes!) up, we should’ve just sent the Sonics down.

FYI, The Nugs’ all-time scoring record is 186 points, set in a triple-overtime game in 1983 by the faster-paced Alex English/Kiki Vandeweghe-led squad in a faster-paced NBA. Those Denver teams, whose offensive binge lasted much of the 80s, averaged 126.5 points per game in the 81-82 season, but never hit 168 points in a regulation game.

You may have seen this already on the Weekly. Reid and I made a second “Where Amazing Happens” commercial poking fun at fat cats Stern, Bennett, Schultz, etc.

In Bill Simmons’ recent “Save the Sonics” mailbag, Pat from Berkley, Massachusetts wrote:

I must not be watching enough TV because I haven’t seen the “NBA Cares” commercial with Clay Bennett and David Stern fondling money and in the background there is a group of ex-Sonics fans burning their Kevin Durant and Ray Allen jerseys. What a joke. The NBA: Where ripping out an entire city’s heart happens.

Well, here it is: the NBA ad celebrating the Sonics’ potential relocation to Oklahoma City:

An update on Mo Sene from last week’s Buzzer Beater

Senegalese Sensation Mo Sene went off to the tune of 30 points and 18 rebounds in an Idaho Stampede loss to the Austin Toros last night (hat tip to commenter SSFan4Life at the SonicsCentral message boards). The game before that, he put up 16 and 15.

What are you waiting for, Sam Presti? The seasons’s lost anyway. Bring up Mo!

As you likely know, we at Buzzer Beater are big fans of spindly Sonics swingman Mikael Gelabale. Hence, we were elated when he started getting big minutes and putting up big numbers. However, after one bad shooting performance, Jelly has found himself again at the bottom of the rotation. What gives, PJ? Surely you can’t be that enamored of Damien Wilkins’ low-ceiling, high volume one-on-one ball?

We think the decision is coming not from PJ, but from his bosses. Specifically, Sam Presti saw in Jelly’s sharp-shooting and quick-footed ‘D’ the potential for a Sonics winning streak, thus jeopardizing the team’s shot at a top lottery pick. Or perhaps it goes even higher: Clayton Bennett saw the writing on the wall, and didn’t want the lovable Frenchman saving Seattle basketball. Or perhaps even higher, from David Stern himself.

So, Buzzer Beaten Sonics faithful, take these rumors and run. Put on your Ron Mexico jersey and spread them far and wide. As with our team, they can’t take our Jelly without a fight.

For old times’ sake: the savior shows the kids of North Beach Elementary how to stay fit AND have fun!

The Birdman is back! The NBA reinstated super-tatted high-flying wild child Chris Andersen after his two year suspension for violating the league’s substance abuse policy. The Hornets–the team he was playing for when the suspension came down–have 30 days to re-sign him and probably will do so immediately. But if for some strange reason they don’t, consider this a plea, Mr. Presti: bring us the Birdman!

Also, PJ: More Gelabale, less Wilkins!

The Birdman poses with a Hornets Summer Clinic attendee

Sunday night brought the nascent Laker dynasty to Key Arena, giving Sonics fans and a surprisingly large contingent of Kobe jersey-clad Lake Show frontrunners a glimpse of the team that should be hoisting the championship trophy in June. Though the young, new-look Supes were clearly fired up, they were nevertheless easily dispatched by the Kobe Bryant/Pau Gasol score-at-will juggernaut, with the game essentially decided by the second quarter. (Final score: 101-81)

Kobe was his usual intense self, hand-fighting with Jeff Green and Mikael Gelabale and riding the officiating crew so hard (with a 25 point lead) that he was ejected in the third quarter, producing the loudest Sonics fans cheers of the game.

Gasol, on the other hand, seemed to be just going through the motions, albeit quite effectively. His is a peculiar athleticism, with a physique that’s part Big Bird and part America’s Next Top Model and a vertical jump that would be lucky to hit 24″. He also runs the floor like an awkward JV center. Nevertheless, he dominates his 7′ competition, displaying a a quick first step, a remarkably agile dribble game, and great body control around the basket.

As for the Supes, Mikael Gelabale continues to be a revelation. Whereas before his recent D-League stint, he seemed entirely incapable of hitting a jumper and intensely aware of that fact, he now shoots confidently and accurately, which, combined with his impressive hops and high release, makes him a dangerous offensive player. Moreover, his athleticism makes him a nuisance on defense and an effective rebounder, despite his slender build. More Jelly, this commentator says.

The rooks also showed some progress. Jeff Green was occasionally flustered by Kobe Bryant’s quick hands, but nevertheless kept attacking both Bryant and Lamar Odom, shooting well from the perimeter, continuing to show a nice finishing touch on the break, and finishing with 15 points and eight rebounds.

Kevin Durant faced a Lakers defense that seemed keyed on stopping him, but he played aggressively, getting himself to the foul line and, in the third quarter, providing the night’s Sonics highlights by driving baseline and dunking on Ronny Turiaf and then Pau Gasol in subsequent possessions.

Finally, a big Buzzer Beater welcome to Ira Newble and Adrian Griffin, who made their Sonics debuts tonight, combining for 2 points, 1 rebound, 1 steal, and 1 assist in 14 minutes of play.

A Lakers fan pops his Kobe jersey during a break in play. Note the shooting sleeve on his left arm.

A riveting account of a riveting game between two middling NBA teams.

The Wally Z/Ira Newble interregnum took a turn for the better last night, with your Seattle SuperSonics avenging Thursday’s defeat to the Portland Trailblazers, 99-87. On a night when Kevin Durant and UW alum Brandon Roy both struggled from the floor, recent D-Leaguer Mikael Gelabale stepped into the stardom void, lighting the Blazers up for 12 points in just six field goal attempts in just 20 minutes. No Look Luke Ridnour was similarly efficient, using his only outstanding NBA skill–his court sense–to set up Chris Wilcox for his only outstanding NBA skill–right-handed tomahawk dunks.

In other encouraging news, Jeff Green rebounded and defended well and continues to show an improving left hand. The progress isn’t fast, and it’s clear he has some confidence issues, but he also has the requisite tools, work ethic, and–when he relaxes–instincts to be a good NBA player.

Finally, the Supes recent ten-game stretch of .600 ball has PJ offering some unique musings on semantics, and posturing like the ol’ Zen Master. From Percy Allen’s Sonics blog at the Seattle Times:

When asked if the Sonics are better now than they were at the start of the season, Carlesimo chuckled.

“We’re not better,” he said. “Better would imply that we were good at that point.”

Lest any of you worry that this newfound pseudo-cleverness suggests that PJ’s losing his edge, please know that last night he wore his beige blazer and spent the better part of a second quarter timeout screaming at Kevin Durant, who mostly just looked at the scoreboard.

One last thing: Robert Swift has a torn meniscus in his right knee. It looks like we’ll have to wait at least another few months for the Wild Bobby Ginger era to truly begin.

This one got linked by a bunch of places, best of all True Hoop. Hooray me!

click play for musical accompaniment

Goodbye, Wally Z
Though know you I did not
You had the boy band looks
And a nice looking jump shot
The haters tried to hate
They whispered into your brain
Goddamnit Wally, pass…
To the refs you did complain

And it seems to me that in your head
You’re still prom king number one
Never knowing who to pass to
When the doubles come
But those triples look too good
Too good to resist
Your ankles gave out long before
Your ego ever did

Loneliness was tough
The toughest role you ever played
Miami created a superstar
And pain was the price you paid
When you called timeout
Oh the press, they hounded you
All that PJ had to say
Was @#(*&$#@#($*&@#($*&@!!

Goodbye, Wally Z
From the young man in the 25th row
It must be lonely at the top
But to Cleveland you must go

I posted this one on Buzzer Beater after the Huskies’ thrilling win over Arizona on Thursday night. Then they went and got beat by Arizona State. Good thing I boldly declared them back.

Tonight’s Seattle basketball fan was faced with quite a dilemma: the middling Huskies on FSN or the post-Wally Z, pre-Ira Newble Sonics on TNT. While I’ve found that a season of covering the NBA has made it increasingly difficult to enjoy the comparatively sloppy and uneven play of college ball (I know I’m probably in the minority on that one), and while I love watching Brandon Roy (whose Blazers the Sonics were playing), I couldn’t turn down a high energy UW/Arizona matchup at Hec Ed. It was the right decision.

Facing a Wildcat team with three likely first-round picks, the Dawgs played like yesteryear’s shoulder-chipped, Conroy-Robinson-Roy-Jones squads. Particular credit goes to Venoy Overton, the seemingly ambidextrous, left-handed, pint-sized freshman dynamo who pushes the pace like no Husky since Nate Robinson, time and again weaving back and forth on the heels of retreating defenders before finishing with an improbable lay-up. (Tonight’s ‘and-1′, in which he drew contact from an Arizona big man and made a high-arching, right-handed six-footer while nearly parallel with the floor probably takes the cake.)

While Overton set the tone with his forays to the hoop and his harassment of Arizona star Jerryd Bayless, he was hardly alone in the intensity and aggressiveness he brought to the game. Jon Brockman continued his season-long domination of the Pac-10 paint, Quincy Pondexter played smart and not too timid, Tim Morris created plays with his athleticism, and pretty much every other Husky who saw floor time had a solid game. I’m gushing like Chris Matthews after a Barack Obama speech, but I’ll be damned if it’s not fun to watch my underdog alma mater stick it to the Chase Budinger/Jerryd Bayless Zach Morris/AC Slater combo.

One final thing, the Husky coaching staff must be given credit for having turned a bad defensive team into a good one over the course of the season (stellar defensive performances in 3 of the last 4 games). Such a swing is something you’ll rarely see in an NBA team–partly because the season is long enough for a pro team to regress to its mean, but also because college teams, much more than pro ones, are always works-in-progress. Washington’s team defense was superb, with the hedges on and traps of Jared Bayless flustering him and significantly disrupting Arizona’s offense.

I’ve come to the point in the Husky post where it says “insert obligatory/lame ‘dawg’ pun here.”

Why must I chase the cat? Ain’t nothin’ but the dawg in me!