[DaUnbreakableKinG]

@

Sacramento Kings (6th) vs Seattle SuperSonics (3rd)

KINGS ROSTER

Mike Bibby
Erik Daniels
Maurice Evans
Eddie House
Bobby Jackson
Kevin Martin
Brad Miller
Cuttino Mobley
Greg Ostertag
Brian Skinner
Darius Songaila
Peja Stojakovic
Kenny Thomas
Corliss Williamson

Predicted Starting Lineup

Skinner -Thomas - Stojakovic - Mobley - Bibby
vs

James - Evans - Lewis - Allen - Ridnour

Key Reserves

Songaila - Jackson - Evans - Williamson - Ostertag
vs

Daniels - Fortson - Radmanovic - Wilkins - Swift

SONICS ROSTER
<table class="gSGTable" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" height="216" width="139"> <tbody><tr align="center"> <td class="gSGRowEven"> Ray Allen </td> </tr> <tr align="center"> <td class="gSGRowOdd"> Mateen Cleaves </td> </tr> <tr align="center"> <td class="gSGRowEven"> Nick Collison </td> </tr> <tr align="center"> <td class="gSGRowOdd"> Antonio Daniels </td> </tr> <tr align="center"> <td class="gSGRowEven"> Reggie Evans </td> </tr> <tr align="center"> <td class="gSGRowOdd"> Danny Fortson </td> </tr> <tr align="center"> <td class="gSGRowEven"> Jerome James </td> </tr> <tr align="center"> <td class="gSGRowOdd"> Rashard Lewis </td> </tr> <tr align="center"> <td class="gSGRowEven"> Ronald Murray </td> </tr> <tr align="center"> <td class="gSGRowOdd"> Vitaly Potapenko </td> </tr> <tr align="center"> <td class="gSGRowEven"> Vladimir Radmanovic </td> </tr> <tr align="center"> <td class="gSGRowOdd"> Luke Ridnour </td> </tr> <tr align="center"> <td class="gSGRowEven"> Robert Swift </td> </tr> <tr align="center"> <td class="gSGRowOdd"> Damien Wilkins </td> </tr>
</td></tr></tbody> </table>

Season Series

Sacramento Kings 1-3 Seattle SuperSonics

Sacramento Kings 78-108 Seattle SuperSonics
Notes: The Sonics returned home for their first back-to-back of the season, hosting the Sacramento Kings (who had also played the night before) on ESPN. The travel situation seemed to bother the Kings much more than the Sonics, who started fast and led 33-20 after one quarter as Ray Allen and Rashard Lewis combined for 19 points. Thereafter, Sacramento was able to keep the two high-scorers in check (they scored just 19 over the next three quarters), but couldn't find enough of its own offense to come back.



Sacramento Kings 101-106 Seattle SuperSonics
Notes: After being blown out by San Antonio, the Sonics traveled to Sacramento a night later to take on the Kings - who played without starters Peja Stojakovic and Chris Webber. Early on, it looked like another blowout, with the Kings taking a 20-9 lead, but the Sonics rallied to get within two at the half and took the lead to the locker room. The third quarter was wild, with Sacramento stars Mike Bibby and Miller both picking up their fourth foul early in the period and five technical fouls whistled by the referees.



Sacramento Kings 107-115 Seattle SuperSonics
Notes: The Sacramento Kings arrived at KeyArena with plenty of motivation after dropping two games to the Sonics, dropping their previous game to Phoenix on a questionable no-call and seeing none of their players selected for the All-Star Game. But they also came without Miller, suspended for his reaction to said no-call.



Sacramento Kings 122-101 Seattle SuperSonics
Notes: The Sonics fell victim to an offensive onslaught in Sacramento on April 5. The Kings shot 58.8% from the field and 57.9% from 3-point range, running up 122 points and 38 in the second quarter. The Sonics found some offense of their own, all five starters scoring in double-figures, and were down only three after one quarter and eight at the break. But Sacramento kept pouring it on and the Sonics eventually fell way behind in a 122-101 loss.

GO KINGS!!!
Sonics Forum Series Thread

Sacramento Kings: 50-32
Home Record: 30-11
Away Record: 20-21

Seattle SuperSonics: 52-30
Home Record: 26-15
Away Record: 26-15

SuperSonics have HomeCourtAdvantage:
Game 1: Saturday, Apr. 23 7:30p.m. TV: ESPN@ Seattle
Game 2: Tuesday, Apr. 26 7:30p.m. TV: TNT@ Seattle
Game 3: Friday, Apr. 29 7:30p.m. TV: ESPN@ Sacramento
Game 4: Sunday, May 1 7:30p.m. TV: TNT@ Sacramento
Game 5: Tuesday, May 3 TBA @ Seattle*
Game 6: Friday, May 6 TBA @ Sacramento*
Game 7: Sunday, May 8 TBA @ Seattle*

* if necessary


Sacramento Kings-Seattle SuperSonics Playoff History

Back in the NBA Playoffs for the first time since 2002, the Northwest Division Champion Seattle SuperSonics will face off with a Sacramento Kings squad that has been a regular in the playoffs, making their seventh straight appearance. This is the first time since 2000 that the Kings will not have home-court advantage in the first round. The teams have met once before in the playoffs, in the first round in 1996, when the Sonics won 3-1 en route to the NBA Finals.

When the Seattle SuperSonics last squared off with the Sacramento Kings in the NBA playoffs, their opponent was not so much the Kings as it was recent franchise history.

On paper, the series was a mismatch of the highest order. The Sonics had won a franchise-record 64 games in the regular season to earn the first seed in the Western Conference, while the Kings had snuck into the playoffs despite a sub-.500 record. But there was a catch - each of the previous two seasons, the Sonics had lost to a lower-seeded team in the first round playoffs, producing questions about whether Coach George Karl's style could work in the post-season.

The Sonics would open the series without All-Star Shawn Kemp after the forward was involved in an altercation with Denver's Tom Hammonds on the last day of the regular season. But the Kings had bigger issues; playing the first playoff game since the franchise moved to Sacramento, they were nervous in the early going as the Sonics scored the game's first nine points. The Kings kept it close, but the Sonics pulled out a 97-85 victory behind 29 points and nine rebounds from Gary Payton.

Needless to say, a 90-81 loss in Game 2 that shifted home-court advantage to the Kings did nothing to ease concerns in Seattle, particularly about Kemp. Though he scored 21 points in his return, Kemp committed nine turnovers, including several costly ones in a fourth quarter that saw Sacramento outscore the Sonics 25-14.

The Sonics traveled to hostile ARCO Arena in Sacramento knowing a loss would further flame the talk of them being "chokers" in the playoffs. It was a scenario that nearly came to fruition, with the Sonics trailing 83-75 with 5:49 left in the game and Kemp on the bench in foul trouble. But the Sonics held the Kings without a field goal for nearly five minutes and went on a 17-3 run to seize command of the game.

In Game 4, as the city of Seattle was rocked by a minor earthquake, the Sonics finished off Sacramento. They got a break when Kings All-Star Mitch Richmond sprained his ankle and was sidelined for the game with 5:29 left in the first half. Without Richmond, the Kings shot just 40.5%, though little-used Lionel Simmons came off the bench to score 24 points. Meanwhile, Payton scored 17 of his 29 points in the second half as the Sonics pulled out a 101-87 victory.

[Peja Vu]

Kings in 6.

[DaUnbreakableKinG]

Originally Posted by Peja Vu

Kings in 6.

I think so too. Maybe even 7.


If we could get Brad back then I would say 5 or 6.

[DaUnbreakableKinG]

Also I'll change the linup if say Brad is back. Or the reserves.


Ok so if we play like we are now I'm going to predict like this:

@Seattle W
@Seattle L
@Sactown W
@Sactown W
@Seattle L
@Sactown W


More predictions later.

[Tersk]

I have the Kings in 7 pulling the upset

Nice thread Ilir

[HKF]

How can I root against Vladi Radmanovic? Kings in 7.

[Peja Vu]

[Tooeasy]

sonics in 6. Rashard is gonna come through in a big way for the sonics this postseason, beware.

[LuckyAC]

Sonics in 7.