Coming off of two straight home wins, the Sonics went back to the well tonight and came back with their 3rd consecutive win: 86-85 over the Knicks. Kevin Durant and Chris Wilcox were the only Sonics to score in double figures notching 21 and 20 points respectively. While KD went only 7-21 from the field, he wasn't forcing shots from outside (1-1 on 3's) and got to the line (6-8). This is the type of performance the Sonics can win with. Especially if you dominate one category like the Sonics did tonight...
The Knicks had a much better shooting night (44.4% to 39.5%), took better care of the ball (2 less turnovers), and got to the line more (26 attempts to 20 attempts). So how did the Sonics manage to win? Rebounds. The Sonics destroyed the Knicks on the glass, outrebounding them 55-34, a margin of +21 for the Sonics. This included an almost unfathomable 19-3 edge on the offensive glass, which yielded 14 extra shots for the Sonics, allowing them to make up for their poorer efficiency from the field. Nick Collison and Wilcox led the way with 12 and 10 rebounds respectively.
Durant is averaging almost 24 ppg over the 3-game stretch, the first time he's cracked the 20-point barrier in three straight games in almost a month. Not coincidentally, the Sonics won just one game in that time, highlighting Durant's value to the team. With the Sonics struggling to score (the Sonics rank dead last in the leaugue in offensive efficiency at 96.3 points per 100 possessions), they can't win if they aren't getting a good night from KD. Out of the Sonics 14 wins, only 4 game with Durant scoring less than 20. Conversely, the Sonics are 3-0 when Durant breaks the 3o point mark. These stats may seem obvious, but they really put Durant's importance into perspective. As a 19 year-old rookie, his team can only win when he brings his 'A' game. Who was the last rookie with that sort of pressure on him? LeBron James. He turned out pretty good, I think.
Notes: It's hard to believe that after we spent all of January touting Wally Szczerbiak's big month, he's missed 2 games in a row while the Sonics have rolled off 3-straight wins... Nick Collison just missed another double-double with 9 points and 12 rebounds... Delonte West had a brutal night shooting the ball, going 3-13. But Coach Carlesimo stuck with him in the 4th quarter anyway, as West chipped in 5 points in the 4th quarter(along with alot of missed shots)... Durant had both the game-winning points, and the turnover in the final minute to give the Knick's hope. He's not there yet, but he's bringing alot more to the table than he's taking off... The Sonics totaled just 34 points in the first half... The Sonics end their 7-game homestand against Chicago Monday night.
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