Sonics notes: Evans prepared for Arco to be rocking
By Sam Amick -- Bee Staff Writer
Published 2:15 am PDT Thursday, April 28, 2005
Get the latest news in sacbee.com's Kings Alert newsletter. Sign up here.
SEATTLE - Arco Arena, Reggie Evans says, will be "crunk" come Friday night.
Just one of the Seattle SuperSonics forward's additions to the English language and prediction for Game 3 between the Kings and the Sonics.
OAS_AD('Button20');
That's crunk - as in loud, exciting, much like Games 1 and 2 at KeyArena, where the Kings were falling behind 2-0 in this first-round, one-sided affair.
"Our gym, it was crunk," Evans said with a straight face at Seattle's practice Wednesday. "That gym (Arco) will be off the ground. It'll be real fun for (Kings fans), seeing those purple uniforms. Their fans will be going crazy. They're so hungry right now, thirsty for a win."
The problem for the Kings is that these Sonics are among the best in the business at winning on the road. Their 26-15 road record trailed only Phoenix and equaled Seattle's home mark. Seattle was one of just five teams to post a winning record on the road, including a 106-101 win at Arco Arena on Feb. 1.
Sonics center Jerome James is fearing nothing but the cowbells at Arco. Even those, James said, won't make a difference.
"We've played great on the road all season long, even better than we played at home, so I don't think Arco Arena's going to be that big of a factor on the outcome of the game," James said.
Jerome, not LeBron - The downside of fame has hit James in the past week, as the media have swarmed him on a daily basis.
He has joked that he feels like superstar guard Ray Allen with all the attention coming his way, and is more than willing to give the spotlight back now. But the upside of his shocking role in the series has been the culmination of the bonding between him and his teammates, many of whom were near enemies at the start of the season.
Things weren't quite so friendly last year. James admits he didn't open up to his teammates. He was a loner of sorts, never receiving invitations to team gatherings and always hearing about the latest barbecue or night on the town a day late.
"My mom would be calling me, saying, 'Why are you being such a bad apple?' " James said. "I'd say, 'Mom, I'm not.' Then it hit home. Wait a minute, maybe you are. Everybody can't be wrong.
"I realized, hey, man, you've been hiding yourself from these guys, and then asking them to trust you on the court. You can't do that. You have to open up and show them who you really are."
Sonic broom? - Danny Fortson is officially the first Sonic to use the "S" word. As in sweep.
"We know that if we go down there and win one of those games, especially that first one, that gives us a chance to sweep them," Fortson said.
Or ... not.
"I'm reluctant to say that they can't come back," the Sonics forward said. "They've got some tough guys over there, like Corliss Williamson, Brian Skinner." Informed that Williamson hadn't played much, Fortson said, "I don't know why, but (that's) good. We've got to continue to pound them. Mentally, I think it's wearing on them."
ok guys.. we need to win these next 2 games at arco to have a chance to get back in it..question is how loud will the arco loyal be and how much of a factor will it be in the outcome?? heres to hoping for a miracle comeback and some good basketball!
By Sam Amick -- Bee Staff Writer
Published 2:15 am PDT Thursday, April 28, 2005
Get the latest news in sacbee.com's Kings Alert newsletter. Sign up here.
SEATTLE - Arco Arena, Reggie Evans says, will be "crunk" come Friday night.
Just one of the Seattle SuperSonics forward's additions to the English language and prediction for Game 3 between the Kings and the Sonics.
OAS_AD('Button20');
"Our gym, it was crunk," Evans said with a straight face at Seattle's practice Wednesday. "That gym (Arco) will be off the ground. It'll be real fun for (Kings fans), seeing those purple uniforms. Their fans will be going crazy. They're so hungry right now, thirsty for a win."
The problem for the Kings is that these Sonics are among the best in the business at winning on the road. Their 26-15 road record trailed only Phoenix and equaled Seattle's home mark. Seattle was one of just five teams to post a winning record on the road, including a 106-101 win at Arco Arena on Feb. 1.
Sonics center Jerome James is fearing nothing but the cowbells at Arco. Even those, James said, won't make a difference.
"We've played great on the road all season long, even better than we played at home, so I don't think Arco Arena's going to be that big of a factor on the outcome of the game," James said.
Jerome, not LeBron - The downside of fame has hit James in the past week, as the media have swarmed him on a daily basis.
He has joked that he feels like superstar guard Ray Allen with all the attention coming his way, and is more than willing to give the spotlight back now. But the upside of his shocking role in the series has been the culmination of the bonding between him and his teammates, many of whom were near enemies at the start of the season.
Things weren't quite so friendly last year. James admits he didn't open up to his teammates. He was a loner of sorts, never receiving invitations to team gatherings and always hearing about the latest barbecue or night on the town a day late.
"My mom would be calling me, saying, 'Why are you being such a bad apple?' " James said. "I'd say, 'Mom, I'm not.' Then it hit home. Wait a minute, maybe you are. Everybody can't be wrong.
"I realized, hey, man, you've been hiding yourself from these guys, and then asking them to trust you on the court. You can't do that. You have to open up and show them who you really are."
Sonic broom? - Danny Fortson is officially the first Sonic to use the "S" word. As in sweep.
"We know that if we go down there and win one of those games, especially that first one, that gives us a chance to sweep them," Fortson said.
Or ... not.
"I'm reluctant to say that they can't come back," the Sonics forward said. "They've got some tough guys over there, like Corliss Williamson, Brian Skinner." Informed that Williamson hadn't played much, Fortson said, "I don't know why, but (that's) good. We've got to continue to pound them. Mentally, I think it's wearing on them."
ok guys.. we need to win these next 2 games at arco to have a chance to get back in it..question is how loud will the arco loyal be and how much of a factor will it be in the outcome?? heres to hoping for a miracle comeback and some good basketball!
But, yea, ARCO will be rockin'
