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00:00Lister and Abdul-Jabbar.
00:14The cry of Beat L.A. going up from the stands.
00:17Sonics get the opening tip and Nate McMillan.
00:20Played by Magic Johnson.
00:23There are the screens for Ellis.
00:29He misses his opening shot.
00:31Daniel, McDaniel with the rebound.
00:33He misses, A.C. Green.
00:35Fouled in the backcourt.
00:36Well, a good sign there.
00:37Dale Ellis got a wide-open shot at the basket.
00:39He didn't get it to go.
00:40Xavier McDaniel with a nice rebound.
00:42Boy, was he really pumped up.
00:44He didn't even draw iron.
00:45He tried to take the ball and really crashed it off the glass.
00:48Big matchup to watch as Xavier McDaniel against James Worthy.
00:54He's been killing the Sonics.
00:57Down to Abdul-Jabbar.
00:58The skyhook fouled before the shot.
01:05Three-second violation.
01:06Check that.
01:07No foul.
01:08Three-second violation.
01:09This building is as noisy as any building I've been in this season.
01:12These fans are alive for this basketball game.
01:17Scoreless game so far.
01:19We're one minute into the ball game now.
01:22Lister with the rebound.
01:23He misses the basket, but he will go.
01:25Matter of fact, it's a loose ball foul that will be played on the sideline.
01:29The foul is on Jamar.
01:31We could see the Los Angeles defense there.
01:34First-team foul.
01:35When the ball was passed over to Dale Ellis,
01:39double-team occurs immediately.
01:40They forced him to pass the ball back to McMillan.
01:43He did the smart thing.
01:44He drove it to the basket, which gave Seattle a second-shot opportunity.
01:48Lister got the foul.
01:49He missed the first free throw.
01:50But that's what they're going to have to do.
01:51They can't settle for the perimeter shot.
01:53They must drive it to the basket, force LA to block shot.
01:59And the Sonics take the lead.
02:00Not exactly a high-scoring game.
02:02It's 1-0.
02:03It's a one-minute play.
02:05Byron Scott wide open from 18.
02:07And he'll bury it from there.
02:08He can really shoot the ball.
02:09Byron Scott spots up.
02:11He has great confidence and super range on his jumper.
02:14Player you know well from your days at Arizona State.
02:16Tom Chambers with a turnaround.
02:17Lister gets the air ball.
02:19Well, the opportunities have been there for the Sonics.
02:23Bounce pass to Worthy from Byron Scott.
02:27Worthy.
02:294-1, Lakers.
02:30Byron Scott made a great no-look pass that time to Worthy.
02:33We see when Magic Johnson defensive rebounds,
02:36he puts such pressure on the defense, you must pick him up high.
02:39Off the screen, Ellis.
02:40Carries this one, Dale Ellis.
02:42Dale Ellis is a rhythm shooter.
02:47So what L.A. tries to do is destroy his rhythm by making him put the ball on the floor.
02:52If you allow him to come off that screen and catch it like that, he will bury it.
02:56But you've got to force him to just try to change his rhythm just enough to distract him.
03:00Lakers by one.
03:01A minute 40 seconds.
03:02It's been played here from the Seattle Coliseum.
03:05Game 3 Western Conference Championship Series.
03:08Abdul Javar.
03:09Skyhook.
03:10That's the most devastating weapon in professional basketball history.
03:14The skyhook.
03:15He's got about 35,000 points shooting that shot.
03:18Xavier McDaniel.
03:20Played by Green.
03:21Out to Chambers.
03:22Penetrate behind the back for McDaniel in the layup.
03:27Chambers with a pass to Xavier McDaniel.
03:35See the difference right there in Tom Chambers as a player.
03:38We talked about at the top of the game.
03:40He drives the ball in the lane.
03:42He's a big forward that can create.
03:44And that time he created a shot for Xavier McDaniel.
03:47And that's what Chambers has to do with his speed and quickness.
03:49Two team fouls on the Sonics.
03:51One on the Lakers thus far.
03:53Worthy left open.
03:57Worthy.
03:59There's a jam.
04:00Well they had the double team and Kareem read the double team with the size he threw right over the top of it.
04:06And the foul is going to be on Byron Scott.
04:12Scott his first.
04:13Abdul-Jabbar with one.
04:14Scott with one for the Lakers.
04:15Second team foul.
04:16You know, Bob, when you double team Jabbar before he's dribbled the basketball, he really picks you apart because he can see the floor so well.
04:22Byron Scott's done a great job defensing Ellis.
04:26Ellis got past it and Scott now with two early fouls.
04:31We'll see what Pat Riley does now.
04:33Does he try to come in with Michael Cooper early or does he stay with Byron Scott?
04:37Third team foul.
04:39And that's the Lakers third team foul.
04:42Sonics will shoot on the fifth.
04:44Boy, look at him use those screens.
04:47That's the rhythm right there.
04:49That is the rhythm.
04:50He used the screen to perfection.
04:52Byron Scott trailing, went right up with the shot and knocked it home.
04:55Lakers by one.
04:569.06 to go first quarter.
04:58Worthy from 18.
05:00McMillan and the Sonics are running.
05:04Xavier McDaniel and the Sonics take the lead by one.
05:11See, they want to run.
05:14They just want to make sure that they have good floor balance when they take their shot.
05:17They don't want them to shoot the ball to allow the Lakers to run out on them.
05:21Worthy.
05:22Left hand.
05:23Nice move.
05:24Worthy.
05:25Man, when you make shots like that.
05:27Whoa.
05:28Seesaw lead now.
05:29One point game.
05:30Michael Cooper set to check in.
05:32It'll be an early entry.
05:33He usually comes in late in the first quarter.
05:36McMillan from 18.
05:3911.10 Sonics.
05:40See, Magic Johnson will not guard him after he picks his dribble up.
05:43He's more concerned with guarding the man coming off.
05:46Magic goes all the way, but he's fouled on the drive.
05:54That was Ellis who picks up his second person.
05:57Magic Johnson here was trying to draw the foul.
06:00He's driving it.
06:01At the last moment, watch.
06:02He's going to dish the ball.
06:03He hears the whistle, and watch what he does.
06:05He starts to pass it.
06:07At the last minute, he throws it at the basket.
06:09He tried to get a two-shot foul, but Jeff Searcy would have no part of that.
06:14Dale Ellis taking a quick break right now, and Byron Scott is set down with Cooper on the floor.
06:23Seattle was cold to start with.
06:24They've hit four out of their last five.
06:26McDaniel.
06:27It's off the inside, gets his own rebound.
06:29Nobody grabbed it.
06:30McDaniel.
06:31Kevin Williams is the young man who checked in for Dale Ellis.
06:45Number 30.
06:46He'll be playing Michael Cooper.
06:48Worthy with the drive.
06:50It rolls around, and there's A.C. Green.
06:53Somebody's hurt at the free-throw line.
06:54It's McDaniel.
06:55He's down.
06:56I think Xavier McDaniel got hit by an errant elbow.
06:58I think that was an inadvertent elbow when Worthy went to the basket.
07:02It looked like McDaniel accidentally got hit, and he is really down right now.
07:08We have 7.42 to go in the first quarter.
07:11The Sonics have taken a 13-10 lead after hitting four of their last five shots.
07:18Taking a 20.
07:19Let's watch it right here.
07:20Right there is where it occurred.
07:22He either got hit by his own man or by an inadvertent elbow there by James Worthy.
07:27And we have a 20-second timeout.
07:31Xavier's got six points and two rebounds already.
07:39He seems to be okay.
07:41He's standing away from the huddle on the sideline, as you see with the trainer for Seattle Supersonics.
07:47He's going out of the ballgame for a rest, and Maurice Lucas is set to check in the game.
07:52Mo Lucas has been playing nearly 16 minutes a game in these playoffs,
07:56and in only 7 1⁄2 minutes in game number two had 4 1⁄2 rebounds.
08:01Lucas replaces McDaniels.
08:04You know, the early difference in this ballgame has been what I've seen with Seattle.
08:08First of all, they're doing a good job on the defensive backboard.
08:11They're not giving up second shots.
08:13But more importantly, they are getting second-shot opportunities for themselves.
08:17You know, Xavier McDaniels already has two stick backs, and when you play in the playoffs
08:21and play against the Lakers, their team defense is holding people to under 46% field goal shooting,
08:27which allows for a lot of second shots.
08:29And if you can get in there and get second shots, then the Lakers can't fast-break on you,
08:33so you're able to attack them in two ways.
08:36One point, Sonics lead.
08:39Nate McMillan in the backcourt with Kevin Williams, who's handling the ball now.
08:44Here's Maurice Lucas, number 20, oh, back to McMillan.
08:49His second long-range finder just inside the three-point line, 15-12, Sonics.
08:55Worthy over Chambers.
09:01Worthy.
09:02Worthy has become a great, great forward.
09:05He is so quick, and the fact that he has been able now to make the jump shot,
09:09he makes him an impossible player to guard.
09:11You just better hope he misses his shot.
09:16Williams finds the path open, drives, and misses it.
09:19New shot clock, here comes Worthy.
09:21Has nobody with him.
09:22Cooper for three, the set shot.
09:33And the foul.
09:36Sean McMillan.
09:39Now McMillan has two, Ellis has two, and Scott has two fouls early in this game
09:44for the Los Angeles Lakers.
09:46Six minutes, 50 seconds to go, quarter number one, Sonics by one.
09:52Scott playing him defensively.
09:53This is what Byron Scott has to be faced with.
09:55Coming off that screen, this is what I call a rhythm shooter.
09:58Catches it, goes right up with it.
10:00The Lakers want him to have to put the ball on the floor.
10:02Not just be able to come off, measure his jump shot, and be able to shoot the ball.
10:06He has four points, but he also has two quick fouls.
10:09Dale Ellis averaged 24.9 points a game in the regular season.
10:12That's eighth in the NBA and was voted the most improved player.
10:17I realize he scored a lot.
10:19I'm not so sure if Ellis was maybe not the most improved player,
10:22but the player who got the most increased amount of playing time in order to show his ability.
10:27Well, I think that's what happens.
10:28Those two sort of go hand in hand.
10:29When you get more playing time, you get an opportunity to show what you can do.
10:32But, you know, in fairness to the Dallas Mavericks, also who trained them,
10:36they've got a Rolando Blackman, who's a big guard there, who's an all-star,
10:39and a Mark Aguirre, who's a small forward.
10:42So they're loaded at the position that Dale Ellis excels at.
10:45Green shooting the one at one.
10:46A.C. Green.
10:53At a playoff career-high 14 rebounds in game number two on Tuesday.
10:57He fits perfectly into this Laker attack.
11:00He's a 6'9 forward that can run.
11:02He loves to rebound.
11:03Very unselfish.
11:04Does not need to score to be happy.
11:10Lakers 16, Sonics 15.
11:126.46 to go first quarter, along with Doug Collins.
11:15This is Bob Neal from the Seattle Coliseum.
11:17Looks like they're going to try to get Chambers going here.
11:19He is not.
11:23Chambers penetrates.
11:24He's fouled.
11:25Will go to the line.
11:26So important for the big three of this team to get going offensively.
11:31During the regular season, Bob, the three players, Xavier McDaniel, Chambers, and Dale Ellis,
11:38all average 20 points a game.
11:40They were the only team in the league that have three guys average 20 points a game.
11:43In this series, none of them are averaging 20 points a game.
11:46The high man is Xavier McDaniel at 19, 18 for Chambers and 16 for Ellis.
11:51So as the scores have gone down, the three players who have not been able to get their points
11:56have been the three big players for the Seattle Supersonics.
11:59We've been talking about free throws.
12:02A.C. Green has made, he's four out of four.
12:04All his points have come from the free throw line.
12:06Sonics, this is only the fourth free throw.
12:09We'll keep track of that because the free throws have made a difference in the game.
12:14The Sonics have hit more field goals than the Lakers in the two losses,
12:18but the Lakers have a big advantage from the free throw line.
12:21It's tied at 16.
12:24Abdul-Jabbar against Lucas.
12:29As he backs in, the foul.
12:31That'll be the third foul against Nate McMillan if that's who they're calling it against.
12:34The foul is at Lucas.
12:36It's on Lucas.
12:37It could have been on McMillan.
12:38He was pounding away at his wrists.
12:40I thought they called it on Nate McMillan at first.
12:42Let's take a look at Kareem.
12:44They're not going to go at him until he puts it on the floor.
12:46Now when he puts it on the floor, look at what happens.
12:49The Sonic defense really goes at him.
12:52That's what I was talking about a while ago.
12:54When you play Kareem, if you don't go at him and double team him before he puts it on the floor,
12:59he will pick you apart with his passing.
13:01Once he puts it on the floor, he's so big that you can go down and get a piece of him,
13:05and that's normally what teams try to do.
13:07Double him on dribble.
13:10Eddie Johnson checks into the ball game at the guard position for the Seattle Supersonics,
13:15former Atlanta Hawk player.
13:17Having a good playoff series for Seattle.
13:20Eight and a half points in about 16 minutes a game.
13:23It's perfect from the free throw line in the first two games.
13:32Chambers with an air ball.
13:34Lucas breaks up the pass.
13:37It'll belong to Seattle.
13:40Boy, you got to credit Maurice Lucas that time.
13:42His floor balance was so good that if he had not been back there,
13:46Worthy would have had a breakaway dunk.
13:48Worthy will sneak out.
13:49He will not defensive rebound.
13:51So when Chambers shoots the ball, he's going to run out and put the pressure on his other teammates
13:55to try to rebound the ball and look long for him.
13:58Shot clock down to 10 seconds.
14:04Johnson penetrating.
14:05Looking like the Eddie Johnson of old.
14:08Count the basket.
14:09He'll go to the line.
14:11Played his way back into the league through the CBA trails this year.
14:16Great move here by Eddie Johnson.
14:18Eddie going strong to his left.
14:20The foul and he continues on to the basket with the left hand.
14:24Eyes on the target.
14:25Great concentration.
14:26Eddie Johnson in his prime was one of the most difficult guys in the league to guard.
14:30He was so quick off the dribble.
14:32Plus he could also hit the outside jump shot.
14:35That foul was on Cooper.
14:37Russ Chaney has checked into the game for Seattle now.
14:40Xavier McDaniel back in the game.
14:43The guards are Kevin Williams and Eddie Johnson.
14:48Abdul-Jabbar, the skyhook.
14:51Abdul-Jabbar.
14:52You let him get his rhythm and that is money in the bank.
14:55Lakers by one.
14:56We have 5.22 to go first quarter.