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Allen’s Jesus Like Performance

Authored by Craig Settimo - May 2, 2005 - 4:14 am

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Ray Allen hasn’t been this hot since he played Jesus Shuttlesworth in “He Got Game”. Shooting 60% and posting a career high 45 points Allen has the Sonics on the brink of the second round for the first time since 1998.

Following Allen’s lead the Sonics were able to claw back from an early 19 point deficit to put the Kings and a deafening Arco Arena crowd away.

In Game 3 the Sonics were down 21 early and lost. Sunday they found themselves in a similar position, 19 points behind, but instead of packing it in they rode Allen’s hot hand and put the Kings one game from elimination.

Primarily shooting jump shots, Allen ran the Sacramento defense ragged while using multiple screens to free himself. Sacramento attempted several different defensive fronts but none worked. Allen connected on 17 shots and nailed 6 three-pointers, the final one over 6-11 Brad Miller’s outstretched hands, to put the game out of reach.

This wasn’t only a playoff victory but a wake up call to the rest of the Western Conference. The Sonics are a formidable opponent who will not go quietly. They went into this two-game road trip needing to win one and they did just that.

The Sonics are a young team. They have six players that are playing in the playoffs for the first time. Achieving modest goals- - like winning one on the road- - allows these young players to gain confidence that they can later draw on in future playoff games.

Look for them to come out fast in Game 5, and attempt to put the Kings away for good as they would hate to head down south to Sacramento for Game 6. As Seattle has constantly reminded the Sonics this week, the last time they beat the Kings in the playoffs they made it to the NBA finals.

If Allen keeps shooting like he did Sunday night, a repeat performance could be in the works. That’s something that even Spike Lee couldn’t have dreamt up at the beginning of the season.