2020 NBA CHAMP LA LAKERS v. 1995 SEATTLE SUPERSONICS
Lakers: 52-19, 1st Pac Div, 11th Off/3rd Def
d. Blazers West 1st Rnd 4-1
d. Rockets West Semis 4-1
d. Nuggets West Finals 4-1
d. Heat West Finals 4-2
#52 overall seed
d. '74 Celtics (2-0, LeBron 2 PotG)
d. '08 Jazz (2-0 Davis/LeBron)
d. '71 Bucks (2-0 Davis/LeBron)
Regional Final: '02 Spurs (2-0 LeBron/Davis)
Coach: Frank Vogel, Asst Jason Kidd, Lionel Hollins
Starters:
C Dwight Howard 34 7.5 PPG 18.7 PER 5.4 WS .7
F Anthony Davis 26-Kentucky 26.1 27.4 11.1 5.4
F LeBron James 35 25.3 25.5 9.8 6.1 VORP
G Rajon Rondo 33-Kentucky 7.1 12.4 1.4 .2
G Kentavious Caldwell-Pope 26-Georgia 9.3 11 3.7 .5
Rotation Reserves:
C Javale McGee 32-Nevada 6.6 19.4 4.7 1
F Kyle Kuzma 24-Utah 12.8 12.2 2 -.2
F Danny Green 32-UNC 8 10.8 3.4 1.1
G Alex Caruso 25-Texas A&M 5.5 10.8 2.3 .5
G Avery Bradley 29-Texas 8.6 8.9 1.5 -.2
Leaders: LeBron: 1st Assts, 1st Assts/Gm, 5th +/-, 3rd VORP, 1st Asst%, 2nd Trip Doub, 1st Team All NBA
Davis: 3rd Blocks, 3rd Blocks/Gm, 4th PER, 4th WS, 3rd WS/48, 4th Def Rtng, 5th Block %, 1st Team All NBA
Howard 5th Def Rtng, 3rd Off Reb %
The Covid Champs were just okay offensively, but had the third best defense in 2020; The King is 35, he and 26 year old Anthony Davis both cross 25 PER. Both were All Stars and Davis was All Defense first team; LeBron won the NBA Finals MVP. The Lakers are undefeated. There's Danny Green - he's already advanced twice with the Spurs, if the Lakers win this series, Green will be on 3 of the 4 teams to have advanced to the Elite 8.
Sonics: 57-25, 2nd Pac Div, 2nd Off, 10th Def
Lost Lakers West 1st
#61 overall seed
d. '95 Magic (2-0, Kemp/Gill PotG)
d. '19 Warriors (2-1, GP/Detlef)
d. '92 Bulls (2-1, Kemp/GP)
Regional Final: d. '89 Pistons (2-0 Kemp)
Coach: George Karl
Starters
C Sam Perkins (33 North Carolina) 12.7 PPG 16.2 PER 8.5 Win Shares 2.9
F Shawn Kemp (25 Trinity Valley) 18.7 21.7 10.6 2.5
F Detlef Schrempf (32 Washington) 19.2 20.3 12.9 4.7
G Gary Payton (26 Oregon St) 20.6 21.3 11.7 5.2 VORP
G Kendall Gill (26 Illinois) 13.7 15.2 4.6 1.4
Rotation Reserves
C Bill Cartwright (37 San Francisco) 2.4 4 .2 -.5
F Byron Houston (25 Oklahoma St) 3.4 13.8 .5 -.2
F Vincent Askew (28 Memphis) 9.9 13.6 4.6 .8
G Nate McMillan (30 NC St) 5.2 13.1 5.1 2.9
G Sarunas Marciulionis (30) 9.3 14.2 2.3 .3
Leaders: Kemp (3rd Rebounds, 4th Reb%, 2nd Team All NBA
Payton (2nd Steals, 3rd Steals/Gm, 2nd Team All NBA
Schrempf (3rd 3PT %, 2nd True Shooting, 1st Off Rating, 4th Off WS, 5th WS, 4th WS/48, 3rd Team All NBA
McMillan (5th Steals/Gm, 2nd Steal% 1st Def +/0)
Perkins (2nd TO%, 3rd Off Rating)
Here's the '95 team; 3 starters have 20+ PER and double digit WS, Detlef is 32, Payton's 26, Kemp's 25 - they were all named to the All Star Team. Payton was first team all defense; 30 year old McMillan second team. We just saw the '97 Sonics fall in the Region 3 Final, they get one more shot here. This club had a truly stunning Rounds 2/3, knocking off the Curry/Durant Warriors and Jordan's Bulls. The Sonics are the last 90s team standing and they face an unbeaten LA squad a quarter century ahead of them.
Matchup:
C Perkins (Sonics)
F AD (Lakers)
F Push
G GP (Sonics)
G Gill (Sonics)
Bench: Lakers
Gm 1 : LA: Staples Bill MacDonald/Bill Walton
1Qtr
9 Lakers 14 Sonics 10
Lakers AD, Rondo, AD, Howard, Howard, LeBron, KCP
Sonics Detlef, Detlef(3) Kemp, GP(3)
6 Lakers 17 Sonics 15
Lakers Howard(3)
Sonics Gill, Perkins(3)
LA is a defense first club, but we are looking at some points so far.
3 Lakers 23 Sonics 21
Lakers AD(1) Rondo, McGee
Sonics Kemp, Perk, McMillan
1Score Lakers 35 Sonics 27
Lakers LeBron(3) Davis, Green(3) Bradley, Caruso
Sonics Sarunas, Detlef, Askew
The Covid Lakers are undefeated and LeBron/Davis might be too much for a mid 90s Sonics team.
2Qtr
9 Lakers 41 Sonics 35
Lakers Caruso, Caruso, McGee
Sonics Houston, Perk, Houston, McMillan
6 Lakers 51 Sonics 42
Lakers KCP(3) LeBron(3) LeBron, Davis
Sonics Detlef(1) Kemp, Kemp, Kemp
LeBron's got 10.
3 Lakers 62 Sonics 45
Lakers LeBron(3) AD, LeBron, LeBron, Howard
Sonics Detlef(1) Gill
HScore Lakers 73 Sonics 52
Lakers Howard, McGee, LeBron(3) AD, AD
Sonics GP(3) Perk(3) Houston(1)
LA is too much; 18 for LeBron; 15 for Davis.
3Qtr
9 Lakers 77 Sonics 55
Lakers McGee, Kuzma
Sonics Detlef(1) Cartwright
6 Lakers 82 Sonics 57
Lakers Howard, Bradley(3)
Sonics Detlef
Yikes. Seattle will try again in game 2.
3 Lakers 94 Sonics 61
Lakers Caruso, Howard(1) AD, LeBron, Bradley(3) Bradley
Sonics Perk, Gill
3Score Lakers 99 Sonics 65
Lakers LeBron(3) Caruso
Sonics GP, Gill
Lakers will cruise home.
4Qtr
9 Lakers 105 Sonics 73
Lakers Howard, Green, KCP
Sonics GP, Gill, Gill, Detlef
6 Lakers 113 Sonics 80
Lakers AD, LeBron(3) LeBron(1) Caruso
Sonics GP, Kemp(3) Detlef
3 Lakers 117 Sonics 86
Lakers LeBron, LeBron
Sonics Kemp, Sarunas(1) Detlef(3)
FScore Lakers 129 Sonics 104
Lakers AD, AD, AD, Cacok, Waiters, Cacok
Sonics Kemp, Houston(3) Sarunas(3) Wingfield(3) Houston, Sarunas, Houston(3)
Never a game - the Covid Lakers just blast their way through game 1
LeBron: 33 pts/8 boards/9 assists-Player of the Game
AD: 25 pts/15 boards
Howard: 16 pts/16 boards/5 blocks
Bradley: 10 pts
Caruso: 12 pts
Detlef: 19 pts/10 boards
Kemp: 17 pts/14 boards
Perkins: 12 pts/9 boards/5 assists
GP: 12 pts/7 assists
Gill: 12 pts/5 boards
Houston: 13 pts
Gm 2 LA: Staples Bill MacDonald/Bill Walton
1Qtr
9 Sonics 6 Lakers 4
Lakers LeBron, AD
Sonics Kemp, Detlef, Gill
6 Sonics 14 Lakers 8
Lakers LeBron, Rondo
Sonics Gill, GP, Kemp, GP
The favorite in each series has won all their home games. LA is undefeated, that's a lot of trends in their favor.
3 Sonics 26 Lakers 15
Lakers McGee, LeBron(3) AD
Sonics Kemp, GP, Detlef(3) GP Gill(3)
1Score Sonics 32 Lakers 22
Lakers Caruso(3) LeBron, KCP
Sonics Detlef, Houston, Gill
Great start for a Sonics team that was noncompetitive in game one.
2Qtr
9 Sonics 33 Lakers 29
Lakers AD, Green(3) Howard
Sonics Askew(1)
6 Sonics 42 Lakers 35
Lakers Green, Howard, KCP
Sonics Perk, Detlef, GP, Perk(3)
10 for Gary Payton
3 Sonics 47 Lakers 46
Lakers Green(3) LeBron, Howard, AD, Kuzma
Sonics Perk, Perk(3)
HScore Lakers 55 Sonics 47
Lakers KCP, Caruso, Howard, LeBron(3)
Sonics
Killer end to the half - LA outscores the Sonics by 15 in the last 6.
3Qtr
9 Lakers 69 Sonics 54
Lakers Rondo(3) Howard,McGee, Bradley(3) Rondo, Kuzma
Sonics Perk, Detlef, Perk(3)
6 Lakers 74 Sonics 58
Lakers Rondo, Caruso(3)
Sonics Detlef, GP
Its done - ultramodern basketball too much for the 90s.
3 Lakers 76 Sonics 61
Lakers Caruso
Sonics Houston(1) Askew
3Score Lakers 84 Sonics 70
Lakers Green(3) McGee, AD(3)
Sonics McMillan(3) GP, GP, Kemp
16 for Payton, double digit deficit.
4Qtr
9 Lakers 92 Sonics 79
Lakers AD, LeBron, Lebron, AD
Sonics Kemp, Perk(3) Kemp, Gill
6 Lakers 99 Sonics 84
Lakers AD(1) Lebron, KCP, AD
Sonics Detlef, Gill(3)
Kemp fouls out - LA will win game 2.
3 Lakers 111 Sonics 97
Lakers Howard, LeBron, AD, LeBron, Rondo, THT
Sonics Gill, Detlef, Gill, Detlef(3) GP, Wingfield
FScore Lakers 125 Sonics 110
Lakers Morris, Waiters, Waiters, Waiters, Waiters, Cacok, Cacok
Sonics Askew(1) Sarunas, Askew, Wingfield, Askew(3) Sarunas(3)
Just not a contest. Lakers rolling.
LeBron: 24 pts/11 assists-Player of the Game
AD: 20 pts/7 boards
Rondo: 11 pts/5 boards
Howard: 12 pts/6 boards
Caruso: 10 pts
Green: 11 pts
Perkins: 18 pts
GP: 18 pts/8 assists/5 steals
Detlef: 20 pts/7 boards/7 assists
Gill: 18 pts
Kemp: 12 pts/10 boards
Gm 3: Seattle: Tacoma Dome Kevin Calabro/Clyde Frazier
1Qtr
9 Lakers 7 Sonics 4
Sonics Gill, Perk
Lakers Howard(1) Howard(3) Rondo(3)
6 Lakers 15 Sonics 6
Sonics Perk
Lakers LeBron, Rondo, Rondo, Howard
This might be the final NBA game ever played in Seattle.
3 Sonics 20 Lakers 17
Sonics Kemp, Kemp, Perk(3) Perk(3) Kemp, Kemp
Lakers LeBron
1Score Sonics 27 Lakers 20
Sonics GP, detlef, Cartwright(1) Houston
Lakers Davis(3)
Seattle's defense really stiffens, giving up 5 pts in 6 min
2Qtr
9 Sonics 34 Lakers 28
Sonics Askew, GP, Houston(3)
Lakers Green(3) LeBron(3) Davis
6 Sonics 38 Lakers 38
Sonics Detlef, Kemp
Lakers Lebron, McGee, KCP, Kuzma, Howard
LeBron's got 11 - LA trying to sweep.
3 Lakers 46 Sonics 40
Sonics Sarunas
Lakers LeBron, leBron, Lebron, AD
HScore Lakers 49 Sonics 42
Sonics Detlef
Lakers McGee, LeBron(1)
The Lakers trying to maintain that undefeated record and sweep their way into the Elite 8. 17 for the King.
3Qtr
9 Lakers 58 Sonics 54
Sonics Houston, GP, Gill, GP, GP(3)
Lakers Rondo(3) Bradley, Howard, Rondo
6 Sonics 67 Lakers 62
Sonics Kemp, Detlef, GP(3) Sarunas, Kemp, Gill
Lakers LeBron, Caruso
10 for Gary Payton opens the half and Seattle comes back to take the lead.
3 Sonics 73 Lakers 68
Sonics GP, Perk, Detlef
Lakers KCP(3) AD, Bradley(1)
3Score Sonics 79 Lakers 75
Sonics GP, Kemp, Kemp
Lakers AD, Rondo(3) LeBron
Kemp with 8 in the third - Seattle trying to match the game 3 result in the prior 3 series.
4Qtr
9 Sonics 90 Lakers 83
Sonics Detlef, GP, Perk(3) Detlef, Detlef
Lakers LeBron(1) Howard, Howard, KCP(3)
6 Sonics 96 Lakers 87
Sonics Detlef, Sarunas, Kemp
Lakers LeBron, AD
Is this about to happen again? The underdog team loses game 1-2 on the road, comes back and wins game 3 at home - and then the series ends.
3 Sonics 102 Lakers 90
Sonics Detlef, Gill, Gill
Lakers McGee(3)
FScore Sonics 108 Lakers 99
Sonics Kemp, Detlef, Perk
Lakers Lakers(3) Waiters(3) LeBron(3)
The unbeaten Lakers are no more - Seattle takes game 3 and we are in the same spot as the prior 3 series.
Kemp: 22 pts/15 boards-Player of the Game
Perkins: 17 pts/10 boards
Payton: 21 pts/13 assists
Detlef: 22 pts/8 boards
Gill: 10 pts/6 boards
LeBron: 29 pts/11 boards/7 assists
AD: 14 pts/11 boards
Howard: 14 pts/15 boards
Rondo: 15 pts
McGee: 7 pts/12 boards
Gm 4 Seattle: Tacoma Dome Kevin Calabro/Clyde Frazier
1Qtr
9 Lakers 10 Sonics 7
Sonics Gill(3) Kemp, Detlef
Lakers Howard, LeBron, AD, KCP, AD
6 Sonics 17 Lakers 16
Sonics Kemp, Gill, Perk, Gill, GP
Lakers AD, Howard, Howard
Everyone knows the stakes - this is the 4th Sweet 16 series and they have been the same - home teams win games 1-3, the road team ends it in game 4.
3 Sonics 26 Lakers 26
Sonics Perk(3) Detlef, Gill, Kemp
Lakers LeBron, LeBron(3) LeBron, Bradley(3)
1Score Sonics 30 Lakers 30
Sonics Gill(3) Kemp(1)
Lakers AD, McGee
Buckets. 1995 Sonics keeping up with the 2020 Lakers. Buckets.
2Qtr
9 Sonics 39 Lakers 37
Sonics Perk, Perk, Askew, Gill(3)
Lakers Lebron, Lebron, AD(3)
6 Sonics 47 Lakers 47
Sonics Cartwright, Kemp, GP, GP
Lakers Kuzma, KCP(3) Kuzma, Rondo(3)
Great showing by Seattle at home - it would be something if they could force the showdown.
3 Sonics 54 Lakers 53
Sonics Gill, Perk(3) Perk
Lakers Caruso, Caruso, Rondo
HScore Seattle 65 Lakers 60
Sonics Detlef, Gill(3) Kemp(1) Gill, Detlef(3)
Lakers Green(3) AD, KCP
10 2nd qtr pts for Kendall Gill - the Seattle SuperSonics are a half away from sending this series back to 2020.
3Qtr
9 Sonics 74 Lakers 68
Sonics Detlef, Kemp, Perk(3) Kemp
Lakers Howard, Bradley, LeBron, McGee
6 Sonics 85 Lakers 75
Sonics Detlef(1) Kemp, Perk, Gill, Perk, Detlef
Lakers AD, Howard, LeBron(3)
The 2nd best offense in 1995 is really taking it to the Lakers in Seattle.
3 Sonics 91 Lakers 81
Sonics Gill, Askew, GP
Lakers McGee, KCP, Rondo
3Score Sonics 94 Lakers 85
Sonics GP(3)
Lakers AD, Howard
We are set up for it - 12 more minutes of basketball in Seattle.
4Qtr
9 Sonics 99 Lakers 90
Sonics Houston(3) GP
Lakers Caruso(3) Howard
6 Sonics 101 Lakers 98
Sonics Kemp
Lakers Green, Howard, McGee, Howard
5:54: SEA: Byron Houston battles for a second chance on a Perkins missed 3 and the lead is again 5
5:44: LA: Rondo drives and scores.
5:19: LA: AD drills a 17 footer and the Lakers are w/n 1.
4:08: SEA: Byron Houston baseline J.
3:01: SEA: Perkins 6 footer and it's 5 again.
2:24: LA: KCP top of the key.
1:20 LA: There it is -- KCP triples from the corner and it's 107-107
Payton misses a 3.
KCP misses a triple --- but Dwight Howard is there for the putback and the Lakers are up 2 with under a minute.
Rondo steals the ball -- Anthony Davis banks one home at 17 seconds left. It's a 4 point Laker lead.
LeBron hits a FT, Perkins hits a FT. Ballgame Series.
FScore: Lakers 112 Sonics 108
Seattle had this game most of the way...but just couldn't find the basket at game end, 14 4th qtr points.
Howard: 20 pts/15 boards/4 blocks-Player of the Game
LeBron: 19 pts/13 assists/9 boards-MVP
AD: 21 pts/8 boards/5 assists
KCP: 14 pts
All Tournament Team 1st Team
C Duncan ('13 Spurs 6 PotG)
F Garnett ('08 Celtics 9 PotG)
F Kawhi ('17 Spurs 7 PotG)
G Kobe ('09 Lakers 6 PotG)
G Harden ('19 Rockets 5 PotG)
All Tournament Team 2nd Team
C Kareem ('80 Lakers, 6 PotG)
F Duncan ('04 Spurs 7 PotG)
F LeBron ('20 Lakers 7 PotG)
G Rose ('11 Bulls 3 PotG)
G Magic ('80 Lakers 3 PotG)
