From Deseret News archives:
Lewis just too tall for Jazz
Forward admits that comeback surprised the Sonics, too
That's the advantage Rashard Lewis had over whatever defender the Jazz threw at him as he scored 16 points in the fourth quarter and helped the SuperSonics storm back from a 22-point deficit to beat the division champs.
Lewis made five of six shots over the final 12 minutes, including 3-of-4 3-point shooting, on his way to an impressive 35 points. None, though, was bigger than a 13-foot fade-away jumper with Matt Harpring all over him defensively
"He didn't have a lot of room," Seattle coach Bob Hill said. "He hit that shot with Harpring right in his face — but he's 6-10."
Harpring is 6-foot-7. And those three inches — about the same advantage Lewis had over Ronnie Brewer, Paul Millsap or Gordan Giricek — were all the red-hot shooter needed.
"I was able to shoot over the defense," Lewis said. "I was in my rhythm. With my length and my height, I was able to get it over him."
Trailing by 20 when the fourth quarter started, the lottery-bound Sonics decided to give it one last run. Hill sat starting power forward Chris Wilcox in favor of 5-10 sub Mike Wilks. The small-ball lineup gave Seattle a much-needed energy burst.
Utah's 87-67 advantage slowly evaporated.
"I said 'let's give it five minutes and see if we could get it to 10' (points,)" Hill said. "I just had to find somebody with energy. We didn't have any energy in the first half."
Lewis said the win was a satisfying, and surprising, one.
"I pretty much thought that this game was going to be over," he said. "But we cut it to 10, so he left us in there and we kept rolling."
With Wilks and starting point guard Earl Watson pushing the tempo, the Sonics lowered the boom on Utah in a game they had no business winning.
"This game means nothing to us," Hill said, "except to go and force your way on a game just to win ... They introduced them as division champs before the game, so we just beat the division champs."
That fact wasn't lost in the Sonics' locker room, either.
"Congrats to them," Lewis said. "They'll be playing in the postseason and we'll be home watching."
Seattle outscored the jazz by 23 points in the final quarter, snapping a 4-game losing streak including a 112-109 loss at home to the Lakers less than 24 hours before tipping off against the Jazz.
E-mail: jeborn@desnews.com
