Final score: Storm 82 – Comets 69 (W) (1-0)

Attendance | 9686

Anthem Watch | High school jazz choir

Fan Psyche | Monkey on our backs? What monkey?

Game Highlight | THe last 15:01 of the game and the 44-9 Storm run.

Halftime | That Chinese bowl woman.

SF.O Keyword of the Game | WWBTD?

Game Photos | Scott L | Rick | Scott E

Dear Mr. Bennett,

I hope you had a good time last night. I hope you got an eyeful and an earful. I hope after going to lackluster Sonics’ games for the last few months, you finally understand what exciting basketball can be in KeyArena. I also hope the larger lesson from this game isn’t lost on you.

The Storm was down by 22 points with 15 minutes left in the game against an opponent that for the last 2 seasons has utterly owned them. Did the Storm give up and decide to cut their loss, or did they make some adjustments, feed off the power of the fans and transform the game from an embarrassing loss to a statement-making win?

At the risk of imbuing more meaning into a basketball game than is warranted, I think you and the whole Sonics & Storm organization is sitting at 5:01 left in the third quarter of this game. You are down and facing some damn long odds, but so what. It can be done. A win is still — and always has been — possible. The beginning of your game made you look like you were still in the preseason, trying to find your way and not coming up with a combination that got you anything in return. You made some small changes, but got beat down hard and now face a deficit that seems almost insurmountable.

The Storm won this game by making bold plays, relying on their strengths in Sue Bird and Lauren Jackson and giving the crowd, who has always been on their side and were eager to explode in support with any sign of success, an opportunity to drown out the Comets.

It’s time for you to make bold moves. It’s time for you to take the opportunities you have to not only find a home for both teams in this area, but to do it in a way that is a win for everyone — you, the organization, the fans and the city.

One last thing. What you saw last night is not something you will see in Oklahoma City if you move the Storm there — not for years, at least, and most probably never. The excitement, the passion and the energy that you saw last night is not something you can recreate, relocate or force into being. The Storm belongs here. Period.

Thank you for coming to the game. I hope you find time to be here for the playoffs. Personally, I have a very good feeling about how that is going to turn out.

Scott Engelhardt
Stormfans.org

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