Final
score: Storm 84 – Comets 71 (W) (5-4)
Attendance
|
7756
Anthem
Watch | A couple of Seattle Police officers
doing a duet. At the risk of ensuring a future of endless
tickets and citations — ladies, keep your day jobs.
Fan
Psyche | Why aren't we burying them?
Game
Highlight | LJ in full domination mode.
Halftime
| Dads and Daughters bball skill test.
SF.O
Keyword of the Game | Butterfingers (and I
don't mean the candy bar).
Game
Photos
| Scott
L | Rick
| Scott
E
The
Storm HAD to win this game and it was a little unsettling
that it seemed so hard a task to complete.
Houston
is finally getting a taste of what the rest of the league
has had to live through for season upon season — losing,
disappointment and frustration. They are a team that is down
right now and it's only fitting that their opponents do to
them what they took great delight in doing to us over the
years. Kicking the Comets when they're down comes with a certain
measure of danger, at least right now — being the first
team that they beat.
I
think the Storm were a little tight tonight because they were
a little worried about being that first team. Also, with Barb
Turner's first return to the Key after being dropped like
a hot rock during training camp, I'm sure the Storm were waiting
to see what would happen just like the rest of us.
Well,
the answer to "What Would Barb Do?" was "Not
a whole lot." She didn't torch the Storm. She didn't
light up the stat box at all really. Personally, I was hoping
for some sort of fireworks just so those of us who think cutting
her was wrong could have something to point to and say, "See!"
No fireworks erupted, although she did get a technical foul
in the second half — for what, no one is sure.
In
the real scope of things, it's wrong to see Coach Donovan's
roster moves as a direct trade off between Barb and Fluker/Ely.
The person who really replaced Barb in the rotation is Katie
Gearlds. She too had a quiet game, but I think most of us
agree that Katie will be a consistent scorer... soon. I don't
know that she would be getting the same minutes she's getting
if Barb were still on the team and the one thing that is going
to push Katie's development along is playing time. Barb got
a raw deal, no doubt, but Katie's scoring and well-rounded
ability is something we need. Coach D isn't getting a pass
from me, but I understand her thinking.
Storm
turnovers, slack (at times) interior defense and no real answer
for Maiga-Ba allowed the Comets to keep the game close through
the first two and a half quarters. All of that and the fact
that the Storm couldn't keep their hands on the ball. Time
after time after time, the ball would ping pong off of three
Storm players hands and end up with one of the Comets' players.
It wasn't until the third quarter that the Storm really started
to pull away and build their eventual 18-point lead. With
a little more ball control, it would have been a full-on blowout.
The
high points of the game were watching LJ go crazy for another
30 point game and Betty finally seem to get some of her offense
going. There were a couple of possessions where she held onto
the ball too long and got into trouble, but she was also getting
fouls called and hit on all 9 of her free throw attempts.
For
Houston, it was mostly all bad and it's pretty clear that
Tina Thompson isn't taking the losing streak very well at
all. She's normally one player who is constantly yapping at
the refs. Tonight, she was on them every play, after the play,
during timeouts, during the half, and every other spare minute
she was on the floor. If you ever want to see a player getting
star treatment and being allowed to do things other players
would get technical fouls for, just watch Tina Thompson. How
she's not leading the league in T's and ejections I have no
idea. It is frankly disappointing that a player of her talent
resorts to trying to intimidate the refs to get her way.
And
oh yeah, the refs.
Two
words for you: Roy. Gulbeyan. He pulled something tonight
that had me totally speechless. It was during the second quarter.
The Comets had the ball and were setting up a play with the
Storm on defense. Roy was on the sideline near the half court
line. The new ref, Kogut I think, was on the baseline. Before
the ball ever made it into the post player, Roy was pointing
at Kogut to call a foul on Janell. Sure enough, as soon as
Snow got the ball and Janell went up to guard her, Kogut called
a foul. Just so I'm clear, Roy told Kogut to call a foul on
Janell BEFORE SHE DID ANYTHING. Karen Bryant was livid. Half
the crowd on our side was up and screaming at Roy. I wish
I had a video camera because it was almost too much to believe.
It's frightening to think that Roy is the one training the
new refs. I don't think the league can stand more than one
of him.
The
Storm won the game the were supposed to win and the Comets
suck. Not a bad night.
Other
notes:
Tonight
was Dads and Daughters night, so there were assorted Sonics
and Seahawks players with their daughters at the game. The
timeout and halftime activities were also D&D themed.
They did one of those shooting contests for one timeout and
the score was horribly lopsided. Something like 9-1. Not as
embarrassing as 29-4, but still bad. For the halftime, various
famous fathers played against various daughters in a skills
contest. The daughters won and I think John Curley hurt himself.
I got photos of that.
Fluker
didn't play at all. She did continue her dance moves with
the dance troupe during the player intros.
Byears
was consistently booed during the game — mostly
be me. She also started jawing with some fans who were sitting
under the north basket. I also heard that she flipped off
section 113, although that might have been partially my fault
along with Leighway and BirdJackVodka. The three of us were
in a flipoff-off before the game and I think Byears got caught
in the crossfire and thought it was directed at her. Works
for me.
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