One Flush for Monday

[FlushingHearts]

Lakers on a back to back....Kobe just getting over the flu and loggins 35+ mins in a squeaker vs the Grizz..... Bynum goes down grabbing his knee and a Sonic team that has had trouble scoring as of late.. X-rays on Bynum negative, but he's not on the team flight to Seattle.

All adds up for a under play. My thought here is that score should be around 105-90 or so in favor of the Lakers, but those offensive rebounds and FT percentage that Bynum brings to the team goes away when Kwame Brown starts.. Kwame also has some of the worst hands in the NBA and that should account for a couple turnovers. But he still is a defensive presence to block and alter shots as well as secure those defensive rebounds. Without Bynums post presence, this turns into a jump shooting contest between both teams.



Lakers/Sonics under 209 1/2 (4 unit play)

[manmythlegend]

gl Flushing, i'll be looking into playing the under in this one as well

[Underdog88]

GL today Flushing... I've been on the Sonics team under for 4 straight games & haven't lost, thinking about playing it again

[FlushingHearts]

Yeah... SEA failed to reach 100 in 8 of last 9. They have a way of playing ugly and making the other team win ugly. Sort of like how my Clips were earlier in the year. As long as they stay around their season average of 43%, this one should stay under, might talk myslef into adding a unit or 2 later.

GL

[FlushingHearts]

Sonics get good news, twice
Wilcox returns after four losses; Lakers' Bynum will miss game
By GARY WASHBURN
P-I REPORTER

The Sonics, sagging badly after a six-game losing streak, received some positive news Sunday when power forward Chris Wilcox returned to practice.

Wilcox is expected to play Monday night against the Sonics' old Pacific Division rival Los Angeles Lakers, who will be shorthanded themselves.

The Lakers lost center Andrew Bynum to a sprained right knee in the second half of Sunday's victory over the Memphis Grizzlies and he did not travel with the team to Seattle.

That will be a break for the Sonics, who have struggled against Bynum. He scored 12 points and grabbed 10 rebounds in just 26 minutes Nov. 27 in a Lakers victory in Los Angeles, and entered Sunday's game tied for the NBA lead in field-goal percentage (63.4).

Wilcox, who suffered a dislocated right pinkie in a 104-96 loss in Phoenix on Jan. 3, looked uncomfortable at times during Sunday's practice. But he declared himself ready to play against the Lakers, facing an arduous matchup with versatile forward Lamar Odom.

Wilcox will play with his pinkie taped to his ring finger, a possible factor because the injury is to his shooting hand. The Sonics were 0-4 in Wilcox's absence, missing his offensive contributions and energy considerably.

"It's painful to watch, to see that my teammates are out there playing hard and I can't contribute," Wilcox said. "I just want to get back on the court and help my team win.

"It's kind of difficult to shoot with it because it's two fingers taped together. But at the same time, I think it will be all right."

Wilcox feared he would be out of shape after 10 days off. But besides some normal fatigue, he said he was fine after practice.

"I got my wind up a little bit," he said. "My conditioning is straight. I thought it was going to be worse than what it is."

The layoff allowed Wilcox to rest his tendinitis-laden knees and a sore ankle.

"You can see the finger will bother him in some things. He's not 100 percent," Sonics coach P.J. Carlesimo said. "I think he's favoring it a little bit."

INJURY REPORT: Nick Collison suffered a right quadriceps contusion during Friday's loss to the Mavericks and did not participate in full practice. Carlesimo said he is "possible" for Monday night but is expected to start, while Wilcox will come off the bench.

Because of that, Carlesimo had to work Green and Wally Szczerbiak at the power forward position in practice.

Point guard Luke Ridnour practiced with no setbacks from his torn left quadriceps. He is expected to play Monday.

"Luke looked less physically impaired than (Wilcox) did," Carlesimo said. "Neither were in top shape, but they made it through."

[FlushingHearts]

Wilcox and Ridnour are back... but should be a little off with their injuries and lay off. Wilcox's finger won't affect him on the defensive end, but should limit him on offense and FT's. Still liking the under.

GL