Seattle-Portland Game Thread

Pregame: After a great national anthem from young Kyra Smith, the starters are being introduced by PA announcer Matt Pitman. I thought the Portland squad might hear a few boos - the Seattle-Portland rivalry being what it was - but the reception was great, if understated compared to the enormous ovation for Shawn Kemp, playing here at KeyArena for the first time in over five years and for the home team for the first time since 1997.

Portland 15, Seattle 11: We've reached our first timeout and a performance by the Storm Dance Troupe, a bunch of talented kids who have been performing at the Key all summer long.

I've read a lot about the 3BA, but this is my first game, so naturally I'm learning about the game as we go along. Early on, it's evident that one skill that is really emphasized here is man defense. If you get beat by your man, it's going to be very hard for teammates to offer help on defense because there's only two of them and the floor is generally very well spread. That puts athleticism at a premium.

Naturally, that helps create open shots, which along with the fast pace accounts for the high scores we see. I was telling Slick, "First to 160 wins," and he corrected me, saying, "First to 170."

Portland 22, Seattle 21: A little crowd-watching. Storm star Sheryl Swoopes is in the house, sitting courtside with her family. I've also seen Katie Gearlds from the Storm. In addition to Slick Watts, his son Donald is here working with the Seattle team. Watts was scheduled to play at one point, but was unable to play. He's still supporting former UW teammate Jamie Booker.

Seattle 40, Portland 34 (end first quarter): After trailing early, the home team really dominated the latter stages of the first quarter, going on a 14-3 run at one point to take a nine-point lead. The advantage is six after one period. Jermaine Blackburn and Rashad Powell really gave Seattle a big boost off the bench, scoring a combined 17 points. Rob Day, Western Oregon's all-time leading scorer, has been keeping Portland in the game with his shoooting. DAy has a trio of three-pointers and 12 points.

Seattle 47, Portland 43: On the sidelines for Portland is long-time NBA standout A.C. Green, famous as the league's iron man, with the longest consecutive-games streak in NBA history. Green has played a key role in the 3BA as more than just a coach, attracted by the possibilities of the 3-on-3 game. I asked him about coaching in the 3BA, and Green explained that it's important to have players who understand the game.

"Every possession, I call a play, but the main thing is, I've only got one play," Green joked.

Seattle 51, Portland 50: Shawn Kemp has been playing well, giving us occasional glimpses of the Reignman who once inhabited KeyArena. Even if he was struggling, however, Kemp probably wouldn't have to worry about playing time. The Seattle head coach is Kemp's brother-in-law, Jasen Thomas (a former standout himself at O'Dea and Central Washington). Kemp has done some coaching with the Seattle team, but wanted to play tonight in front of the Seattle fans.

Seattle 72, Portland 61: Heard in the crowd: "Hey, Thunder Dan!" That was directed at Rob Day, who really does bear a striking resemblance to former Suns star Dan Majerle - and shoots like him too.

Once again, Seattle is pulling away with the benches in the game. Rashad Powell has been outstanding, scoring a game-high 21 points thus far. With six players on the rosters, rotations are very different. 3BA founder Kevin LuBahn told reporters before the game that he anticipates seven-player rosters when the game develops into a franchise league format.

Seattle 76, Portland 66: Looking around the crowd again. Long-time NBA center James Edwards is here. At the last timeout, fan favorite Ben Simon - better known as "the KeyArena Ballerina" danced at midcourt. I haven't seen "Seattle's Biggest Sports Fan," Big Lo, but I hear his distinctive whistle after free throws.

Seattle 78, Portland 66 (halftime): Jermaine Blackburn ends the first half with a tip-in at the buzzer and Seattle will take a 12-point lead to the locker room. We'll see what adjustments A.C. Green has at halftime to get his team going.

After a performance by the former Dunking Ushers, some halftime stats. Rashad Powell leads all scorers with 21 points on 7-of-12 shooting. Five of the six Seattle players are in double-figures. Jermaine Blackburn also has 17 points off the bench. Shawn Kemp has 10 points and a team-high nine rebounds.

On the Portland side, five Rob Day threes have made him the team's leading scorer with 18 points. J.S. Nash had 10 of his 15 points in the second quarter, and David Jackson also has 15 points. C.J. Giles is the game's high rebounder with 10 as well as four points.

Seattle 94, Portland 78: Since halftime, Seattle has continued to pull away, leading by as many as 18 points. Looking again at the halftime box, the teams combined for just 14 turnovers despite the fast pace of play. Players don't generally get out of control or sloppy and the well-spaced floor makes gambling on defense somewhat more difficult. All of the rules encourage constant end-to-end action, and we've really seen the crowd respond well to that, getting in the game. That's consistent with what LuBahn has seen at all five stops on this summer's 3BA tour.

"It's been phenomenal," he said before the game. "It's a tough road to get fans into the building, because when they hear 3-on-3, they first thing they think is, 'It must be halfcourt and outside.' There are some obstacles you have to overcome, but I can guarantee, every fan that has been in this door and seen this game has been excited and they love it.

"Sustainability is really key to get the fans. If we can stay around long enough, fans love it. Everywhere we've gone has seen an increase. We had nearly 4,000 fans in Memphis. It's been real good."

Seattle 97, Portland 82: If your last name is Day and you're a lights-out shooter, your nickname pretty much has to be "All Day," right? I just noticed Rob has that tattooed on his left arm.

Seattle 99, Portland 85: I don't know if any fan amongst the good-sized crowd in attendance tonight is going to go home empty-handed. Tons of giveaways are being sent their way, including t-shirts, mini-basketballs and much more.

Seattle Head Coach Jasen Thomas personally responded to fans encouraging him to put Kemp back in the game, telling them, "There's still a quarter left!" with a smile on his face.

Seattle 105, Portland 93: Don't call it a comeback - at least not yet - but Portland has scored six unanswered points to pull back within 12 and draw a Jasen Thomas timeout. C.J. Giles had one of the buckets and now has joined Shawn Kemp with double-doubles in the game. Giles, a Seattle native and Rainier Beach product, is playing for Portland tonight because of his ties to Oregon State. Four of the six players on the roster are Beavers, as is Head Coach A.C. Green. Giles is hoping to get an invite to an NBA training camp next fall, having played summer-league ball for the Toronto Raptors.

Seattle 113, Portland 100: As we head to the final 11 minutes of play, Portland is still within striking distance, trailing by 13 points. David Jackson has gotten it going and now has 27 points. He and Seattle's Rashad Powell, who leads all players with 32, are just pure scorers. Powell isn't a guy who wows you athletically, but he puts the ball in the basket consistently.

Seattle 121, Portland 110: Portland continues to walk the lead down, getting big-time scoring from David Jackson. The former Duck now has 34 points and it's an 11-point game. Shawn Kemp is headed back in the game for Seattle. A Portland timeout gives the 3BA Dance Team (with experience dancing for the Sonics) a chance to take the floor for the fans.

Pretty much everyone is enjoying the up-and-down action of the 3BA, but the exception is the people to my left, the stats crew. They're having a hard time keeping up with the constant scoring.

Seattle 132, Portland 129: Looks like we're going to have a great finish. Portland has gotten as close as one point before Jamie Booker's layup a moment ago. With 3:57 left to play, this is anybody's game.

Portland 134, Seattle 132: With 2:54 to go, the I-5 rivals have taken their first lead since the score was 20-18 Portland mdiway through the first quarter. Jamaal Miller is going to the line for two shots to try to tie it up. Seattle has been plagued with turnovers down the stretch. Rashad Powell is back in for Seattle on the wing.

Seattle 141, Portland 138: It's obvious the crowd wants the Reignman to be the hero in this close game, groaning as he's missed some free throws and roaring their approval as he hit the go-ahead floater in the lane and then knocked down a free throw to give Seattle a three-point lead. After a J.S. Nash layup, Rashad Powell answered at the other end. With Seattle getting a stop and retaking possession, it remains a three-point game with 51.2 seconds on the clock.

Seattle 142, Portland 141 (FINAL): Wow, wild finish to this game as David Jackson brought Portland within one with a three-pointer. Portland then got a stop and had a transition opportunity to win the game. David Jackson dribbled upcourt, waited, waited and then went up for the shot ... only to see the ball slip out of his hands. The KeyArena crowd exploded as the buzzer sounded, offering a standing ovation. What a thrilling ending.

Final Stats: David Jackson led all scorers with 43 points, while J.S. Nash scored 35 for Portland. C.J. Giles had 15 rebounds and 14 points, while Nash and Jackson both handed out six assists. Seattle got 34 points apiece from Jamaal Miller and Rashad Powell, who shot 12-of-12 from the field. Four Seattle players had double-doubles, including Kemp, who finished with 25 points and 16 rebounds. Jamie Booker led all players by handing out eight assists.

Media Update: We had a chance to chat with Shawn Kemp after the game. He discussed how much he enjoyed the 3BA experience, adjusting to the style of the game in the second half. Kemp was also dealing with some rust. He broke his right (shooting) wrist while jogging and did not shoot a ball for six weeks while wearing a cast on the wrist. That, he said, explained his missed free throws down the stretch. Kemp was 5-of-14 from the line for the game. "I've never missed so many free throws in my life," he said of the Shaq-esque performance. Kemp has managed to stay in shape as he prepares to go over to play in Italy this season.

Also, J.S. Nash shared that the ball was just wet and slipped out of Jackson's hands on his final shot. Tough break for Portland, but it allowed the Seattle fans to go home happy.

Final Thoughts: As excited as he was about tonight's game and wrapping up this year's Exhibition Tour, 3BA creator Kevin LuBahn really lit up when he discussed the possibilities for next year and beyond. Based on what I saw tonight, the potential for this format is obvious. As it has throughout the tour, the crowd responded with tremendous energy as this game came down to the wire and Seattle pulled it out. The style of play truly puts players' skills and athleticism on display, and you can see how the quality will only grow as the competition improves.

Remember that if you missed tonight's game, you can catch it on FSN Northwest this Sunday at 6 p.m., Monday at Noon and Sunday, Aug. 31 at 3 p.m.

Watching Tonight's Game

FSN is in the house to broadcast tonight's game, and you can catch the coverage three times in the next week:

Sunday, Aug. 24 - 6 p.m.
Monday, Aug. 25 - 12 p.m.
Sunday, Aug. 31 - 3 p.m.

Former Sonics radio play-by-play announcer Matt Pinto has the call, with Seattle basketball legend Slick Watts offering color analysis. Check out 3BA excitment on FSN!

Tonight's Rosters

Seattle

NO  PLAYER              Pos    HT   College
11  Jamaal Miller        G    6-1   Green River
22  Jamie Booker         G    6-4   Washington
32  Jermaine Blackburn   G    6-6   Boise State
15  Rashad Powell        F    6-7   Idaho
33  Jackie Jones         F    6-9   Oklahoma
41  Shawn Kemp           F    6-10  Alief Elsik

Portland

NO  PLAYER              Pos    HT   College
23  J.S. Nash            G    6-2   Oregon State
32  David Jackson        G    6-5   Oregon
 5  Rob Day              G    6-5   Western Oregon
31  David Lucas          F    6-8   Oregon State
 3  Marcel Jones         F    6-8   Oregon State
10  C.J. Giles           F    6-11  Oregon State

Nash, Jackson and Lucas will start for Portland. No word yet on Seattle's starters.

Seattle 3BA Liveblog

Hey 3BA fans, check back during tonight's 3BA game between Seattle and Portland at KeyArena for a liveblog showcasing the excitement of 3BA action. Join us starting at 7:30 p.m. for the blog.