Wilcox aids Seattle’s win in L.A.
LOS ANGELES – Chris Wilcox missed the boat transporting the Los Angeles Clippers to the playoffs. Now he’s with the Seattle SuperSonics, who are staying home this year.
But that’s all right with the four-year veteran, because he’s getting a chance now to establish himself as an NBA regular. And with his ability, the Sonics may not be too far from being a playoff team themselves.
Wilcox had nine points and eight rebounds to supplement Ray Allen’s 21 points, and Seattle ruined the Clippers’ final regular-season home game with a 114-98 rout Sunday.
“I just want to win, and that’s better than me playing a great game,” Wilcox said. “I’ve been able to step up and do some of the same things that I could have done if I was here, so this was a great opportunity for me. I wasn’t going to get the minutes here because I was playing behind Elton Brand, and he’s an All-Star. So they found a spot where I could go and be successful.”
Brand had 22 points and seven rebounds for Los Angeles, which finished its home schedule with a 27-14 record – the same as last season. The loss prevented the Clippers from completing a four-game season sweep, which would have been their first against Seattle.
Wilcox, who was picked by the Clippers eighth overall in the 2002 draft, played against his former teammates for the first time since the Feb. 14 trade that sent him to Seattle in exchange for Vladimir Radmanovic.
Wilcox didn’t play against them in Friday’s 101-97 loss at Seattle because of a sprained right foot.
“He wasn’t doing the Clippers any good sitting on their bench, so it’s better they sent him to us so that we can use him to get rebounds for us and be able to finish,” Allen said.
Radmanovic had eight points in 20 minutes for the Clippers, who are 16-15 since the trade and are headed to the playoffs for the first time since 1997. Seattle is 14-15 since acquiring Wilcox, and will miss the postseason for the third time in four years.
Sonics 114, Clippers 98
| FG | FT | Reb | |||||
| SEATTLE | Min | M-A | M-A | O-T | A | PF | PTS |
| RasLewis | 28:41 | 4-9 | 6-6 | 1-3 | 5 | 2 | 15 |
| Wilcox | 32:08 | 4-7 | 1-3 | 0-8 | 1 | 1 | 9 |
| Petro | 22:37 | 4-6 | 2-2 | 1-3 | 0 | 4 | 10 |
| Allen | 30:01 | 7-15 | 3-3 | 0-7 | 6 | 2 | 21 |
| Ridnour | 27:29 | 7-11 | 2-3 | 0-1 | 7 | 1 | 17 |
| Collison | 24:16 | 8-9 | 3-4 | 2-5 | 3 | 2 | 19 |
| Watson | 24:47 | 3-8 | 2-4 | 2-4 | 5 | 2 | 9 |
| Moore | 8:16 | 2-2 | 1-1 | 0-1 | 0 | 1 | 5 |
| Wilkins | 19:19 | 1-3 | 4-6 | 0-2 | 1 | 1 | 6 |
| Felix | 8:43 | 0-3 | 1-2 | 1-2 | 0 | 3 | 1 |
| Wilks | 13:43 | 0-1 | 2-4 | 0-0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| Totals | 240:00 | 40-74 | 27-38 | 7-36 | 29 | 20 | 114 |
Percentages: FG .541, FT .711. 3-Point Goals: 7-16, .438 (Allen 4-8, Ridnour 1-2, Ras.Lewis 1-3, Watson 1-3). Team Rebounds: 9. Team Turnovers: 12 (17 PTS). Blocked Shots: 6 (Wilcox 2, Moore, Petro, Ridnour, Watson). Turnovers: 12 (Felix 2, Ras.Lewis 2, Watson 2, Wilks 2, Allen, Petro, Ridnour, Wilcox). Steals: 10 (Ras.Lewis 3, Allen 2, Watson 2, Felix, Wilcox, Wilks). Technical Fouls: Defensive Three Second, 10:54 second.
| FG | FT | Reb | |||||
| L.A. | Min | M-A | M-A | O-T | A | PF | PTS |
| Singleton | 23:14 | 1-2 | 0-0 | 1-3 | 1 | 3 | 2 |
| Brand | 26:48 | 7-13 | 8-9 | 4-7 | 1 | 2 | 22 |
| Rebraca | 23:52 | 2-5 | 3-4 | 1-3 | 0 | 1 | 7 |
| Ross | 13:35 | 2-4 | 1-2 | 0-2 | 1 | 1 | 5 |
| Cassell | 24:17 | 4-12 | 4-4 | 2-7 | 7 | 2 | 12 |
| Radmanovic | 21:32 | 3-10 | 0-1 | 1-1 | 4 | 4 | 8 |
| Livingston | 29:20 | 7-9 | 4-4 | 2-2 | 3 | 3 | 18 |
| Ewing | 19:19 | 1-4 | 1-2 | 0-0 | 2 | 3 | 3 |
| Baker | 15:52 | 1-3 | 3-4 | 0-5 | 2 | 1 | 5 |
| N’Dong | 18:21 | 1-5 | 0-0 | 2-7 | 3 | 2 | 2 |
| McCarty | 13:33 | 5-8 | 1-2 | 1-3 | 1 | 1 | 12 |
| Korolev | 10:17 | 1-2 | 0-0 | 1-3 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| Totals | 240:00 | 35-77 | 25-32 | 15-43 | 26 | 23 | 98 |
Percentages: FG .455, FT .781. 3-Point Goals: 3-8, .375 (Radmanovic 2-4, McCarty 1-3, Singleton 0-1). Team Rebounds: 6. Team Turnovers: 16 (16 PTS). Blocked Shots: 5 (Brand 2, Baker, Ross, Singleton). Turnovers: 16 (Brand 3, Baker 2, McCarty 2, N’Dong 2, Singleton 2, Cassell, Ewing, Radmanovic, Rebraca, Ross). Steals: 7 (Baker, Cassell, Ewing, Livingston, Radmanovic, Ross, Singleton). Technical Fouls: None.
| Seattle | 38 | 29 | 33 | 14—114 |
| L.A. Clippers | 27 | 24 | 23 | 24—98 |
A—18,268 (18,964). T—2:16.