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1997–98 Seattle SuperSonics season

NBA professional basketball team season From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

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The 1997–98 NBA season was the 30th season for the Seattle SuperSonics in the National Basketball Association.[1] During the off-season, the SuperSonics acquired All-Star forward Vin Baker from the Milwaukee Bucks in a three-team trade,[2][3][4] re-acquired former Sonics guard Dale Ellis from the Denver Nuggets,[5][6][7] and signed free agents Jerome Kersey,[8][9] and Greg Anthony.[10][11]

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The SuperSonics got off to a fast start with a 13–3 record, after posting a 7-game winning streak in November, despite losing Kersey to a stress fracture in his left foot, as he only played just 37 games.[12][13] The team posted an 8-game winning streak between December and January, winning 29 of their first 35 games of the regular season,[14] then later on holding the league's best record before the All-Star break with a 37–10 record.[15] The SuperSonics finished tied in first place in the Pacific Division along with the Los Angeles Lakers with a 61–21 record, and earned the second seed in the Western Conference;[16] the team also qualified for the NBA playoffs for the eighth consecutive year.

Baker averaged 19.2 points and 8.0 rebounds per game, while Gary Payton averaged 19.2 points, 8.3 assists and 2.3 steals per game, led the SuperSonics with 134 three-point field goals, and was named to the All-NBA First Team, and to the NBA All-Defensive First Team. In addition, Detlef Schrempf provided the team with 15.8 points, 7.1 rebounds and 4.4 assists per game, while Ellis played a sixth man role off the bench, averaging 11.8 points per game along 127 three-point field goals, while shooting .464 in three-point field goal percentage, and Hersey Hawkins contributed 10.5 points and 1.8 steals per game along with 125 three-point field goals. Sam Perkins contributed 7.2 points per game off the bench, and starting center Jim McIlvaine led the team with 1.8 blocks per game.[17]

Baker and Payton were both selected for the 1998 NBA All-Star Game in New York City, New York, with head coach George Karl coaching the Western Conference.[18][19][20] Payton finished in third place in Most Valuable Player voting, while Baker finished in eighth place;[21][22] Payton also finished in second place in Defensive Player of the Year voting,[23][22] while Baker finished tied in eighth place in Most Improved Player voting,[22] Ellis finished in third place in Sixth Man of the Year voting,[24][22] and Karl finished tied in fifth place in Coach of the Year voting.[25][22]

In the Western Conference First Round of the 1998 NBA playoffs, the SuperSonics struggled as they trailed 2–1 to the 7th-seeded Minnesota Timberwolves,[26][27][28] but managed to win the series in five games.[29][30][31] In the Western Conference Semi-finals, the SuperSonics faced off against the 3rd-seeded Lakers, winning Game 1 at home, 106–92.[32][33][34] However, they would lose the next four games to the Lakers, thus the series.[35][36][37]

Two weeks after their elimination, Karl was fired as head coach in late May,[38][39][40] then was hired three months later by the Milwaukee Bucks,[41][42][43] while long-time Sonics guard Nate McMillan retired after only playing just 18 games this season due to knee surgery.[44][45][46] Also following the season, Perkins signed as a free agent with the Indiana Pacers,[47][48][49] while Kersey signed with the San Antonio Spurs,[50] Anthony signed with the Portland Trail Blazers,[51] McIlvaine was traded to the New Jersey Nets,[52][53][54] and David Wingate signed with the New York Knicks.[55]

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  GP Games played   GS  Games started  MPG  Minutes per game
 FG%  Field-goal percentage  3P%  3-point field-goal percentage  FT%  Free-throw percentage
 RPG  Rebounds per game  APG  Assists per game  SPG  Steals per game
 BPG  Blocks per game  PPG  Points per game

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Player Statistics Citation:[17]

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