Sonics win 101-95 over Blazers; Ridnour adds spark in debut

SPOKANE — Just when the exhibition season had entered its second week and was beginning to spiral from ho-hum to listless, along came Luke Ridnour, a bright, new face in the Sonics' lineup with rookie enthusiasm and unbridled passion.

For the past few days, all the talk around the team has centered on the razor-thin point guard with the curly, mop-top hair, wry smile and "I just wanna play" charm.

He downplayed the importance of his first practice and described last night's NBA exhibition debut as just a beginning of what many in the organization hope will be a long and fruitful professional career.

Ridnour was at times brilliant — affirming why the Sonics drafted him 14th overall — and often reckless as the Sonics bettered Portland for the second time in four days, beating the Trail Blazers 101-95 at the Spokane Arena.

"It felt good to get out there," said Ridnour, who finished with six points on 3-for-4 shooting, one assist, one steal and two turnovers in 13 minutes.

"I wasn't expecting a whole lot," he said. "For a while there I was a little winded, but I knew that would happen."

Ridnour entered the game with 59.7 seconds left in the first quarter, substituting for Antonio Daniels. On his first defensive possession, Ridnour harassed Damon Stoudamire into a turnover along the baseline.

Offensively, the Sonics' guard didn't make a noticeable impact until the starters left the court and reserves Brent Barry, Gonzaga University product Richie Frahm, Reggie Evans and Calvin Booth entered the game.

In their last game, a 88-71 defeat by Golden State, the Sonics bench squandered a first-quarter lead and was chiefly responsible for the loss.

Last night, a much different bench, one that resembled the squad that coach Nate McMillan will likely use during the regular season, continued the momentum created by the starters who built a 26-20 lead.

And Ridnour was at the center of it all.

He whipped a no-look pass through the defense to Evans beneath the basket. He made life easier for Booth, supplying the Sonics' center with an alley-oop dunk early in the second quarter.

"I thought he forced the tempo and kept pressure on their defense by pushing the ball up the floor," McMillan said. "He makes people better. He delivered the ball to a couple of guys where they could put the ball in the basket in rhythm."

Still, Ridnour's best play — the one that had teammates raving long after the game — was a solo act.

Isolated on the right wing against Rasheed Wallace, Ridnour eluded the Trail Blazers' forward with a quick crossover dribble and spin move to score on a reverse layin.

"That was the first time I got to see him play," Frahm said to Gonzaga coach Mark Few, who came into the locker room after the game. "Now, I know why you recruited him so much. Rasheed Wallace who?"

It was only Ridnour's third basket, but it was a play that tied the score at 84, ignited the Sonics bench, the partisan Spokane Arena crowd and highlighted Seattle's comeback.

The Sonics, who committed 23 turnovers, trailed 71-62 late in the third quarter and were on the verge of being blown out.

"We were giving the game away," McMillan said. "I went with a small lineup and just spread the floor and allowed the guards to create and knock down some shots."

From there, the three-point shooters took over.

Rashard Lewis (17 points) connected on 3 of 5 three pointers. Frahm (11 points) was 2 for 4. Vladimir Radmanovic (12 points) was 4 for 8, and Ray Allen (24 points) was 3 for 4.

With president Wally Walker and general manager Rick Sund sitting courtside, McMillan might have sent a message that he wants the front office to retain Frahm, who is one of four free agents on the roster.

When the outcome was in doubt, Frahm played well down the stretch.

The Sonics are expected to trim the roster later in the week, but McMillan isn't sure if the team has enough money to keep a 14th player.