| Jerome James; The Sonics “X-Factor” In Win Over Detroit Authored by Hunter Johannason - March 5, 2005 - 3:25 am
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The Seattle SuperSonics rode to a stunning 95-87 victory on the shoulders of their sometimes sluggish big man in the middle. Jerome James had his best scoring night of the season shooting 8-10 from the field and finishing with 16 points. More importantly, he finished with 7 rebounds and 3 blocks, one of them a monstrous swipe that blocked a crucial shot in the final minutes of the game to help seal the victory, leading the Sonics to a 41-16 record while knocking the Pistons down to 36-21 on the season.
With Ray Allen having quite possibly his worst shooting performance of the season, shooting a hideous 3-17, the rest of the Sonics stepped up to help the Sonics to a gritty victory over a very tough Detroit Pistons who continue to improve as they look for a championship repeat. A great sign to know that even when your leading scorer is struggling to find his rhythm, you can still pull together and defeat a world-class team like the Pistons.
Jerome James, whom the Pistons announcers compared to Robert Parish for some reason, was everywhere the Sonics wanted him to be. His footwork was solid and his jumper was very pretty. Gone was the James of old, who would make an incredible move one time down the court, and dribble off his foot after traveling the next. James had full confidence in his game and the Sonics did as well, going to him early and often. He started with a travel, almost as if to get his goofiness out of the way early, however, from there he was all business screaming for the ball while posting hard.
So what is next for James? Will he bring the same intensity and fundamentals to Sunday’s game versus the Sonics new arch-rival, the Phoenix Suns? Or will he return to his usual lackadaisical self? One thing is for certain, when James wants to play, he can really change the game. With the Sonics playing as well as they are already, shooting, passing, crashing the boards, a solid big-man who can score down low and block shots with some regularity would leave them virtually unbeatable.
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