SONICS' TIME TO SHINE
Feb. 28, 2002 -- An under-reported story at this year's All-Star Game was point guard Gary Payton giving all of his Seattle teammates Swiss-made Corum watches for helping him make it to Philadelphia. The inscriptions on the watches read "Thanks for the All-Star assist. -G.P.", and the gesture wasn't lost on Payton's teammates. "It lets you know how he feels about the team's togetherness. He said he feels it's the most family-oriented team he's ever been on," Desmond Mason told NBA.com. So has Payton's gesture of giving helped the Sonics? Considering Seattle's 7-3 record since the midseason break, and their impressive eight-game road winning streak, it's safe to say Payton and his teammates are very much in synch. "(Gary Payton,0) is a teacher, a leader. He's the cornerstone of our team," Mason said about G.P. But has the 33-year-old Payton been able to dodge the effects of Father Time? Season averages of 22.2 ppg, 4.7 rpg and 9.1 apg suggest that Payton's biological clock has plenty of ticks left in it.
--Randy Kim, NBA.com

No ale wszystko co dobre kiedyś się kończy. Sonics przegrali różnicą 2 punktów z Knicks i nie było 9 kolejnego zwycięstwa na wyjeździe :-( Ale ważne żeby teraz dobrze grali bo czekają ich ciężkie mecze: Minnesota, Charlotte, New Yersey, Dallas...