1988–89 Seattle SuperSonics season
The 1988–89 NBA season was the Seattle SuperSonics' 22nd season in the National Basketball Association.[1]
| 1988–89 Seattle SuperSonics season | |
|---|---|
| Head coach | Bernie Bickerstaff |
| General manager | Bob Whitsitt |
| Arena | Seattle Center Coliseum |
| Results | |
| Record | 47–35 (.573) |
| Place | Division: 3rd (Pacific) Conference: 4th (Western) |
| Playoff finish | West Conference Semifinals (Lost to Lakers 0–4) |
Stats @ Basketball-Reference.com | |
| Local media | |
| Television | KIRO-TV KTZZ-TV Northwest Cable Sports |
| Radio | KJR (Kevin Calabro) |
In the playoffs, the SuperSonics defeated the Houston Rockets in four games in the First Round, before being swept by the Los Angeles Lakers in four games in the Semifinals.
The Sonics finished nineteenth in the NBA in attendance for the season.
Draft picks
At the 1988 Draft the SuperSonics got the fifteenth overall pick behind the Phoenix Suns. With their first round pick the SuperSonics selected Gary Grant but he would be traded on draft night along with a first-round pick to the Los Angeles Clippers for Michael Cage. In the second round, they selected guard Corey Gaines.
| Round | Pick | Player | Position | Nationality | College |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 15 | Gary Grant (traded to L.A. Clippers) | PG | Michigan | |
| 3 | 65 | Corey Gaines | G | Loyola Marymount |
Roster
| 1988–89 Seattle SuperSonics roster | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Regular season
Season standings
| Pacific Division | W | L | PCT | GB | Home | Road | Div |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| y-Los Angeles Lakers | 57 | 25 | .695 | – | 35–6 | 22–19 | 25–9 |
| x-Phoenix Suns | 55 | 27 | .671 | 2 | 35–6 | 20–21 | 23–11 |
| x-Seattle SuperSonics | 47 | 35 | .573 | 10 | 31–10 | 16–25 | 20–14 |
| x-Golden State Warriors | 43 | 39 | .524 | 14 | 29–12 | 14–27 | 15–19 |
| x-Portland Trail Blazers | 39 | 43 | .476 | 18 | 28–13 | 11–30 | 17–17 |
| Sacramento Kings | 27 | 55 | .329 | 30 | 21–20 | 6–35 | 12–22 |
| Los Angeles Clippers | 21 | 61 | .256 | 36 | 17–24 | 4–37 | 7–27 |
| # | Western Conference | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team | W | L | PCT | GB | |
| 1 | c-Los Angeles Lakers | 57 | 25 | .695 | – |
| 2 | y-Utah Jazz | 51 | 31 | .622 | 6 |
| 3 | x-Phoenix Suns | 55 | 27 | .671 | 2 |
| 4 | x-Seattle SuperSonics | 47 | 35 | .573 | 10 |
| 5 | x-Houston Rockets | 45 | 37 | .549 | 12 |
| 6 | x-Denver Nuggets | 44 | 38 | .537 | 13 |
| 7 | x-Golden State Warriors | 43 | 39 | .524 | 14 |
| 8 | x-Portland Trail Blazers | 39 | 43 | .476 | 18 |
| 9 | Dallas Mavericks | 38 | 44 | .463 | 19 |
| 10 | Sacramento Kings | 27 | 55 | .329 | 30 |
| 11 | San Antonio Spurs | 21 | 61 | .256 | 36 |
| 12 | Los Angeles Clippers | 21 | 61 | .256 | 36 |
| 13 | Miami Heat | 15 | 67 | .183 | 42 |
- z – clinched division title
- y – clinched division title
- x – clinched playoff spot
Record vs. opponents
| 1988-89 NBA Records | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team | ATL | BOS | CHA | CHI | CLE | DAL | DEN | DET | GSW | HOU | IND | LAC | LAL | MIA | MIL | NJN | NYK | PHI | PHO | POR | SAC | SAS | SEA | UTA | WAS |
| Atlanta | — | 3–1 | 4–1 | 4–2 | 4–2 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 1–5 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 5–1 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 6–0 | 4–1 | 2–2 | 2–2 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 3–1 |
| Boston | 1–3 | — | 6–0 | 1–3 | 1–4 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–3 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 2–3 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 2–2 | 5–1 | 3–3 | 3–3 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 2–4 |
| Charlotte | 1–4 | 0–6 | — | 1–4 | 0–4 | 0–2 | 0–2 | 0–4 | 0–2 | 0–2 | 2–2 | 2–0 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 0–4 | 2–4 | 2–4 | 3–3 | 0–2 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–5 |
| Chicago | 2–4 | 3–1 | 4–1 | — | 0–6 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 0–6 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 4–2 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 6–0 | 2–2 | 3–2 | 1–3 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 0–2 | 3–1 |
| Cleveland | 2–4 | 4–1 | 4–0 | 6–0 | — | 2–0 | 2–0 | 3–3 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 5–1 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 2–0 | 3–3 | 4–0 | 2–2 | 3–2 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 2–2 |
| Dallas | 1–1 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 0–2 | 0–2 | — | 3–3 | 0–2 | 1–3 | 1–5 | 1–1 | 3–1 | 0–4 | 6–0 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 1–3 | 2–2 | 2–2 | 5–1 | 2–2 | 4–2 | 1–1 |
| Denver | 2–0 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 3–3 | — | 1–1 | 3–1 | 4–2 | 1–1 | 2–2 | 1–3 | 5–1 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–3 | 2–2 | 3–1 | 3–3 | 2–2 | 3–3 | 1–1 |
| Detroit | 5–1 | 3–1 | 4–0 | 6–0 | 3–3 | 2–0 | 1–1 | — | 1–1 | 1–1 | 4–2 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 2–4 | 4–0 | 0–4 | 5–0 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 5–0 |
| Golden State | 1–1 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 3–1 | 1–3 | 1–1 | — | 1–3 | 1–1 | 5–1 | 2–3 | 4–0 | 0–2 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 2–4 | 2–4 | 2–3 | 3–1 | 2–4 | 2–2 | 1–1 |
| Houston | 1–1 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 5–1 | 2–4 | 1–1 | 3–1 | — | 2–0 | 2–2 | 1–3 | 4–2 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 0–2 | 0–2 | 1–3 | 3–1 | 2–2 | 6–0 | 2–2 | 2–4 | 0–2 |
| Indiana | 1–5 | 3–2 | 2–2 | 2–4 | 1–5 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 2–4 | 1–1 | 0–2 | — | 1–1 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 2–4 | 1–3 | 0–5 | 0–4 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–3 |
| L.A. Clippers | 0–2 | 0–2 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–3 | 2–2 | 0–2 | 1–5 | 2–2 | 1–1 | — | 1–5 | 1–3 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 0–2 | 1–5 | 1–5 | 2–3 | 3–1 | 1–4 | 1–3 | 0–2 |
| L.A. Lakers | 1–1 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 0–2 | 2–0 | 4–0 | 3–1 | 0–2 | 3–2 | 3–1 | 2–0 | 5–1 | — | 4–0 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 3–3 | 5–0 | 5–1 | 3–1 | 4–2 | 1–3 | 1–1 |
| Miami | 1–1 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 0–2 | 0–6 | 1–5 | 0–2 | 0–4 | 2–4 | 1–1 | 3–1 | 0–4 | — | 0–2 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 0–4 | 0–4 | 1–3 | 2–4 | 0–4 | 1–5 | 0–2 |
| Milwaukee | 0–6 | 2–2 | 4–0 | 0–6 | 3–3 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 4–2 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 4–2 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 2–0 | — | 4–1 | 1–3 | 3–1 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 4–1 |
| New Jersey | 1–4 | 1–5 | 4–2 | 2–2 | 0–4 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 0–4 | 0–2 | 0–2 | 3–1 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–4 | — | 2–4 | 1–5 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 0–2 | 1–5 |
| New York | 2–2 | 3–3 | 4–2 | 2–3 | 2–2 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 4–0 | 0–2 | 2–0 | 5–0 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 3–1 | 4–2 | — | 2–4 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 5–1 |
| Philadelphia | 2–2 | 3–3 | 3–3 | 3–1 | 2–3 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 0–5 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 4–0 | 2–0 | 0–2 | 2–0 | 1–3 | 5–1 | 4–2 | — | 0–2 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 4–2 |
| Phoenix | 1–1 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 3–1 | 3–1 | 0–2 | 4–2 | 3–1 | 1–1 | 5–1 | 3–3 | 4–0 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 2–0 | — | 2–3 | 5–1 | 3–1 | 4–1 | 2–2 | 2–0 |
| Portland | 1–1 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 0–2 | 0–2 | 2–2 | 2–2 | 1–1 | 4–2 | 1–3 | 0–2 | 5–1 | 0–5 | 4–0 | 0–2 | 2–0 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 3–2 | — | 3–3 | 4–0 | 2–4 | 0–4 | 1–1 |
| Sacramento | 0–2 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 0–2 | 2–2 | 1–3 | 0–2 | 3–2 | 2–2 | 1–1 | 3–2 | 1–5 | 3–1 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 1–5 | 3–3 | — | 2–2 | 1–5 | 1–3 | 0–2 |
| San Antonio | 1–1 | 0–2 | 0–2 | 0–2 | 0–2 | 1–5 | 3–3 | 0–2 | 1–3 | 0–6 | 0–2 | 1–3 | 1–3 | 4–2 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–3 | 0–4 | 2–2 | — | 0–4 | 1–5 | 1–1 |
| Seattle | 1–1 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 2–2 | 2–2 | 0–2 | 4–2 | 2–2 | 1–1 | 4–1 | 2–4 | 4–0 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–4 | 4–2 | 5–1 | 4–0 | — | 3–1 | 1–1 |
| Utah | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 2–4 | 3–3 | 0–2 | 2–2 | 4–2 | 1–1 | 3–1 | 3–1 | 5–1 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 2–2 | 4–0 | 3–1 | 5–1 | 1–3 | — | 2–0 |
| Washington | 1–3 | 4–2 | 5–1 | 1–3 | 2–2 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 0–5 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 3–1 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 1–4 | 5–1 | 1–5 | 2–4 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 0–2 | — |
Game log
| 1988–89 game log | |
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November
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December
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January
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February
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March
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April
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| 1988–89 season schedule | |
- Green background indicates win.
- Red background indicates loss.
Playoffs
| 1989 playoff game log | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
West First Round vs. (5) Houston Rockets – Seattle wins series 3–1
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West Semifinals vs. (1) Los Angeles Lakers – Seattle lose series 0–4
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| 1989 playoff schedule | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
- Green background indicates win.
- Red background indicates loss.
Player statistics
Note: PG= per game; M= Minutes; R= Rebounds; A= Assists; S = Steals; B = Blocks; P = Points; T = Turnovers; PF = Personal fouls
Season
| Player | Age | Games played | MPG | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | TPG | PFPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Greg Ballard | 34 | 2 | 7.5 | 3.5 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 1.5 | 3.0 |
| Michael Cage | 27 | 80 | 31.7 | 9.6 | 1.6 | 1.2 | 0.7 | 1.6 | 2.3 | 10.3 |
| Mike Champion | 24 | 2 | 2.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.5 | 1.0 | 0.0 |
| Dale Ellis | 28 | 82 | 38.9 | 4.2 | 2.0 | 1.3 | 0.3 | 2.7 | 2.4 | 27.5 |
| Avery Johnson | 23 | 43 | 6.8 | 0.6 | 1.7 | 0.5 | 0.1 | 0.4 | 0.8 | 1.6 |
| Alton Lister | 30 | 82 | 22.0 | 6.6 | 0.7 | 0.3 | 2.2 | 1.4 | 3.8 | 8.0 |
| John Lucas | 35 | 74 | 11.4 | 1.1 | 3.5 | 0.8 | 0.0 | 0.9 | 0.7 | 4.2 |
| Xavier McDaniel | 25 | 82 | 29.1 | 5.3 | 1.6 | 1.0 | 0.5 | 2.6 | 2.8 | 20.5 |
| Derrick McKey | 22 | 82 | 34.2 | 5.7 | 2.7 | 1.3 | 0.9 | 2.3 | 3.2 | 15.9 |
| Nate McMillan | 24 | 75 | 31.2 | 5.2 | 9.3 | 2.1 | 0.6 | 2.8 | 3.1 | 7.1 |
| Olden Polynice | 24 | 80 | 10.4 | 2.6 | 0.3 | 0.5 | 0.4 | 0.6 | 2.1 | 2.9 |
| Jerry Reynolds | 26 | 56 | 13.2 | 1.8 | 1.1 | 0.9 | 0.5 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 7.6 |
| Russ Schoene | 28 | 69 | 11.2 | 2.4 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 0.3 | 0.7 | 2.0 | 5.2 |
| Sedale Threatt | 27 | 63 | 19.4 | 1.9 | 3.8 | 1.3 | 0.1 | 1.2 | 2.5 | 8.6 |
Playoffs
| Player | Age | Games played | MPG | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | TPG | PFPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Michael Cage | 27 | 8 | 21.9 | 5.8 | 0.6 | 0.9 | 0.4 | 1.0 | 1.8 | 7.1 |
| Dale Ellis | 28 | 8 | 38.0 | 4.0 | 1.3 | 1.4 | 0.1 | 2.6 | 2.4 | 22.9 |
| Avery Johnson | 23 | 6 | 5.2 | 0.7 | 0.8 | 0.7 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.2 | 1.8 |
| Alton Lister | 30 | 8 | 20.0 | 4.8 | 0.3 | 0.3 | 2.6 | 1.1 | 3.5 | 7.0 |
| John Lucas | 35 | 4 | 9.3 | 0.3 | 2.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.5 | 1.3 | 2.8 |
| Xavier McDaniel | 25 | 8 | 35.1 | 8.4 | 2.8 | 0.3 | 0.6 | 2.8 | 3.8 | 18.8 |
| Derrick McKey | 22 | 8 | 35.8 | 6.5 | 2.3 | 0.8 | 1.9 | 2.9 | 4.1 | 13.3 |
| Nate McMillan | 24 | 8 | 25.0 | 3.1 | 7.9 | 1.3 | 0.6 | 2.4 | 2.6 | 6.8 |
| Olden Polynice | 24 | 8 | 20.3 | 7.8 | 0.1 | 0.8 | 0.5 | 0.6 | 4.0 | 7.1 |
| Jerry Reynolds | 26 | 4 | 10.0 | 1.3 | 0.3 | 0.5 | 1.5 | 1.0 | 1.5 | 5.5 |
| Russ Schoene | 28 | 3 | 14.3 | 1.7 | 0.7 | 0.7 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 2.3 | 4.3 |
| Sedale Threatt | 27 | 8 | 25.1 | 1.6 | 6.1 | 2.1 | 0.0 | 1.4 | 2.8 | 12.0 |
Awards and records
1989 NBA All-Star Game selections (game played on February 12, 1989)
Non All-Star Awards and records
- Dale Ellis, All-NBA Third Team
- Dale Ellis, January 8 Player of the Week
- Xavier McDaniel, April 23 Player of the Week
Transactions
Additions
| Date | Player | Signed | Former team |
|---|---|---|---|
| August 2, 1988 | Avery Johnson | Free agent | Palm Beach Stingrays |
| September 19, 1988 | John Lucas | Free agent | Milwaukee Bucks |
| October 4, 1988 | Mike Champion | Free agent | N/A (Undrafted) |
| February 13, 1989 | Greg Ballard | 10-day contract | Golden State Warriors |
| February 26, 1989 | Mike Champion | 10-day contract | N/A |
Subtractions
| Date | Player | Reason left | New team |
|---|---|---|---|
| October 25, 1988 | Mike Champion | Waived | N/A |
| October 31, 1988 | Danny Young | Waived | Portland Trail Blazers |
| October 31, 1988 | Corey Gaines | Waived | New Jersey Nets |
Trades
| October 4, 1988 |
To Seattle SuperSonics---- | To Milwaukee Bucks----
|
See also
References
- "1988-89 Seattle SuperSonics". Basketball-reference.com. Retrieved 2012-06-11.
- https://www.basketball-reference.com/coaches/bickebe99c.html