Seattle (0-7) at Orlando (5-2)

When: 4 p.m., Amway Arena, Orlando, Fla.

TV: FSN. Radio: 770-AM.

Series: The Sonics lost both games to Orlando last season, 88-87 in Orlando, 94-84 in Seattle. However, the Sonics lead the overall series, 22-14.

Scouting the Magic: The top three scorers for the Magic are Dwight Howard (21.3 ppg.), Rashard Lewis (20.6 ppg) and Hedo Turkoglu (19.1), who have combined to average 61.3 points per game. .... Big man Tony Battie is likely out for the season with a torn rotator cuff in his left shoulder. He underwent surgery on Oct. 24. ... Guard J.J. Redick (back spasms) is questionable for tonight’s game. ... Patrick Ewing, who played for the Sonics in 2000-01, is an assistant coach for Orlando. ... Howard has recorded 12 double-doubles dating back to last season.

Orlando head coach Stan Van Gundy said ex-Sonic Rashard Lewis has done a nice job making the transition to the Magic, and that they had to tell him early on to be more assertive offensively.

“He was trying to fit in and be one of the guys,” Van Gundy said. “And we said it in front of the whole team, we didn’t sign you to come in and be just one of the guys.

“And I said the guys who are you’re teammates don’t want you to be just one of the guys either. I mean, you’re here to score points and put the ball in the basket, plus do a lot of other things.

“But he’s been great. I think he understands the responsibility of being a guy that you’re going to go to and a guy that makes that kind of money, in terms of how hard he comes in and works everyday, and in terms of his attitude.”

As far as the game, Van Gundy said the keys for Orlando will be controlling Seattle’s fast-break opportunities, limiting Kevin Durant and Chris Wilcox’s touches and keeping the Sonics off of the boards.

Seattle leads the league in fastbreak points. The Sonics are the fifth-best rebounding team in the league, and are tied for fifth in steals per game.
Listen to the conversation with Van Gundy here.


Scouting the Sonics: Robert Swift will sit out today with soreness in his repaired right knee. Seattle coach P.J. Carlesimo said he is hopeful Swift can go on Wednesday. Swift appeared to be laboring against the Pistons on Sunday, and didn’t play in the second half. With Swift out, Nick Collison probably will start at center.
That leaves a the starting lineup for Seattle tonight of Luke Ridnour (PG), Kevin Durant (SG), Damien Wilkins (SF), Chris Wilcox (PF) and Collison (C.

Carlesimo said he was pleased with the way Ridnour played on his first start, except for the first quarter where Detroit ran out to a 35-20 lead. Carlesimo said the whole starting five played listless in the first quarter.

Ridnour finished with four points, seven assists and two turnovers in 31 minutes.

“I was happy particularly with the way he ran the break, and the way he ran pick-and-rolls,” Carlesimo said. “He didn’t shoot it as well as Luke normally shoots it.”

Listen to the Carlesimo conversation here.

Kevin Durant leads all rookies in scoring at 21.7 points per game. Teammate Jeff Green is fourth among rookies in scoring at 10.4 points a contest. Durant also is tops in minutes played (34.7) and fourth in rebounds (5.4) per game.

“I think the toughest think is just playing against the best defenders in the world each and every night,” Durant said about his first seven games in the league. “So you have to use your counter moves and do things like that to try to get them off of you. I’m still learning how to do that.”

Listen to the Durant conversation here.

Next: Wednesday at Miami, 4:30 p.m., American Airlines Arena.