According to early reports from Oklahoma City, the $121 million initiative to upgrade the Ford Center is passing handily at 59 percent.

With 12 of 271 precincts counted, the Yes vote is 2439 yes (59.1 percent) and 1,690 no (40.9 percent)

Some news on Robert Swift. He underwent successful surgery to repair the lateral meniscus in his right knee. His knee will be examined in a week, and he'll begin rehabbing in 10 days.

After a spectacular beginning, the Sonics missed their first 15 shots in the second half. And now only lead 51-47 with 1:36 left.

The Sonics can't play any better than this. They're shooting 81.8 (18-of-22) percent from the field against one of the best defensive teams in the league in Detroit.

Seattle leads 41-28 at the end of the first quarter, the most points the Sonics have scored in an opening quarter this season.

It's pretty much stunned silence and a smattering of boos from the Detroit faithful in The Palace, as the Pistons seemed to have been caught looking forward to a titanic match-up at Boston on Wednesday.

Who would have thought Earl Watson would outplay Chauncey Billup to open the game. Watson finished 5-of-6 in the first quarter for 12 points and three assist, causing one fan behind the Seattle beat reporters to utter, "Who is this guy."

Kevin Durant and Chris Wilcox each have eight points each. And Johan Petro has stepped up, with six points and seven rebounds.

Seattle can't keep this up, so it will be interesting to see what happens when Detroit starts to play, which you know will happen.

Same starters for Seattle tonight, with Earl Watson, Kevin Durant, Jeff Green, Chris Wilcox and Johan Petro starting.

Chauncy Billups, Richard Hamilton, Rasheed Wallace, Antonio McDyess and Tayshaun Prince will start for the Pistons.

Still no word from the Oklahoma City vote today. I've been told the first result will come in about 5:30 p.m. Pacific Time, when absentee votes are counted, so I'll let you know more when I more information.

With only 24 games left and not much to look forward to except the NBA draft in June, who will Seattle take in the lottery this season? ESPN’s mock draft lottery machine set up by Chad Ford attempts to answer that question.

The machine scrambles up the 2,184 possible scenarios and spits out its prediction every time you push the “play lottery” button.

I went through 10 different scenarios, and the Sonics actually got the No. 1 pick and chose consensus first pick Kansas State’s Michael Beasley three out of 10 times, even though the Sonics only have an 11.9 percent chance of getting the No. 1 pick.

Seattle got the second pick twice, and took Memphis guard Derrick Rose. The Sonics got the third overall pick three times, and the fifth pick twice, each time taking Texas A & M center DeAndre Jordan, a raw, physical 7-footer who can clog the middle, but needs to work on his post-up game.

The picks make some sense, because the Sonics scouting staff has taken a close looks at Rose and Jordan. It would be interesting if the Sonics got the No. 1 pick because Beasley and Durant are similar players, and I’m not sure how they would mesh together, particularly with Jeff Green also in the mix at a wing spot.

The New Tribune columnist Dave Boling wonders aloud with the Sonics on is current, 7-game road trip, folks at home are getting a small taste what it would be like for the team to be gone permanently.

The Seattle Sonics have a cool new Web site.

ESPN’s Bill Simmons continues his effort to help Sonics fans find solutions to keep the team here.