--Unlike earlier this season, Seattle coach P.J.Carlesimo seems unwilling to let young players like Johan Petro, Jeff Green and Mickael Gelabale struggle in the final minutes of games with the Sonics still having a chance to win.
Against Minnesota, Petro, Green and Gelabale sat out the entire fourth quarter and the overtime, as Carlesimo played veterans Nick Collison and Damien Wilkins -- guys who are more experienced in dealing with end-of-game situations. "I'm not going to sit there when they're not competing," Carlesimo said about playing the young guys. "If they're missing shots or making mistakes and playing hard, that's okay. But when it's looks to me that they're not competing hard, then no. You need to know how to compete first, and then will worry about the other stuff."
QUOTE TO NOTE: "It's important if we build something from it. It doesn't mean a thing if we don't do a good job in the next six games." -- Seattle coach P.J. Carlesimo, on winning the first game of the team's seven-game road swing.
