Schedule and 2004-05 Results
Regular Season Records: Seattle 52-30, Sacramento 50-32
Game 1 on Saturday, 23 April: Sacramento loses at Seattle, 87-pts-82
Game 2 on Tuesday, 26 April: Sacramento loses at Seattle, 105-pts-93
Game 3 on Friday, 29 April: Seattle loses at Sacramento, 116-pts-104
Game 4 on Sunday, 01 May: Seattle wins at Sacramento, 115-pts-102
Game 5 on Tuesday, 03 May: Sacramento loses at Seattle, 122-pts-118

SERIES NOTES:

After Game 5: In MLB/NBA/NHL best-of-7 playoff series 945 Game 5, the Seattle Supersonics hosted and defeated the Sacramento Kings 122-pts-118, thus defeating the Kings 4-games-1 in series 945. The series 945 win improves Seattle's best-of-7 NBA playoff series record to 11-12 overall and 1-0 in the Preliminary round. The series 945 loss drops Sacramento's best-of-7 NBA playoff series record to 3-5 overall and 2-1 in the Preliminary round. Seattle now owns a perfect 7-0 best-of-7 NBA playoff series record when leading such a series 3-games-1. The win order for series 945 is WWLWW: Series 945 thus becomes the sixth NBA Preliminary round series, the 37th NBA series (all rounds), and the 81st MLB/NBA/NHL series (all rounds) to follow such a win order.

After Game 4: In MLB/NBA/NHL best-of-7 playoff series 945 Game 4, the visiting Seattle Supersonics rebounded from a twelve-point halftime deficit to defeat the Kings in Sacramento, 115-pts-102, and to take a 3-games-1 series 945 lead. In the history of best-of-7 NBA playoff series from 1947 through 2004, inclusive, road teams such as Seattle that trailed by twelve points at halftime had a 3-42 (.067) game record. When leading a best-of-7 NBA playoff series 3-games-1, the Seattle Supersonics have a perfect 6-0 series record and a 2-4 Game 5 record. The Sacramento Kings are trailing a best-of-7 NBA playoff series 3-games-1 for the first time.

After Game 3: In MLB/NBA/NHL best-of-7 playoff series 945 Game 3, the Kings in Sacramento defeated the Seattle Supersonics 116-pts-104, thereby reducing Seattle's series 945 lead to 2-games-1. When leading an NBA best-of-7 playoff series 2-games-1, the Seattle Supersonics have a series record of 8-1 (with an active six-series winning streak) and a Game 4 record of 6-3. When trailing 2-games-1, the Sacramento Kings have a 0-2 series record and a 2-0 Game 4 record. The teams' combined 74 points in the third quarter is the ninth-most third quarter points in best-of-7 format NBA playoff game history.

After Game 2: The Seattle Supersonics improved their MLB/NBA/NHL best-of-7 playoff series 945 lead to 2-games-nil with a 105-pts-93 victory over the visiting Sacramento Kings. When leading a best-of-7 NBA playoff series 2-games-nil, Seattle has a perfect 6-0 series record and a 1-5 Game 3 record. When trailing 2-games-nil, Sacramento has a 0-1 series record and a 0-1 Game 3 record. Seattle led Sacramento in Game 2 by 26 points after three quarters. In the history of best-of-7 NBA playoff games from 1947 through the first games of these 2005 NBA Preliminary round series, teams leading by 26 or more points after three quarters had a 61-0 game record.

After Game 1: Winning their first best-of-7 NBA playoff game since 1998, the Seattle Supersonics hosted and defeated the Sacramento Kings by a score of 87-pts-82, thus taking a 1-game-nil lead in MLB/NBA/NHL best-of-7 playoff series 945. When leading an NBA best-of-7 playoff series 1-game-nil, Seattle has an 8-4 series record and a 6-6 Game 2 record. When trailing such a series 1-game-nil, Sacramento has an 0-2 series record and a 1-1 Game 2 record. In the history of best-of-7 NBA playoff series, only once before has a best-of-7 NBA playoff Game 1 finished with an 87-pts-82 score: In MLB/NBA/NHL best-of-7 playoff series 898 (in the 2003 NBA Quarterfinals), the San Antonio Spurs defeated the Los Angeles Lakers 87-pts-82 -- San Antonio would proceed to win that series ... as well as the 2003 NBA championship.

Pre-series assessment: In the 2004-05 regular season, Seattle finished two games ahead of Sacramento. From 1947 through 2004, when NBA teams led their best-of-7 playoff series opponents by two regular-season games, they have posted a 14-10 (.583) best-of-7 series record in those series against those opponents. MLB/NBA/NHL best-of-7 series 945 is the eighth best-of-7 NBA playoff series for Sacramento, and the 23rd for Seattle. In best-of-7 playoff series, Sacramento has a 3-4 series record, a 2-0 Preliminary-round series record, and a 5-2 Game 1 record (with a current winning streak in Game 1s of four), while Seattle has a 10-12 series record (with a current three-series losing streak), no Preliminary-round record, and a 12-10 Game 1 record. Series 945 is the first best-of-7 meeting between Sacramento and Seattle.