Notebook | Mickael Gelabale can't find consistent minutes

MILWAUKEE — Mickael Gelabale is snared in the trap that tangles many young NBA players, which is how to make the most of limited minutes.

The past seven games illustrate his problem.

In the first three games during that stretch, the second-year Sonics swingman averaged 16.3 points and 29.3 minutes. In the next four games, he averaged 1.7 points and 10.5 minutes. He finished with two points in nine minutes in Wednesday's 118-106 loss to the Milwaukee Bucks at Bradley Center.

"I just want to play how I played a week ago," he said. "In 10 minutes, if I miss my first two shots, then that's it. I'm on the bench."

Sonics coach P.J. Carlesimo is sympathetic to Gelabale's situation. He wants to give Gelabale minutes so the team can properly evaluate the soon-to-be restricted free agent. But the Sonics coach has given reserve Damien Wilkins the bulk of the backup minutes lately.

Carlesimo said Gelabale needs to be more aggressive on both ends of the floor.

"He also needs to be more comfortable on the floor as the intensity of the game escalates," he said. "That's asking a lot."

Gelabale is intent on continuing his NBA career either with the Sonics or another team.

"This is my chance to get a new contract," he said.

Stern on OKC

In an interview with The Oregonian on Tuesday, NBA commissioner David Stern said Oklahoma City is an attractive market to the league because the city proved it could host an NBA team when the displaced New Orleans Hornets played there for two seasons.

"I'm not going to prejudge it," he said. "All I would say is that it has two years of history. It's one of those rare occasions where you have a peek into a city.

"They sold out the Ford Center for two years with the Hornets and as I stand here they just passed, by a margin exceeding 61 percent, a one-cent [tax], the very tax increase that the Speaker of the House said wasn't available from Seattle, just in terms of extension. So they are going to take a building that was adequate and if they get a team, or maybe even if they don't get a team, they are going to bring that into a state-of-the-art arena."

The NBA will decide the Sonics' petition to move to Oklahoma City on April 17-18 at the Board of Governors meeting.

SEATTLE
min		fgm-a	ftm-a	or-t	a	pf	pts
Wilcox	26:32	2-7	3-6	0-5	2	3	7
Green	31:21	4-8	2-2	0-2	3	4	10
Petro	30:35	5-14	1-1	0-15	0	2	11
Watson	34:34	5-9	6-8	1-3	8	2	17
Durant	38:29	9-18	5-6	2-3	2	4	23
Collison	23:15	3-7	4-4	2-9	2	4	10
Wilkins	22:06	7-13	2-4	1-5	1	3	17
Elson	5:30	2-2	0-0	0-1	0	0	4
Marshall	4:41	0-1	0-0	0-0	0	0	0
Ridnour	13:26	2-4	0-0	0-1	1	3	5
Gelabale	9:31	1-3	0-0	1-1	0	0	2
Totals		40-86	23-31	7-45	19	25	106

Percentages: FG .465, FT .742. Three-point goals: 3-8, .375 (Ridnour 1-1, Watson 1-2, Wilkins 1-2, Collison 0-1, Durant 0-1, Green 0-1). Team rebounds: 12. Team turnovers: 14 (21 PTS). Blocked shots: 5 (Green 3, Elson, Gelabale). Turnovers: 14 (Watson 4, Green 2, Petro 2, Ridnour 2, Collison, Durant, Wilcox, Wilkins). Steals: 8 (Durant 3, Green 3, Watson, Wilkins). Technical fouls: None.

MILWAUKEE
min		fgm-a	ftm-a	or-t	a	pf	pts
Villanueva	40:52	12-26	5-5	1-11	3	2	32
Mason	35:45	4-4	8-11	0-3	3	1	16
Bogut	40:57	9-15	3-8	4-13	7	4	21
Ivey	26:55	3-7	3-4	0-3	7	4	9
Redd	28:38	6-14	0-0	1-3	7	1	15
Bell	29:35	7-14	1-2	0-2	5	2	17
Gadzuric	4:18	1-2	0-0	1-2	0	1	2
Simmons	15:28	1-6	0-0	0-1	1	2	2
Storey	9:43	2-5	0-1	0-1	0	3	4
Ruffin	7:49	0-0	0-0	4-6	3	1	0
Totals		45-93	20-31	11-45	36	21	118

Percentages: FG .484, FT .645. Three-point goals: 8-20, .400 (Redd 3-6, Villanueva 3-6, Bell 2-5, Ivey 0-1, Simmons 0-2). Team rebounds: 11. Team turnovers: 12 (11 PTS). Blocked shots: 6 (Bogut 4, Villanueva 2). Turnovers: 12 (Bogut 3, Villanueva 3, Bell 2, Gadzuric, Ivey, Mason, Ruffin). Steals: 8 (Bell 3, Bogut 2, Ivey, Simmons, Villanueva). Technical fouls: None.

Seattle	24	30	29	23 — 106
Milwaukee	39	30	29	20 — 118

Attendance: 15,010 (18,717). Time: 2:20. Officials: Scott Foster, Bennie Adams, Eli Roe.