1988–89 Seattle SuperSonics season

The 1988–89 Seattle SuperSonics season was the 22nd season for the Seattle SuperSonics in the National Basketball Association. The SuperSonics had the 15th overall pick in the 1988 NBA draft, and selected point guard Gary Grant from the University of Michigan, but soon traded him to the Los Angeles Clippers in exchange for Michael Cage. During the off-season, the team signed free agent John Lucas.

With the addition of Cage, the SuperSonics won their first three games of the regular season, but then lost five of their next six games afterwards. The team soon recovered and played above .500 in winning percentage for the remainder of the season, posting a six-game winning streak in January, and later on holding a 28–18 record at the All-Star break. However, the SuperSonics posted a seven-game losing streak between March and April, but then posted an eight-game winning streak afterwards, finishing in third place in the Pacific Division with a 47–35 record, and earning the fourth seed in the Western Conference.

Dale Ellis averaged 27.5 points and 1.3 steals per game, led the SuperSonics with 162 three-point field goals, and was named to the All-NBA Third Team, while Xavier McDaniel played a sixth man role off the bench, averaging 20.5 points and 5.3 rebounds per game, and second-year forward Derrick McKey became the team's starting small forward, averaging 15.9 points, 5.7 rebounds and 1.3 steals per game. In addition, Cage provided the team with 10.3 points and 9.6 rebounds per game, while Sedale Threatt contributed 8.6 points and 3.8 assists per game, Alton Lister provided with 8.0 points, 6.6 rebounds and 2.2 blocks per game, Nate McMillan averaged 7.1 points, 5.2 rebounds, 9.3 assists and 2.1 steals per game, and Jerry Reynolds contributed 7.6 points per game.

During the NBA All-Star weekend at the Houston Astrodome in Houston, Texas, Ellis was selected for the 1989 NBA All-Star Game, as a member of the Western Conference All-Star team; it was his first and only All-Star appearance. Ellis scored 27 points as the Western Conference defeated the Eastern Conference, 143–134. In addition, Ellis also participated in the NBA Three-Point Shootout for the fourth consecutive year, and won the competition. McDaniel finished in fifth place in Sixth Man of the Year voting, while McKey finished tied in seventh place in Most Improved Player voting.

In the Western Conference First Round of the 1989 NBA playoffs, the SuperSonics faced off against the 5th–seeded Houston Rockets, who were led by the trio of All-Star center Akeem Olajuwon, Otis Thorpe and Sleepy Floyd. The SuperSonics won the first two games over the Rockets at home at the Seattle Center Coliseum, but then lost Game 3 on the road, 126–107 at The Summit. The SuperSonics won Game 4 over the Rockets on the road, 98–96 to win the series in four games.

In the Western Conference Semi-finals, the team faced off against the top–seeded, and 2-time defending NBA champion Los Angeles Lakers, who won the Pacific Division title; the team was led by the quartet of All-Star guard, and Most Valuable Player of the Year, Magic Johnson, All-Star forward James Worthy, Byron Scott, and All-Star center Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. The SuperSonics lost the first two games to the Lakers on the road at the Great Western Forum, before losing the next two games at home, including a Game 4 loss to the Lakers at the Seattle Center Coliseum, 97–95, thus losing the series in a four-game sweep. The Lakers would advance to the NBA Finals for the third consecutive year, but would lose to the Detroit Pistons in a four-game sweep in the 1989 NBA Finals.

The SuperSonics finished 19th in the NBA in home-game attendance, with an attendance of 456,765 at the Seattle Center Coliseum during the regular season. Following the season, Lister was traded to the Golden State Warriors, while Lucas signed as a free agent with the Houston Rockets, and Reynolds was left unprotected in the 1989 NBA expansion draft, where he was selected by the Orlando Magic expansion team.