SEATTLE — Joe Smith scored 25 points in his first game back after missing three with an injury and the Chicago Bulls defeated the Seattle SuperSonics 118-108 on Monday night.
Ben Gordon added 20 points for the Bulls, who won for just the second time in six games.
Kirk Hinrich had 15 points and five assists for Chicago before he left the game in the fourth quarter with bruised ribs. He planned to stay behind and have tests done on the injury as the Bulls went on to Portland for Wednesday’s game.
So much for the Sonics’ season-high three-game winning streak, which came during a spate of unusually good defense immediately after a franchise-record 14 losses in a row. Seattle still hasn’t won four straight since April 2006.
Wally Szczerbiak led the Sonics with 21 points and rookie Kevin Durant added 20.
Chicago interim coach Jim Boylan said he wanted to start Smith, who had been out three games with the flu and a sore knee, because he wanted the 12th-year veteran’s scoring early in games. That is especially true with Luol Deng, the Bulls’ second-leading scorer, still out indefinitely with an Achilles injury.
Joakim Noah had averaged 10 points while starting the previous three games for Smith, but Boylan said he likes Noah’s rookie energy coming off the bench.
Good call.
Smith took advantage of Seattle’s soft defense inside, getting eight points in the first eight minutes. Chicago took the lead off Hinrich’s easy layin off the opening trip, twice building 10-point edges in the opening half behind Smith’s 5-for-8 shooting.
The Sonics never got closer than five after halftime, when Earl Watson made a 3-pointer and Kurt Thomas scored his only basket of the night to begin the second half. Consecutive 3-pointers by Andres Nocioni and Hinrich plus a layup by Smith put the Bulls back up 64-54.
When Seattle got to within 77-71 late in the period, Gordon converted a three-point play and Noah had a tip-in and free throw to make it 82-71.
And when Luke Ridnour’s 3-pointer got Seattle to within 91-84 with 8:41 left, Chris Duhon answered with consecutive, long 3’s — his first two baskets of the game. Smith’s easy layup while roaming free in the lane, off an assist from Gordon, had Chicago cruising 103-91 with four minutes remaining.
Smith was 9-for-18 shooting, after making just 2 of 12 in his previous start, Jan. 27 in a loss to Phoenix.
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