Sonics rock, roll

By Frank Hughes

The News Tribune

PHILADELPHIA – The Seattle SuperSonics set a franchise record by shooting 66.1 percent in their 109-98 defeat of the Philadelphia 76ers at First Union Center on Monday afternoon.

The strange part was this: Nobody on the team seemed to know it.

This was not like that game a month ago at Golden State, when the Sonics made a blistering 20-of-22 shots in a quarter and everybody had to pinch themselves.

No, this record was set in the flow of the game, in an offensive groove, with Gary Payton slicing through the middle, Vin Baker executing moves against Dikembe Mutombo and Rashard Lewis and Desmond Mason effortlessly hitting jumper after jumper.

“I wasn’t even paying attention,” Payton said. “I didn’t even know we shot that high. We were just executing and making shots. Good thing we did it. We played a good game.”

“I don’t think we felt as if we were on that good of a roll,” Brent Barry said.

Believe it, they were. Particularly in the third quarter, when they made 14 of 17 shots (82.4 percent), scored on 18 of their 20 possession, totaled 36 points and shocked a Sixers team that had dominated Seattle on Jan. 4.

This game was in stark contrast to that matchup, when the Sixers (19-21) came into KeyArena and completely dominated both ends of the court, never allowing the Sonics to get into a rhythm.

Monday, in a Martin Luther King Day matinee, Seattle could never get out of its rhythm. It was as if the Temptations were in Sonics uniforms.

The shooting percentage eclipsed the old mark of 64.9 percent, against the Houston Rockets on April 13, 1996.

“I didn’t really think about it,” Baker said. “It all came in the flow. And that’s the great thing about it when you are in a nice flow like that, you don’t really think about it. I think our team knows we are capable of good offensive outbursts like we were tonight, so I don’t think anybody was shocked by it.”

Perhaps nobody in the Sonics’ locker room was, but certainly in Philadelphia’s they were shellshocked.

After all, the Sixers are statistically one of the best defensive teams in the league. They rank first in fewest points allowed per game (88.4) and are third in opponents’ shooting percentage (42.1).

The Sonics, at least for a game, obliterated those trends.

“I think it is a credit to our shooting, and the preparation we had against their defense,” Baker said. “Statistically, they are one of the best defensive teams, but we feel we are one of the best offensive teams, and we showed that.”

Philadelphia’s Allen Iverson scored a game-high 38 points on 14-for-25 shooting, but Payton more than offset that performance with 28 points and 11 assists, his second consecutive double-double.

Baker abused Mutombo inside and out, totaling 20 points and seven rebounds; and Lewis made five of eight 3-pointers to scored 17 points.

Perhaps the most inspirational game was by Mason, who has struggled in recent weeks, particularly with his outside shot.

But with Art Long in foul trouble, the Sonics went small and Mason played 30 minutes off the bench, hitting six of eight shots and scoring 16 points.

“I slowed down before I hurt my knee,” Mason said. “Then when I got back with the brace, I started to go fast again. I think that was part of the problem. But now that I am getting back in a rhythm, I am starting to slow down again. So it’s coming back.”

The victory was especially gratifying because it came on the first game of a four-game trip against Eastern Conference teams that are likely headed to the playoffs.

The win was Seattle’s second consecutive and improved its record to 21-19 as the Sonics begin to establish themselves as a consistent threat every game.

As the final seconds of the game wore down, a fan behind the Sonics’ bench began riding McMillan.

“Sixty-six percent from the field,” the fan yelled. “Nate, you are never going to shoot like that again. Don’t get used to it.”

McMillan usually ignores taunts, but this one was too good to pass up.

“Yeah,” he responded, “but we kicked their (expletive) today.”