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Sonics Dominate Celtics In Fourth Straight Victory

Associated Press

Since this is the NBA, there wasn’t much time for the Seattle SuperSonics to enjoy their biggest victory ever over the Boston Celtics.

They had a plane to catch. But Sonics coach George Karl tried to put his team’s 124-85 win Friday night in perspective.

“Right now, we’re very focused at the defensive end of the court and really playing well,” Karl said.

The Pacific Division leaders improved their Key Arena record to 13-1 before opening a seven-game road trip in Phoenix on Saturday night.

“We’ve got to win three or four of these games, and we can,” Karl said. “But we’re going to have to play hard. We have to play well, too.”

In Seattle’s fourth straight victory, Gary Payton scored 26 points, Shawn Kemp 24 and Hersey Hawkins 20. Kemp had 13 rebounds and five blocked shots, while Payton had nine assists.

“Gary and Shawn are playing great and Hersey is playing super,” Karl said.

Rick Fox topped the Celtics, who lost their third straight, with 14 points.

Neither Payton nor Kemp played in the final quarter as Seattle made it six wins in its last seven games and 10 victories in 12 starts.

For Kemp, the fourth-quarter rest was more significant than Seattle’s lopsided triumph.

“That was the most important thing,” Kemp said. “For us to get some rest in the fourth quarter. I think that’ll be important tomorrow night.”

Seattle is only 6-7 on the road this season.

“It’s going to be a difficult task for us, but we’re feeling pretty confident,” Nate McMillan of the Sonics said.

Seattle’s 39-point margin of victory was its largest ever against the Celtics, whom they beat by 33 points in 1977. Boston shot only 33 percent (30-of-90), the lowest by a Sonics opponent this season.

The Celtics entered the game averaging 106.7 points, highest in the NBA this season. The 85 points equalled their season low.

“You want to play right away after a game like this,” the Celtics’ Dana Barros said. “Seattle is a good team for us to emulate. They run the ball, but they also play great defense.”

Barros scored only nine points, but made a 3-pointer to extend his league record of making a 3-pointer to 83 consecutive games.

Led by Kemp’s 12 points, the Sonics broke the game open in the third quarter, taking an 86-66 advantage.

The Celtics lost their starting center, Eric Montross, a minute into the third period when teammate Rick Fox accidentally hit him with a finger in the right eye on a scramble under the Seattle basket. Montross came back late in the third quarter, but went into the locker room at the end of the period and did not return to the game.

When Hawkins connected with a free throw with 4:42 left in the third quarter, Seattle was in front 78-52.

Payton had 20 points by halftime as Seattle outscored the Celtics 19-6 in the final 4:41 of the first half for a 56-42 advantage.

The Sonics led only 37-36 in the second quarter when Hawkins made back-to-back 3-pointers and Vincent Askew followed with a 5-footer for a 45-36 lead.

MEMO: This sidebar appeared with the story: SuperSonics 124, Celtics 86 FG FT Reb BOSTON Min M-A M-A O-T A PF Pts Fox 24 6-15 1-2 3-4 2 3 14 Radja 32 4-12 2-4 3-6 2 1 10 Montross 14 0-1 0-0 2-2 0 1 0 Barros 32 4-9 0-0 0-2 2 4 9 Brown 25 3-8 3-4 1-4 0 2 10 Day 35 6-17 0-0 4-6 4 3 12 Ellison 23 0-8 5-6 5-10 0 3 5 Wesley 22 3-7 5-6 1-4 1 5 12 Lister 5 0-0 2-4 2-3 0 1 2 Minor 19 3-8 0-0 1-3 0 4 6 Smith 2 1-2 0-0 1-1 0 0 2 Burrough 7 0-3 3-4 1-2 0 0 3 Totals 240 30-90 21-30 24-47 11 27 85 Percentages: FG .333, FT .700. 3-Point Goals: 4-17, .235 (Wesley 1-2, Fox 1-2, Brown 1-3, Barros 1-4, Minor 0-2, Day 0-4). Team Rebounds: 8. Blocked shots: 5 (Radja, Day, Ellison, Lister, Minor). Turnovers: 23 (Radja 5, Day 4, Barros 3, Fox 2, Burrough 2, Montross, Brown, Ellison, Wesley, Lister, Minor, Smith). Steals: 10 (Day 4, Barros 2, Wesley 2, Radja, Brown). Technical fouls: None. Illegal defense: None. FG FT Reb SEATTLE Min M-A M-A O-T A PF Pts Kemp 31 9-14 6-9 4-13 0 4 24 McMillan 22 2-3 0-0 1-4 4 3 5 Perkins 22 4-7 3-3 1-6 3 2 12 Hawkins 31 7-11 4-5 1-3 2 1 20 Payton 32 9-16 7-10 2-4 9 2 26 Askew 23 3-4 1-1 2-3 1 1 7 Wingate 17 1-6 2-2 0-1 0 3 4 Brickowski 17 2-3 2-2 0-2 3 2 6 Johnson 19 2-5 1-1 1-13 1 2 5 Snow 10 1-3 0-1 0-0 3 1 2 Ford 8 2-4 4-4 2-3 0 4 8 Scheffler 8 2-5 1-1 2-2 0 3 5 Totals 240 44-81 31-39 16-54 26 28 124 Percentages: FG .543, FT .795. 3-Point Goals: 5-14, .357 (Hawkins 2-4, McMillan 1-2, Perkins 1-2, Payton 1-3, Wingate 0-1, Brickowski 0-1, Scheffler 0-1). Team Rebounds: 5. Blocked shots: 9 (Kemp 5, McMillan 3, Johnson). Turnovers: 23 (Hawkins 6, Kemp 5, Askew 3, Wingate 3, Ford 2, Payton 2, Brickowski, Snow). Steals: 13 (Payton 3, Perkins 2, Hawkins 2, Askew 2, Kemp, McMillan, Brickowski, Snow). Technical fouls: Illegal defense, 8:20 fourth. Illegal defense: 1. Boston 23 19 24 19 - 85 Seattle 26 30 30 38 - 124 A-17,072 (17,072). T-2:25. Officials-Hue Hollins, Bill Spooner, Greg Willard.

This sidebar appeared with the story: SuperSonics 124, Celtics 86 FG FT Reb BOSTON Min M-A M-A O-T A PF Pts Fox 24 6-15 1-2 3-4 2 3 14 Radja 32 4-12 2-4 3-6 2 1 10 Montross 14 0-1 0-0 2-2 0 1 0 Barros 32 4-9 0-0 0-2 2 4 9 Brown 25 3-8 3-4 1-4 0 2 10 Day 35 6-17 0-0 4-6 4 3 12 Ellison 23 0-8 5-6 5-10 0 3 5 Wesley 22 3-7 5-6 1-4 1 5 12 Lister 5 0-0 2-4 2-3 0 1 2 Minor 19 3-8 0-0 1-3 0 4 6 Smith 2 1-2 0-0 1-1 0 0 2 Burrough 7 0-3 3-4 1-2 0 0 3 Totals 240 30-90 21-30 24-47 11 27 85 Percentages: FG .333, FT .700. 3-Point Goals: 4-17, .235 (Wesley 1-2, Fox 1-2, Brown 1-3, Barros 1-4, Minor 0-2, Day 0-4). Team Rebounds: 8. Blocked shots: 5 (Radja, Day, Ellison, Lister, Minor). Turnovers: 23 (Radja 5, Day 4, Barros 3, Fox 2, Burrough 2, Montross, Brown, Ellison, Wesley, Lister, Minor, Smith). Steals: 10 (Day 4, Barros 2, Wesley 2, Radja, Brown). Technical fouls: None. Illegal defense: None. FG FT Reb SEATTLE Min M-A M-A O-T A PF Pts Kemp 31 9-14 6-9 4-13 0 4 24 McMillan 22 2-3 0-0 1-4 4 3 5 Perkins 22 4-7 3-3 1-6 3 2 12 Hawkins 31 7-11 4-5 1-3 2 1 20 Payton 32 9-16 7-10 2-4 9 2 26 Askew 23 3-4 1-1 2-3 1 1 7 Wingate 17 1-6 2-2 0-1 0 3 4 Brickowski 17 2-3 2-2 0-2 3 2 6 Johnson 19 2-5 1-1 1-13 1 2 5 Snow 10 1-3 0-1 0-0 3 1 2 Ford 8 2-4 4-4 2-3 0 4 8 Scheffler 8 2-5 1-1 2-2 0 3 5 Totals 240 44-81 31-39 16-54 26 28 124 Percentages: FG .543, FT .795. 3-Point Goals: 5-14, .357 (Hawkins 2-4, McMillan 1-2, Perkins 1-2, Payton 1-3, Wingate 0-1, Brickowski 0-1, Scheffler 0-1). Team Rebounds: 5. Blocked shots: 9 (Kemp 5, McMillan 3, Johnson). Turnovers: 23 (Hawkins 6, Kemp 5, Askew 3, Wingate 3, Ford 2, Payton 2, Brickowski, Snow). Steals: 13 (Payton 3, Perkins 2, Hawkins 2, Askew 2, Kemp, McMillan, Brickowski, Snow). Technical fouls: Illegal defense, 8:20 fourth. Illegal defense: 1. Boston 23 19 24 19 - 85 Seattle 26 30 30 38 - 124 A-17,072 (17,072). T-2:25. Officials-Hue Hollins, Bill Spooner, Greg Willard.