Schrempf Puts Nail In Bullets

Detlef Schrempf didn’t call the shot off the glass, so it probably wouldn’t have counted in a game of H-O-R-S-E.

The 55-foot basket did, however, give the Seattle SuperSonics three huge points Tuesday night en route to a 121-107 victory over the skidding Washington Bullets.

Seattle led 87-84 before Schrempf heaved the ball from beyond halfcourt and watched it bounce off the backboard and in. The 3-pointer topped a third period in which the Sonics turned a 10-point halftime deficit into a six-point lead by outscoring Washington 34-18.

“Those kind of baskets are emotional things that help you win games,” Seattle coach George Karl said.

“Sure it was lucky,” said Schrempf, who continued his long-range shooting in the fourth quarter. “We had a good run going before that, and that put a cap on it and maybe broke their back at the same time.”

Schrempf and Sarunas Marciulionis each scored seven of the Sonics’ first 14 points in the final period to give Seattle a 104-92 lead with 5:33 left. The Bullets never got closer in losing for the 12th time in 13 games.

“Schrempf made a miracle shot to put them up by six,” Washington coach Jim Lynam said. “And their defense was very, very good in the second half.”

The Bullets scored 66 points in the first half and just 41 after intermission. Seattle’s Nate McMillan had three steals, two rebounds and three assists in the third quarter to help turn the game around.

“Nate was the MVP. He got us defensively motivated,” Karl said.

Schrempf opened the final period with his second straight 3-pointer - this one considerably closer to the basket - and Marciulionis followed with a long jumper to make it 97-86.

After the Bullets got within 99-90, Marciulionis sank a 3-pointer.

Gary Payton led Seattle with 24 points. Schrempf and Marciulionis each scored 18 and Sam Perkins 17.

Calbert Cheaney scored 26 for the Bullets, who haven’t beaten Seattle since March 1989.

“It’s a case where we’re in the game for two or three periods, then we makes some mistakes and they get back in it,” Cheaney said. “We’ve got to learn to keep banging away.”

Down by 12 early in the third quarter, the Sonics got back into the game in a hurry, getting nine points from Kendall Gill in an 18-3 run. Washington regained the lead, 84-83, but Seattle closed the period with a 7-0 spree to go up for good.

Washington took a 66-56 halftime lead by making 25 of its 39 field-goal attempts and going 15 for 17 at the line. Payton kept the Sonics close with 15 points and three assists.

SuperSonics 121, Bullets 107

FG FT Reb SEATTLE Min M-A M-A O-T A PF Pts Kemp 30 4-7 2-2 3-8 1 3 10 Schrempf 28 7-11 2-2 0-5 3 3 18 Cartwright 9 1-1 0-3 0-0 0 1 2 Gill 21 4-11 2-2 2-2 2 2 12 Payton 37 11-22 2-3 0-1 7 2 24 McMillan 29 4-9 2-2 1-5 9 2 11 Perkins 34 6-9 2-2 3-7 2 4 17 Askew 23 2-5 1-1 1-3 3 2 6 Marciulionis 20 7-10 3-3 0-0 3 2 18 Houston 3 0-0 0-0 0-1 0 0 0 Wingfield 3 1-2 1-2 0-0 0 0 3 Johnson 3 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 1 0 Totals 240 47-87 17-22 10-32 30 22 121

Percentages: FG .540, FT .773.

3-Point Goals: 10-20, .500 (Perkins 3-5, Schrempf 2-2, Gill 2-4, Askew 1-1, Marciulionis 1-2, McMillan 1-3, Payton 0-3).

Team Rebounds: 14.

Blocked shots: 2 (McMillan, Perkins).

Turnovers: 21 (Kemp 5, Gill 3, Schrempf 2, McMillan 2, Wingfield 2, Cartwright, Payton, Perkins, Askew, Marciulionis, Houston, Johnson).

Steals: 17 (McMillan 6, Marciulionis 4, Payton 3, Kemp, Cartwright, Gill, Wingfield).

Technical fouls: None.

Illegal defense: 1.

FG FT Reb WASHINGTON Min M-A M-A O-T A PF Pts Howard 33 3-9 4-6 2-6 3 5 10 Tucker 39 8-9 0-0 0-4 4 3 16 Muresan 16 1-4 0-0 2-2 1 3 2 Cheaney 39 9-16 3-3 0-3 0 1 23 Skiles 18 2-5 0-0 0-0 2 1 4 Stewart 15 3-4 1-1 1-3 1 2 7 Butler 23 6-11 0-0 1-3 0 4 14 Duckworth 24 5-7 2-3 2-3 3 3 12 Overton 30 4-10 7-8 0-1 7 3 15 McIlvaine 3 1-1 2-2 0-0 0 1 4 Totals 240 42-76 19-23 8-25 21 26 107

Percentages: FG .553, FT .826.

3-Point Goals: 4-15, .267 (Cheaney 2-5, Butler 2-5, Duckworth 0-1, Overton 0-1, Skiles 0-3).

Team Rebounds: 12.

Blocked shots: 1 (Duckworth).

Turnovers: 23 (Butler 5, Howard 3, Muresan 3, Skiles 3, Duckworth 3, Overton 3, Tucker 2, Cheaney).

Steals: 4 (Skiles, Stewart, Butler, Overton).

Technical fouls: Illegal defense, 9:46 third; Illegal defense, 4:50 third; Coach Lynam, 2:43 fourth.

Flagrant fouls: Howard, 1:21 third.

Illegal defense: 1. Seattle 30 26 34 31 - 121 Washington 29 37 18 23 - 107

A-16,940. T-2:06.

Officials-Dick Bavetta, Eddie F. Rush, Monte McCutchen.