Payton’s Hot Hand Helps Burn Blazers Seattle Outscores Portland 122-118 As Star Guard Goes Off For 32 Points, Barely Missing Career Night

Gary Payton was about as close to perfect as a player can get in Seattle’s 122-118 victory over the Portland Trail Blazers on Friday night.

He scored 32 points, one short of his career high, and was 15 for 17 from the field. He made his first eight shots before a layup was blocked in the second quarter. His only other miss was a 40-footer at the third-quarter buzzer.

“You just hope it keeps going in, and you try to be conscious of what you’re doing and just take the right shots,” Payton said. “When you’re on a roll like that, you just try to do that.”

When the Blazers began to pay more attention to defending Payton, he’d pass it out to a teammate for an open 3-pointer.

“If the coach sees me hot, he uses me in all kinds of ways,” Payton said.

Clifford Robinson scored 14 of his 25 points in the fourth quarter, including three 3-pointers. His 18-footer with 1:29 to play cut Seattle’s lead to 120-118.

The Blazers forced Sam Perkins into an off-balance shot as the shot clock expired on Seattle’s next possession. But Portland’s Chris Dudley was called for his sixth foul on Shawn Kemp on the rebound.

Kemp, who made 5 of 12 at the foul line, made one of two free throws to put Seattle ahead 121-118. Portland’s Rod Strickland and Seattle’s Detlef Schempf each missed shots to give the Blazers a final chance to tie.

But Terry Porter’s 3-pointer failed to connect.

Sonics 122, Trail Blazers 118

FG FT Reb SEATTLE Min M-A M-A O-T A PF Pts Schrempf 38 5-14 5-5 0-2 7 2 15 Kemp 38 7-8 5-12 7-13 3 4 19 Johnson 27 4-6 1-2 1-6 1 5 9 Payton 43 15-17 2-2 0-2 7 1 32 Marciulionis 20 3-7 5-5 0-2 2 3 13 Perkins 29 6-11 4-6 2-6 1 2 20 McMillan 21 2-3 0-0 1-2 2 5 4 Gill 24 4-12 2-2 0-2 2 1 10 Totals 240 46-78 24-34 11-35 25 23 122

Percentages: FG .590, FT .706.

3-Point Goals: 6-14, .428 (Perkins 4-6, Marciulionis 2-3, Payton 0-1, Gill 0-1, Schrempf 0-3).

Team Rebounds: 7. Blocked shots: 4 (Johnson 2, Payton, Perkins).

Turnovers: 14 (Kemp 4, Schrempf 3, Payton 3, McMillan 2, Johnson, Marciulionis).

Steals: 7 (Kemp 2, McMillan 2, Schrempf, Perkins, Gill).

Technical fouls: Payton, 10:33 third. Illegal defense: 1.

FG FT Reb PORTLAND Min M-A M-A O-T A PF Pts C.Robinson 36 10-19 1-2 0-2 2 4 25 Williams 35 8-13 6-7 5-12 3 3 22 Dudley 27 3-5 0-0 4-6 2 6 6 Strickland 40 7-16 3-3 1-4 7 2 21 McKie 32 7-10 1-1 1-2 8 4 15 Porter 19 2-6 0-0 3-3 1 2 6 Thorpe 21 5-9 3-5 0-3 1 5 13 Kersey 21 2-6 5-5 1-2 1 1 9 J.Robinson 6 0-2 1-2 0-0 1 0 1 Bryant 3 0-0 0-0 0-1 0 1 0 Totals 240 44-86 20-25 15-35 26 28 118

Percentages: FG .512, FT .800.

3-Point Goals: 10-21, .476 (Strickland 4-6, C.Robinson 4-8, Porter 2-5, J.Robinson 0-2).

Team Rebounds: 12. Blocked shots: 6 (McKie 3, Williams, Dudley, Thorpe).

Turnovers: 16 (Strickland 4, Porter 3, Thorpe 3, C.Robinson 2, Dudley 2, Williams, Kersey).

Steals: 6 (Williams 2, C.Robinson, McKie, Thorpe, Kersey).

Technical fouls: Dudley, 8:32 third. Illegal defense: 1.

Seattle 38 25 30 29 - 122 Portland 38 24 32 24 - 118

A-12,888 (12,888). T-2:21.

Officials-Dick Bavetta, Gary Benson, Bill Spooner.