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Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Sonics Tie Franchise Record For Wins With Two Games Left, Could Have 65 Victories In Regular Season

Associated Press

Sixty-three and counting.

“I know this is old hat to these guys, but this is pretty exciting stuff to me,” Hersey Hawkins said. “I can’t wait to get to 64.”

Hawkins, an important Seattle addition in a June 27 trade with Charlotte, scored 20 points, including a 3-pointer with 2:40 left, as Seattle tied a franchise record with its 63rd victory, a 96-90 defeat of Portland on Wednesday night.

“This is the most wins I’ve ever had,” said Hawkins, who made 4 of 8 3-point tries. “So this is a big deal for me. I’ve been on some losing teams, too.”

In 1993, Hawkins was a member of a Philadelphia team that won only 26 games.

Gary Payton added 17 points and 10 assists, but had seven turnovers, one shy of a career high.

“I talked to the guys before the game about cutting back the minutes, but maybe we cut back the effort, too,” unhappy Seattle coach George Karl said.

Seattle has two games remaining in a bid to break the victory record established two years ago.

That team was upset in the first round of the playoffs by Denver.

“The chemistry is much better this year,” Nate McMillan said. “We didn’t play that well tonight, but we won and we’re confident we can win even when we don’t play well.”

Clifford Robinson scored 21 points to lead the Blazers, winners of 17 of their previous 19. He also had a season-high six steals.

After committing 13 turnovers in the first half, the Sonics had six in the second half.

The Blazers played without Rod Strickland, their starting point guard who did not make the trip from Portland because of a sore left groin. Strickland also will miss the Blazers’ Friday night road game against Golden State.

Portland coach P.J. Carlemiso said Strickland also might miss the season finale in Portland against the Los Angeles Lakers on Sunday.

“Rod will sit down with our trainers and we’ll decide,” Carlemiso said.

Carlesimo didn’t say Strickland’s presence would have made up the six-point margin, but he noted Payton and McMillan “killed us down the stretch.”

Payton scored six points and McMillan five in the final quarter.

“The Sonics have had a magnificent year,” Carlesimo said. “A little bit of luster has been lost because of Chicago’s season (70 victories), but the Sonics and the Bulls have been rock solid from day one.”

Seattle, which already had clinched the top seed in the West, improved to 63-17. The Sonics play Minnesota at home on Friday night and then close the regular season Sunday at Denver.

MEMO: This sidebar appeared with the story: SuperSonics 96, Trail Blazers 90 FG FT Reb PORTLAND Min M-A M-A O-T A PF Pts Grant 40 4-12 2-2 3-6 2 2 11 C.Robinson 38 6-15 8-10 1-3 4 5 21 Sabonis 26 8-14 2-3 2-7 0 2 18 McKie 31 2-6 3-4 1-5 5 2 8 R.Robinson 22 3-9 2-2 2-3 2 2 10 Dudley 17 1-8 1-2 3-7 0 1 3 J.Robinson 26 4-9 0-0 0-2 2 2 11 Williams 20 1-5 0-0 0-0 2 4 2 Wingfield 20 2-5 2-4 1-4 1 2 6 Totals 240 31-83 20-27 13-37 18 22 90

Percentages: FG .373, FT .741. 3-Point Goals: 8-26, .308 (J.Robinson 3-5, R.Robinson 2-4, Grant 1-3, McKie 1-4, C.Robinson 1-7, Sabonis 0-1, Wingfield 0-2). Team Rebounds: 13. Blocked shots: 4 (Sabonis 2, C.Robinson, Wingfield). Turnovers: 15 (R.Robinson 3, McKie 2, Sabonis 2, J.Robinson 2, Grant, Dudley, Williams, Wingfield, team 2). Steals: 12 (C.Robinson 6, Grant 2, Wingfield 2, Sabonis, McKie). Technical fouls: Dudley, 7:27 second. Illegal defense: 1.

FG FT Reb SEATTLE Min M-A M-A O-T A PF Pts Kemp 26 3-5 4-6 1-8 0 5 10 Schrempf 37 4-13 3-5 1-4 5 4 12 Johnson 28 5-8 2-2 2-13 1 3 12 Hawkins 30 7-12 2-2 0-2 3 0 20 Payton 33 8-16 0-0 4-6 10 1 17 McMillan 30 4-5 0-0 1-4 2 3 11 Perkins 22 1-5 2-2 0-4 1 3 4 Brickowski 14 2-5 2-2 0-4 1 3 7 Wingate 19 1-5 0-0 0-0 4 0 3 Scheffler 1 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 Totals 240 35-74 15-19 9-45 27 22 96

Percentages: FG .473, FT .789. 3-Point Goals: 11-24, .458 (Hawkins 4-8, McMillan 3-3, Payton 1-2, Brickowski 1-3, Wingate 1-3, Schrempf 1-4, Perkins 0-1). Team Rebounds: 7. Blocked shots: 7 (Johnson 3, Kemp 2, Hawkins, Brickowski). Turnovers: 19 (Payton 7, Schrempf 5, Hawkins 2, Brickowski 2, Kemp, Johnson, Wingate). Steals: 9 (Payton 3, McMillan 2, Kemp, Schrempf, Johnson, Hawkins). Technical fouls: Schrempf, :52 second. Portland 26 18 20 26 - 90 Seattle 19 25 34 18 - 96

This sidebar appeared with the story: SuperSonics 96, Trail Blazers 90 FG FT Reb PORTLAND Min M-A M-A O-T A PF Pts Grant 40 4-12 2-2 3-6 2 2 11 C.Robinson 38 6-15 8-10 1-3 4 5 21 Sabonis 26 8-14 2-3 2-7 0 2 18 McKie 31 2-6 3-4 1-5 5 2 8 R.Robinson 22 3-9 2-2 2-3 2 2 10 Dudley 17 1-8 1-2 3-7 0 1 3 J.Robinson 26 4-9 0-0 0-2 2 2 11 Williams 20 1-5 0-0 0-0 2 4 2 Wingfield 20 2-5 2-4 1-4 1 2 6 Totals 240 31-83 20-27 13-37 18 22 90

Percentages: FG .373, FT .741. 3-Point Goals: 8-26, .308 (J.Robinson 3-5, R.Robinson 2-4, Grant 1-3, McKie 1-4, C.Robinson 1-7, Sabonis 0-1, Wingfield 0-2). Team Rebounds: 13. Blocked shots: 4 (Sabonis 2, C.Robinson, Wingfield). Turnovers: 15 (R.Robinson 3, McKie 2, Sabonis 2, J.Robinson 2, Grant, Dudley, Williams, Wingfield, team 2). Steals: 12 (C.Robinson 6, Grant 2, Wingfield 2, Sabonis, McKie). Technical fouls: Dudley, 7:27 second. Illegal defense: 1.

FG FT Reb SEATTLE Min M-A M-A O-T A PF Pts Kemp 26 3-5 4-6 1-8 0 5 10 Schrempf 37 4-13 3-5 1-4 5 4 12 Johnson 28 5-8 2-2 2-13 1 3 12 Hawkins 30 7-12 2-2 0-2 3 0 20 Payton 33 8-16 0-0 4-6 10 1 17 McMillan 30 4-5 0-0 1-4 2 3 11 Perkins 22 1-5 2-2 0-4 1 3 4 Brickowski 14 2-5 2-2 0-4 1 3 7 Wingate 19 1-5 0-0 0-0 4 0 3 Scheffler 1 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 Totals 240 35-74 15-19 9-45 27 22 96

Percentages: FG .473, FT .789. 3-Point Goals: 11-24, .458 (Hawkins 4-8, McMillan 3-3, Payton 1-2, Brickowski 1-3, Wingate 1-3, Schrempf 1-4, Perkins 0-1). Team Rebounds: 7. Blocked shots: 7 (Johnson 3, Kemp 2, Hawkins, Brickowski). Turnovers: 19 (Payton 7, Schrempf 5, Hawkins 2, Brickowski 2, Kemp, Johnson, Wingate). Steals: 9 (Payton 3, McMillan 2, Kemp, Schrempf, Johnson, Hawkins). Technical fouls: Schrempf, :52 second. Portland 26 18 20 26 - 90 Seattle 19 25 34 18 - 96