Payton Gives Sonics A Lift Guard Helps Seattle Drub Dallas To Assume Pacific Division Lead

When Gary Payton is playing well, things are usually going well for the Seattle SuperSonics.

Payton equaled his season high with 31 points Sunday as the Sonics won their fourth straight game and moved into first place in the Pacific Division with a 93-79 victory over the Dallas Mavericks.

“Gary had a good week,” teammate Hersey Hawkins said. “He’s getting to the basket and more importantly, he’s setting up the other guys, passing the ball well.”

After losing three straight games, the Sonics rebounded with victories over Golden State, Portland, the Los Angeles Clippers and Mavericks. Payton averaged 24.5 points per game in the four wins and shot 69 percent (37 of 54) from the field. He has also averaged six assists and two turnovers per game over that stretch.

Dallas guard Derek Harper, a 14-year veteran, was impressed by Payton’s play.

“Gary’s probably playing as well as any point guard in the league,” Harper said. “It was easy for him to get his rhythm because he got so many easy baskets.”

Harper started his third game of the season and had 10 points and eight assists. He is filling in for injured Jason Kidd.

Seattle was leading 72-65 when Payton triggered an 11-2 run with two clutch shots. He beat the shot clock with a short shot over two defenders in the lane, and made a 3-pointer with 8:41 left.

Payton equaled a season high by making 11-of-15 shots from the field. He added four assists, two steals and one turnover in 39 minutes.

Seattle has three days off before completing its current homestand Thursday against San Antonio.

SuperSonics 93, Mavericks 79

FG FT Reb DALLAS Min M-A M-A O-T A PF Pts McCloud 31 7-15 2-2 0-3 1 3 23 Walker 9 1-2 1-1 0-1 0 3 3 Montross 22 2-5 1-2 3-8 2 4 5 Harper 42 4-8 1-1 0-3 8 5 10 Jackson 45 4-15 2-2 2-2 3 4 11 Mashburn 33 3-8 0-0 1-5 2 3 7 Meyer 1 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 Miller 19 2-2 0-0 0-0 1 3 4 Gatling 29 5-11 5-6 1-9 1 3 15 Dumas 9 0-3 1-4 0-0 0 3 1 Totals 240 28-69 13-18 7-31 18 31 79 Percentages: FG .406, FT .722.

3-Point Goals: 10-20, .500 (McCloud 7-9, Harper 1-2, Jackson 1-4, Mashburn 1-4, Dumas 0-1).

Team Rebounds: 6. Blocked shots: 4 (Miller 2, Gatling, Montross).

Turnovers: 17 (McCloud 5, Montross 3, Harper 3, Jackson 2, Gatling 2, Miller 2). Steals: 8 (Harper 2, Miller 2, McCloud, Jackson, Mashburn, Dumas).

Technical fouls: Illegal defense, 3:52 third; Illegal defense, 11:03 fourth. Illegal defense: 1.

FG FT Reb SEATTLE Min M-A M-A O-T A PF Pts Kemp 34 5-14 2-3 6-13 2 4 12 Schrempf 38 4-10 7-11 3-11 6 2 15 McIlvaine 21 2-3 0-0 3-3 0 4 4 Hawkins 33 1-7 7-7 0-4 1 0 9 Payton 39 11-15 8-13 0-2 4 2 31 Ehlo 23 2-5 0-0 2-3 3 1 5 Perkins 21 2-9 3-4 2-5 0 1 8 Snow 23 1-5 2-2 1-6 3 2 4 Stewart 2 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 1 0 Graham 2 0-1 1-2 0-1 0 0 1 Scheffler 2 2-2 0-0 0-0 0 0 4 Wingate 2 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 Totals 240 30-71 30-42 17-48 19 17 93 Percentages: FG .423, FT .714.

3-Point Goals: 3-19, .158 (Payton 1-3, Ehlo 1-3, Perkins 1-6, Schrempf 0-2, Hawkins 0-5).

Team Rebounds: 14. Blocked shots: 2 (McIlvaine, Perkins).

Turnovers: 15 (Kemp 3, Hawkins 3, Schrempf 2, McIlvaine 2, Snow 2, Payton, Ehlo, Perkins). Steals: 6 (Payton 2, Hawkins 2, Kemp, Schrempf).

Technical fouls: Payton, 3:32 first; Illegal defense, 1:12 second; Illegal defense, 4:37 third. Illegal defense: 1.

Dallas 21 24 18 16 - 79

Seattle 28 22 20 23 - 93

A-17,072 (17,072). T-2:08.