Sleepy Sonics Win ‘Ugly’ Seattle Keeps Denver Winless With A Late-Game Comeback

Dead-tired and playing ugly, the Seattle SuperSonics somehow found a way to win. The Denver Nuggets, as usual, found a way to lose.

Gary Payton and Detlef Schrempf combined to score 11 of Seattle’s last 13 points, and the SuperSonics rallied to defeat the winless Nuggets 84-80 Saturday night.

Payton scored six points and Schrempf five over the final 6 minutes to help erase a 76-71 deficit. Seattle outscored Denver 13-4 during that rally.

Payton finished with 20 points and Schrempf 12 as the Sonics overcame 38 percent shooting.

“Our fourth-quarter defense was very, very good,” Sonics coach George Karl said. “When you shoot 38 percent, you bring frustration to yourself. Our legs were heavy. To fight through that stuff requires some mental toughness. This was a good dirty win.”

Payton said he and his teammates “had jet lag and we were tired. We just sucked it up and did what we had to do.”

The Sonics beat San Antonio 94-74 Friday night, then immediately flew to Denver.

“We got in at 3 a.m.,” Schrempf said. “That’s the NBA. It was ugly. We’re a veteran team. We didn’t play well all game, but we made some big plays when it counted and they didn’t.”

The Nuggets, missing starters Bryant Stith and Tony Battie because of injuries, fell to 0-11 and remained the NBA’s only winless team. Rookie guard Eric Washington led Denver with 22 points but missed three straight open jumpers in the final period.

Five of Denver’s losses have been by four points or fewer.

Nuggets coach Bill Hanzlik said the Sonics “tightened up their ‘D.’ We played hard. If any of those shots go in (in the final minutes) it would really have put pressure on them. That’s the way it goes.”

Denver’s 0-11 start is its worst in franchise history and ties its second-longest losing streak. The worst start in NBA history is Miami’s 0-17 in 1988.

LaPhonso Ellis hit a running hook shot in the lane to give Denver a 76-71 lead with 6:11 left, but Payton then made four free throws, Sam Perkins two and Schrempf one to counter Bobby Jackson’s jumper and make it 78-78 with 1:56 left.

After Ellis missed two free throws, Schrempf put the Sonics ahead with a 17-foot turnaround jumper with 1:19 to go. Washington was guilty of a 5-second violation, failing to get the ball inbounds, and Payton hit a driving layup with 43 seconds to go.

Dean Garrett made it 82-80 with a rebound basket. Seattle’s Dale Ellis then missed a 3-pointer, but Payton grabbed the rebound and Schrempf was fouled by Ellis, making both free throws with 4.9 seconds remaining.

Washington, in his first career start, scored 12 points in the first quarter, and the Nuggets outshot Seattle 55 percent to 40 percent - but still trailed 27-26 at the end of the period.

SuperSonics 84, Nuggets 80

FG FT Reb SEATTLE Min M-A M-A O-T A PF Pts Schrempf 38 4-9 4-5 2-7 4 4 12 Baker 29 3-9 3-4 2-8 4 6 9 McIlvaine 24 5-10 0-1 4-7 1 0 10 Payton 43 7-19 5-6 1-3 5 2 20 Hawkins 32 4-10 0-0 1-3 5 2 10 Ellis 25 2-9 0-0 0-4 2 1 5 Perkins 29 2-7 2-2 0-6 0 2 8 Williams 7 3-3 2-2 0-1 0 2 8 Wingate 9 1-3 0-0 2-2 1 1 2 Anthony 4 0-2 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 Totals 240 31-81 16-20 12-41 22 20 84 Percentages: FG .383, FT .800.

3-Point Goals: 6-19,.316 (Perkins 2-4, Hawkins 2-5, Ellis 1-5, Payton 1-5).

Team Rebounds: 8.

Blocked shots: 1 (McIlvaine).

Turnovers: 8 (Payton 4, Schrempf, Perkins, Wingate, Anthony).

Steals: 6 (Hawkins 2, Payton 2, Perkins, Schrempf).

Technical fouls: Wingate, 8:10, 2nd.

Illegal defense: 1.

FG FT Reb DENVER Min M-A M-A O-T A PF Pts Wolf 16 1-3 0-1 1-3 0 2 2 Ellis 35 5-9 1-3 0-6 6 6 11 Garrett 39 6-8 0-1 7-17 3 3 12 Jackson 34 3-12 2-2 1-4 6 1 8 Washington 35 9-19 1-2 1-3 0 4 22 Fortson 23 3-7 2-2 0-7 0 4 8 Newman 25 2-6 0-2 0-0 2 0 4 Goldwire 24 2-8 2-2 0-1 1 2 6 Lauderdale 9 3-5 1-1 2-3 1 1 7 Totals 240 34-77 9-16 12-44 19 23 80 Percentages: FG .442, FT .563.

3-Point Goals: 3-10 .300 (Washington 3-7, Ellis 0-1, Jackson 0-1, Goldwire 0-1).

Team Rebounds: 11.

Blocked shots: 8 (Garrett 5, Wolf, Goldwire, Lauderdale).

Turnovers: 13 (Ellis 6, Jackson 3, Newman 2, Garrett, Fortson).

Steals: 3 (Ellis, Fortson, Newman).

Technical fouls: None.

Illegal defense: None.

Seattle 27 17 22 18 - 84

Denver 26 21 20 13 - 80

A-12,022 (17,171). T-2:04