Only Officials Foul Up Nba’s Arena Visit Sonics Edge Stockton & Co., 103-101, Before 11,970 Fans

As the first basketball game in the Arena, as the coming home of John Stockton in front of nearly 12,000 fans, the Seattle Sonics’ 103-101 win over the Utah Jazz Tuesday night will go down as a piece of Spokane sports history.

Yet in some ways you’d seen it all before.

It was the usual October exercise in the NBA, only this time it wasn’t so much the desperation of a rookie trying to become a 12th man.

It was the two officials trying to work their way out of the CBA.

They forgot that 11,970 didn’t pay to see them.

The officials were Leon Wood - who made the U.S. Olympic team out of Cal State Fullerton the year Stockton was cut, 1984 - and Derek Richardson.

They were diligent, so diligent that the exhibition was reduced in tedious stretches to Whistlemania I, a disappointment to court-siders who paid $50 a seat for what was more of a rules clinic than a show.

Seventy-six personal fouls and six technicals were whistled before the game was decided - where else? - at the line, where Seattle’s‘s Gary Payton knocked down two free throws with 8 seconds left.

The verdict wasn’t sealed until Utah’s Chris Morris fired a leaner off the glass that bounced off and was rebounded by Sonic Sam Perkins as time ran out.

Shawn Kemp led six Sonics in double figures with 21 points and 11 rebounds - and six personals in only 25 minutes.

Seattle guard Hersey Hawkins broke out of a 2-for-18 shooting slump with 16 points as the Sonics won for the second time in three preseason tries. The Sonics are in Indianapolis Friday night to play the Pacers.

Perkins, Detleft Schrempf and Frank Brickowski added 10 points each for Seattle.

Stockton, the Gonzaga alumnus in his 12th season, delighted the hometown crowd with 14 points on 5-of-6 shooting and a pair of steals, although he was held to only two assists.

Veteran center James Donaldson of Washington State has a strained hamstring and did not make the trip with the Jazz.

The Jazz took a 101-100 lead on a three-point play by Byron Rusell with 38 seconds to go. Utah spread the court for the 6-foot-7 forward, who split the defense for the layin and drew the foul that sent Kemp off the court with his sixth personal.

But 10 seconds later Utah was whistled for an illegal defense and Hawkins hit the technical foul shot that tied it at 101.

Payton then took Utah’s Jamie Watson to the hole on Seattle’s subsequent possession, drew the foul and converted the one-and-one freethrow opportunity.

Karl Malone had 16 points for the Jazz. Morris scored 15 and Adam Keefe 13, all but two at the line. Keefe was 11 of 14 from the stripe.

Both teams were 39 of 50 at the line.

Sonics coach George Karl said the Sonics “are in a situation where we’ve put in a lot of new offense, so we’re experimenting a lot. I was happy to see Hawk play well. We made some plays down the stretch and beat a good team.”

Karl said the Arena “is a great building with great warmth. I was impressed when I walked in. It has a nice feel. The crowd was loud. I wish the Mariners could have won. it would have made it a little crazier.”

The crowd - a sellout - kept an eye on the M’s losing effort in the Kingdome against Cleveland.

Kemp said the Sonics are improved in that “There’s not as much competitivness as there has been in the past. We have nine players capable of being all-stars. Now, what you have are people actually working to become a team. It makes it a lot smoother.”

That much was smooth. The game never did develop much of a flow. To that end Kemp had a word about exhibition-game officiating

“It’s not very good,” he said. “I’m not saying that to discredit them - they’re like rookies trying to learn the game.”

Notes

Because the NBA locked out its referees, all preseason games are being officiated by substitute officials. Since there aren’t enough of them, two-man crews are working the games instead of three-man crews. About a technical called on Karl Malone, the player said: “That’s why he’s in the CBA and that’s why he’ll stay in the CBA.” …

Karl emptied the bench in the second quarter, enabling free agents Tom Kleinschmidt and Matt Othick to log some playing time, along with Steve Scheffler and David Wingate, who made his debut as a Sonic. Wingate missed the first two exhibition games because of a quadriceps pull. He was traded to Seattle from Charlotte, along with Hersey Hawkins, in exchange for Kendall Gill… .

Rookie Sherell Ford, the Sonics’ first-round pick, played only 7 minutes and Karl was not pleased with his defense. Second-round pick Eric Snow logged twice as much time and made a strong showing on defense and on a few driving layups.

Before the game, former Michigan State coach Jud Heathcote visited with Snow, who played for Heathcote the past four years at Michigan State. Heathcote lives in Idaho… .

Theresa Smith of the Tacoma News Tribune contributed the notes.

Sonics 103, Jazz 101

UTAH (1-2)

Stockton 5-6 4-6 14, Morris 5-13 4-4 15, Ostertag 0-2 1-2 1, Benoit 2-3 0-0 5, Malone 6-14 4-6 16, Carr 3-7 1-2 7, Foster 2-6 2-3 6, Keefe 1-1 11-14 13, Hornacek 1-7 4-4 6, Russell 4-5 1-1 9, Eisley 1-2 4-4 6, Toolson 0-3 0-0 0, Watson 0-4 3-4 3. Totals 30-73 39-50 101.

SEATTLE (2-1)

Payton 4-11 6-6 15, Hawkins 4-10 7-9 16, Brickowski 4-8 2-2 10, Perkins 2-5 6-8 10, Schrempf 2-4 6-6 10, Askew 3-9 0-1 6, Kemp 6-10 9-14 21, Scheffler 0-1 2-2 2, Johnson 0-1 0-0 0, Ford 1-3 0-0 2, Kleinschmidt 0-0 0-0 0, Othick 0-0 0-0 0, Snow 5-5 0-0 10, Wingate 0-0 1-2 1. Totals 31-67 39-50 103.

Utah 28 21 26 26 - 101

Seattle 28 20 28 27 - 103

3-Point goals-Utah 2-11 (Stockton 0-1, Morris 1-2, Benoit 1-1, Hornacek 0-3, Eisley 0-1, Toolson 0-3), Seattle 2-12 (Payton 1-3, Hawkins 1-3, Perkins 0-2, Askew 0-3, Ford 0-1). Fouled out-Utah, Ostertag; Seattle, Kemp. Rebounds-Utah 52 (Keefe 10), Seattle 37 (Kemp 11). Assists-Utah 9 (Hornacek 4), Seattle 12 (Payton, Schrempf 4). Total fouls-Utah 37, Seattle 39. A-11,970.

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