Sonics Win 64th, Stop Timberwolves

The Seattle SuperSonics set a franchise record with their 64th victory of the season and beat the Minnesota Timberwolves for the 21st straight time, 94-86 Friday night.

The Sonics also set a record with their 38th home win of the season.

Hersey Hawkins led Seattle with 23 points, including two 3-pointers in the fourth quarter, and Detlef Schrempf added 18 points. Sam Mitchell paced the Wolves, who lost their fifth game in a row, with 21 points.

The Sonics’ club record of 63 victories and home mark of 37 wins were set two years ago.

With the score tied at 73, Isaiah Rider drove the baseline for a layup but the ball hung on the flat piece on the back of the basket and the officials had to call a jump ball.

Seattle won the tip and Gary Payton scored on a layup with 8:40 left for a 75-73 lead. Sixteen seconds later, Payton followed with a fast-break layup and the Sonics were off to a 16-3 run for an 89-76 advantage with 2:58 to go.

“(The record) humbles me a little bit,” said Seattle coach George Karl, who has not yet received a contract extension despite his team’s big season. “It’s kind of meaningful after all the negative stuff of last year.”

The Sonics were without Frank Brickowski and Vincent Askew, their key reserves. Brickowski was placed on the injured list because of tendinitis in his right shoulder and Askew missed his second straight game because of a sprained right ankle.

In the first quarter, Seattle’s defense caused problems for Minnesota in the last 5 minutes. The Wolves were called for 24-second violations three times in the final 4:41.

Minnesota scored the first nine points of the second period, including a pair of baskets by Kevin Garnett after the Sonics led 26-17 in the first quarter.

The Wolves led 46-42 at halftime after the Sonics went cold at the end of the second quarter.

SuperSonics 94, Timberwolves 86

FG FT Reb MINNESOTA Min M-A M-A O-T A PF Pts Garnett 33 4-7 0-0 3-5 2 3 8 Gugliotta 33 5-10 3-4 0-3 2 5 14 Lang 32 2-7 0-0 1-7 1 4 4 Rider 41 8-13 1-1 2-8 7 3 19 Webb 27 4-11 0-0 0-2 5 1 10 Mitchell 31 9-15 3-5 1-7 1 6 21 West 20 1-4 0-0 1-3 0 2 2 Porter 21 2-4 3-4 1-2 7 3 8 Bragg 1 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 Davis 1 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 Totals 240 35-71 10-14 9-37 25 27 86 Percentages: FG .493, FT .714. 3-Point Goals: 6-17, .353 (Rider 2-3, Webb 2-9, Porter 1-2, Gugliotta 1-3). Team Rebounds: 6. Blocked shots: 2 (Garnett, Gugliotta). Turnovers: 24 (Porter 4, Mitchell 3, Rider 3, Lang 3, Garnett 2, Gugliotta 2, Webb, West, team 5). Steals: 6 (Gugliotta 3, Rider, West, Porter). Technical fouls: Gugliotta, 2:48 first; Porter, 9:39 fourth. Illegal defense: 1.

FG FT Reb SEATTLE Min M-A M-A O-T A PF Pts Kemp 39 3-12 7-8 4-11 5 3 13 Schrempf 39 6-13 5-6 1-4 5 1 18 Johnson 25 3-7 0-0 0-6 0 2 6 Hawkins 35 9-13 0-0 0-4 3 3 23 Payton 34 6-14 0-0 2-4 3 2 12 Perkins 23 6-14 2-3 3-4 1 0 15 McMillan 30 2-3 0-0 0-4 2 4 4 Wingate 15 0-1 3-5 0-0 2 4 3 Totals 240 35-77 17-22 10-37 21 19 94 Percentages: FG .455, FT .773.

3-Point Goals: 7-22, .318 (Hawkins 5-8, Schrempf 1-4, Perkins 1-5, McMillan 0-1, Wingate 0-1, Payton 0-3). Team Rebounds: 7. Blocked shots: 4 (Perkins 2, Johnson, McMillan). Turnovers: 16 (Kemp 7, Schrempf 3, Payton 2, McMillan 2, Hawkins, Wingate). Steals: 9 (Hawkins 3, Payton 2, Johnson 2, Kemp, McMillan). Technical fouls: McMillan, 2:53 third; illegal defense, 7:27 first. Illegal defense: 1.

Minnesota 17 29 23 17 - 86

Seattle 26 16 28 24 - 94

A-17,072 (17,072). T-2:02.