Dallas Provides Relief For Sonics Kemp Plays 7 Minutes As Sub, Vows To Meet With Media Soon
Troubled forward Shawn Kemp played a season-low 7 minutes Saturday, but Gary Payton’s 23 points helped the Seattle SuperSonics cruise to a 103-84 victory over the Dallas Mavericks.
Kemp did not start for the fourth straight game and was fined for not notifying the team before he missed Friday’s practice. Kemp equaled a season low with three points.
His previous low was 21 minutes, Feb. 11 against the Denver Nuggets. He had two turnovers, one steal and was 1 for 2 from the field Saturday. He did not play in the second half.
Sonics coach George Karl said there are no pat answers in incorporating his five-time All-Star back into the starting lineup. Kemp has been below his rebounding and scoring average in 15 of the past 20 games. The Sonics are 13-7.
“I’ve related to Shawn my problems with his behavior,” Karl said. “My basic feeling is I don’t think you discipline people to punish your team.
“We needed someone in the first half and we didn’t in the second half. My discipline has to be directed at Shawn.”
After the game, Kemp told assembled reporters he would meet with the press on Monday or Tuesday of next week to answer the questions about his recent behavior.
Karl said he is relying some on the advice of some of his veterans on the best way to help Kemp recapture his power game.
“We’re together as a family trying to get one of our best players back up to par.”
The Sonics play their next four games away from home. Payton scored six of his points during a game-breaking 9-0 run as the Sonics handed Dallas its 10th straight loss.
Payton had back-to-back three-point plays and assisted on David Wingate’s 3-point shot as the Sonics used their run for a 79-62 lead with 10:30 left.
“When Gary gets in a flow in a transition, he’s impossible to stop,” said Hersey Hawkins, who had 17 points and four steals.
The Sonics increased their Pacific Division lead to 1-1/2 games over the idle Los Angeles Lakers.
The Mavs trailed 70-59 after three quarters, then Sasha Danilovic’s 3-point play made it 70-62 before Payton took charge.
Danilovic led the Mavs with 18 points. Bradley had 16 points and 10 rebounds for Dallas. xxxx SuperSonics 103, Mavericks 84 FG FT Reb DALLAS Min M-A M-A O-T A PF Pts Finley 33 5-10 1-1 0-5 0 0 12 Green 36 3-7 1-2 6-8 1 2 7 Bradley 38 6-15 4-7 4-10 1 4 16 Harper 36 2-11 0-0 0-1 4 3 5 Pack 30 3-9 3-4 1-6 3 1 9 Danilovic 28 7-15 3-3 0-1 1 4 18 O’Bannon 13 0-6 2-2 2-6 1 0 2 Muursepp 19 4-8 1-1 2-3 2 3 9 Smith 4 1-1 1-1 0-0 0 0 3 Dreiling 3 1-3 1-2 0-0 0 0 3 Totals 240 32-85 17-23 15-40 13 17 84 Percentages: FG .376, FT .739. 3-Point Goals: 3-14, .214 (Finley 1-3, Harper 1-3, Danilovic 1-4, Pack 0-1, O’Bannon 0-1, Muursepp 0-2). Team Rebounds: 16. Blocked shots: 3 (Green 2, Bradley). Turnovers: 18 (Bradley 6, Pack 4, Harper 2, Finley, Danilovic, Muursepp, Smith, team 2). Steals: 6 (Harper 2, Pack 2, Danilovic). Technical fouls: Coach Cleamons, 1:59 second; Bradley, 6:37 fourth. Illegal defense: 1. FG FT Reb SEATTLE Min M-A M-A O-T A PF Pts McMillan 24 2-4 0-0 2-6 4 4 5 Schrempf 26 5-8 4-4 1-6 4 2 15 McIlvaine 12 2-3 0-0 2-4 0 2 4 Hawkins 38 6-12 4-4 0-3 3 1 17 Payton 34 10-21 2-3 0-3 8 1 23 Perkins 27 5-10 1-1 1-5 1 2 13 Cummings 26 4-7 0-0 1-6 3 3 8 Wingate 23 2-6 0-0 0-2 1 1 6 Snow 12 2-2 3-3 0-0 1 0 7 Kemp 7 1-2 1-2 0-0 0 0 3 Stewart 7 1-1 0-0 0-0 0 1 2 Ehlo 4 0-3 0-0 1-3 0 2 0 Totals 240 40-79 15-17 8-38 25 19 103 Percentages: FG .506, FT .882. 3-Point Goals: 8-24, .333 (Wingate 2-4, Perkins 2-5, Schrempf 1-2, McMillan 1-3, Hawkins 1-3, Payton 1-6, Ehlo 0-1). Team Rebounds: 6. Blocked shots: 8 (Perkins 3, McIlvaine 2, Hawkins, Cummings, Stewart). Turnovers: 12 (Schrempf 2, Payton 2, Kemp 2, McIlvaine, Cummings, Wingate, Snow, Stewart, Ehlo). Steals: 11 (Hawkins 4, Payton 2, McMillan, Cummings, Wingate, Kemp, Stewart). Technical fouls: Illegal defense, 6:23 third; illegal defense, 3:07 third. Illegal defense: 1. Dallas 19 24 16 25 - 84 Seattle 27 22 21 33 - 103 A-17,072 (17,072). T-2:09.