Payton’s Ejection Can’t Slow Sonics

The Seattle SuperSonics got 53 points and some words of advice from their bench.

“We have to approach the (referees) differently and that starts tomorrow,” Nate McMillan said after the Sonics survived Gary Payton’s first ejection of the season in a 113-99 victory over the Sacramento Kings. “They’re human. They remember how you reacted and what you did.”

Payton was hit with two technical fouls by Terry Durham seconds apart early in the third quarter for protesting a non-call after he posted up Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf and thought he was fouled.

McMillan had 11 points, six assists and six steals in Payton’s absence.

David Wingate added 14 points off the bench, Sam Perkins had 13 and Terry Cummings 12.

McMillan, who is in his 11th season in Seattle, said the Sonics bench is the best since he’s been here.

“With Terry Cummings, Perkins, Wingate and myself, it’s almost like another starting unit.”

Wingate, also in his 11th year, scored a season-high 14 points, including a game-breaking 3-pointer with 2:34 left that gave Seattle a 101-93 advantage.

“When you work hard, there will be nights when the shots fall,” Wingate said.

Hersey Hawkins scored 22 points, led the Sonics with eight rebounds and had four steals. Wingate’s shot from the deep right corner with 2:34 left started a 15-7 run.

Mitch Richmond, the five-time All Star, set up Wingate’s basket with a turnover - dribbling the ball inbounds against Sonics pressure.

Wingate, who had nine fourth-quarter points, then nailed his shot.

The Kings lost their first game under interim coach Eddie Jordan, who won his debut game Friday against the San Antonio Spurs.

“We didn’t talk enough about their traps coming into the game and it showed,” Jordan said.

Notes

Cummings had 10 points off the bench in the first half for the Sonics… . Phoenix moved ahead of Sacramento in the battle for the eighth playoff spot by beating Houston 104-99… . The Sonics beat the Kings for the seventh straight time. … Abdul-Rauf was held scoreless in the fourth quarter.

SuperSonics 113, Kings 99

FG FT Reb SACRAMENTO Min M-A M-A O-T A PF Pts Owens 25 2-7 5-6 0-2 3 3 9 Smith 32 1-1 2-2 5-11 4 5 4 Polynice 32 3-7 3-3 2-6 1 3 9 Abdul-Rauf 37 8-16 2-2 1-2 2 3 21 Richmond 38 8-21 6-6 1-2 3 5 25 Grant 18 1-3 2-2 1-1 2 3 4 Simmons 10 1-3 0-0 0-2 1 2 2 Gamble 18 3-5 0-0 0-5 3 2 9 Williamson 25 6-7 0-0 4-6 0 5 12 Edney 5 1-1 2-2 0-0 1 0 4 Totals 240 34-71 22-23 14-37 20 31 99 Percentages: FG .479, FT .957.

3-Point Goals: 9-19, .474 (Gamble 3-3, Richmond 3-7, Abdul-Rauf 3-8, Owens 0-1).

Team Rebounds: 6.

Blocked shots: 5 (Owens, Smith, Polynice, Grant, Gamble).

Turnovers: 29 (Smith 4, Polynice 4, Richmond 4, Abdul-Rauf 3, Grant 3, Williamson 3, Owens 2, Gamble 2, Edney, team 3).

Steals: 10 (Smith 3, Abdul-Rauf 3, Richmond 3, Gamble).

Technical fouls: None.

Illegal defense: 1.

FG FT Reb SEATTLE Min M-A M-A O-T A PF Pts Kemp 37 5-13 6-8 3-7 5 5 16 Stewart 20 2-6 3-4 1-3 0 3 7 McIlvaine 14 1-2 0-0 1-3 0 1 2 Hawkins 39 5-10 11-12 3-8 2 2 22 Payton 22 6-13 1-1 2-2 4 1 13 Perkins 26 4-13 5-8 3-5 2 1 13 McMillan 32 5-8 0-1 0-4 6 1 11 Wingate 21 4-5 4-4 0-0 3 0 14 Cummings 17 4-6 4-5 1-3 1 2 12 Ehlo 4 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 Snow 8 1-2 1-2 1-1 0 2 3 Totals 240 37-78 35-45 15-36 23 18 113 Percentages: FG .474, FT .778.

3-Point Goals: 4-16, .250 (Wingate 2-2, McMillan 1-2, Hawkins 1-4, Kemp 0-1, Stewart 0-1, Payton 0-2, Perkins 0-4).

Team Rebounds: 10.

Blocked shots: 5 (Kemp 2, McIlvaine, Hawkins, Perkins).

Turnovers: 15 (Kemp 3, Hawkins 2, Payton 2, McMillan 2, McIlvaine, Perkins, Cummings, Snow, team 2).

Steals: 19 (McMillan 6, Hawkins 4, Kemp 2, Perkins 2, Stewart, Payton, Wingate, Cummings, Snow).

Technical fouls: Payton 2, 11:04 third.

Ejection: Payton, 11:04 third.

Illegal defense: None.

Sacramento 18 29 27 25 - 99

Seattle 27 34 24 28 - 113

A-17,072 (17,072). T-2:16.