Baker Goes Inside For 35; Sonics Roll

With each performance like the one he turned in Thursday night, Vin Baker will make Shawn Kemp a matter of memory in Seattle.

Baker hit 14 of 20 shots Thursday night, most on layups and dunks, and scored 35 points as the Seattle Supersonics dismantled the Toronto Raptors’ trapping defense en route to a 109-92 victory in front of a crowd of 15,459.

“I just went to the middle and my teammates found me the ball,” said the 6-foot-11, 250-pound Baker, who had little trouble finding room against a trio of smaller Raptors forwards. “I really feel that if my teammates can get me the ball under the basket, there isn’t much the opposition can do to stop me.”

Baker proved that point with authority in the first half, scoring 24 points on 10-of-11 shooting as the Sonics took a 59-44 lead at the break.

Walt Williams cut the Seattle lead to 84-77 with a 3-pointer with just under 9 minutes left in the game. Gary Payton, with the shot clock running down, responded with a 3-pointer from about 2 feet beyond the arc and Dale Ellis added another as Seattle moved ahead 90-77 with 7:49 remaining.

Payton, who used his speed to avoid Toronto’s constant double-teaming, got loose for 19 points and 13 assists, including nine in the first half.

“I was just going with the flow,” Payton said. “The way they were trapping I was forced to get the ball to the right people. But tonight it wasn’t about passing. It was about making our shots.”

Detlef Schrempf was strong in all facets of the game with 12 points, 11 rebounds and nine assists as the Sonics outshot Toronto 55 percent to 43.

Damon Stoudamire led the Raptors with 22 points. Williams had 19.

SuperSonics 109, Raptors 92

FG FT Reb SEATTLE Min M-A M-A O-T A PF Pts Schrempf 35 6-11 0-2 2-11 9 3 12 Baker 42 14-20 7-11 4-5 2 1 35 A.Williams 16 6-7 0-0 1-4 0 4 12 Hawkins 31 2-8 1-1 1-10 5 1 6 Payton 40 8-15 1-2 0-3 13 3 19 Perkins 20 0-3 1-2 0-0 3 4 1 Kersey 29 4-7 1-2 3-9 3 4 10 Ellis 17 3-7 0-0 0-0 2 3 8 Anthony 8 1-3 0-0 0-1 1 1 2 Wingate 2 2-3 0-0 0-1 0 0 4 Totals 240 46-84 11-20 11-44 38 24 109

Percentages: FG .548, FT .550.

3-Point Goals: 6-16, .375 (Payton 2-3, Ellis 2-5, Kersey 1-1, Hawkins 1-4, Schrempf 0-1, Perkins 0-1, Anthony 0-1).

Team Rebounds: 11. Blocked shots: 7 (Baker 3, Schrempf, A.Williams, Hawkins, Kersey).

Turnovers: 16 (Payton 5, Hawkins 4, Kersey 3, Schrempf 2, Baker, Ellis).

Steals: 6 (Baker 2, Hawkins 2, Schrempf, Wingate).

Technical fouls: None.

Illegal defense: 1.

FG FT Reb TORONTO Min M-A M-A O-T A PF Pts W.Williams 37 6-13 4-5 0-1 1 4 19 Camby 35 8-22 2-4 5-9 5 3 18 Tabak 11 0-1 0-0 0-1 0 0 0 Christie 40 3-12 7-7 2-7 1 1 13 Stoudamire 38 9-15 3-4 0-3 7 1 22 Jones 20 3-5 0-0 4-7 1 2 6 Wallace 27 2-6 4-4 2-4 3 1 8 Rogers 7 1-1 0-1 1-2 0 2 2 Respert 12 2-3 0-0 0-0 0 3 4 Slater 13 0-1 0-2 0-0 2 2 0 Totals 240 34-79 20-27 14-34 20 19 92

Percentages: FG .430, FT .741.

3-Point Goals: 4-11, .364 (W.Williams 3-4, Stoudamire 1-2, Christie 0-5).

Team Rebounds: 10.

Blocked shots: 10 (Camby 6, Wallace 2, W.Williams, Tabak).

Turnovers: 15 (Christie 3, W.Williams 2, Jones 2, Wallace 2, Slater 2, Camby, Stoudamire, Rogers, team).

Steals: 9 (Stoudamire 3, Camby 2, W.Williams, Christie, Wallace, Respert).

Technical fouls: illegal defense, 11:23 third.

Illegal defense: 1. Seattle 31 28 24 26 - 109 Toronto 23 21 28 20 - 92 A-15,459 (20,125). T-2:02.