Hornets Board Sonics To Death Seattle Manages Mere 20 Rebounds In Narrow Loss At Charlotte, 104-98

The Charlotte Hornets were really up for the Seattle SuperSonics.

The Hornets outrebounded the SuperSonics 48-20 Friday night and hung on for a 104-98 win over the best team in the Western Conference.

Seattle’s rebound total was a franchise low for a game and an all-time low for a Charlotte opponent. The Hornets’ work on the offensive glass produced 19 rebounds, one short of the Sonics’ total at both ends.

“It just shows that when we’re clicking, we can beat any team in the league,” Glen Rice said. “I’ve never been part of a game where a team had that kind of rebounding advantage. But I guess if you get out and play hard, you can accomplish just about anything.”

Despite the rebounding disparity, the Hornets needed most of Rice’s 29 points, including three free throws in the final nine seconds, to clinch their seventh straight victory.

Vernon Maxwell scored 22 points off the bench for the Hornets - 12 during a key stretch in the second quarter - and Anthony Mason contributed 13 points and a season-high 17 rebounds.

Vin Baker paced Seattle with 25 points, and Gary Payton added 22, as the Sonics lost two straight for only the second time this season.

Payton hit an off-balance 3-pointer from the right corner to cut Charlotte’s lead to 99-97 with 52 seconds left.

After a Charlotte turnover, Baker rimmed out a 12-foot turnaround jumper that would have tied the score. Matt Geiger, who had 12 points and 11 rebounds, converted a layup at the other end for 101-97 Hornets lead with 15.1 seconds left.

Rice scored the Hornets’ last three points from the line, and all Seattle could manage was a single free throw from Baker.

The Sonics seemed surprised they were even that close down the stretch.

“We weren’t blocking out,” said Detlef Schrempf, who scored 11 points. “Besides defense, the rebounding aspect has been the worst category for us all season. You have to give the Hornets credit - their big guys played excellent down low.”

Hornets 104, SuperSonics 98

FG FT Reb SEATTLE Min M-A M-A O-T A PF Pts Schrempf 35 4-10 3-4 0-4 7 5 11 Baker 41 10-16 5-12 0-5 1 4 25 McIlvaine 18 2-3 0-0 2-3 1 4 4 Payton 43 10-17 0-0 0-2 8 3 22 Hawkins 35 5-6 0-0 1-2 4 0 13 Perkins 24 4-7 2-2 0-1 2 2 11 Ellis 23 2-6 0-0 1-2 1 4 5 McMillan 13 1-3 0-0 0-1 4 5 2 A.Williams 5 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 1 0 Anthony 3 2-2 0-2 0-0 0 1 5 Totals 240 40-70 10-20 4-20 28 29 98 Percentages: FG .571, FT .500. 3-Point Goals: 8-16, .500 (Hawkins 3-3, Payton 2-5, Anthony 1-1, Perkins 1-2, Ellis 1-3, Schrempf 0-2). Team Rebounds: 8. Blocked shots: 3 (McIlvaine 3). Turnovers: 15 (Payton 5, Baker 3, Perkins 3, Ellis 2, Hawkins, Anthony). Steals: 7 (Perkins 3, Ellis 2, Payton 2). Technical fouls: Payton, 2:05 second; Schrempf, 5:24 fourth. Illegal defense: None. FG FT Reb CHARLOTTE Min M-A M-A O-T A PF Pts Mason 44 4-7 5-10 6-17 7 4 13 Rice 44 9-16 10-11 0-2 3 3 29 Geiger 38 5-10 2-5 6-11 2 3 12 Wesley 39 4-11 1-2 2-5 8 5 10 Phills 32 4-7 4-4 3-8 3 5 13 Divac 14 2-4 0-0 1-3 3 2 4 Beck 9 0-1 1-2 0-0 1 1 1 Maxwell 20 8-14 1-1 1-2 1 1 22 Totals 240 36-70 24-35 19-48 28 24 104 Percentages: FG .514, FT .686.

3-Point Goals: 8-17, .471 (Maxwell 5-9, Rice 1-2, Wesley 1-3, Phills 1-3).

Team Rebounds: 9.

Blocked shots: 0.

Turnovers: 25 (Wesley 7, Geiger 6, Phills 4, Mason 2, Rice 2, Divac, Maxwell, team 2).

Steals: 13 (Wesley 5, Mason 3, Geiger 2, Beck 2, Maxwell).

Technical fouls: Mason, 5:24 fourth.

Illegal defense: None.

Seattle 20 29 23 26 - 98

Charlotte 20 38 18 28 - 104

A-24,042 (24,042). T-2:15.