Sonics Back On Right Track After Two-Straight Losses, Seattle Knocks Off Minnesota

At this point in the season, the Seattle SuperSonics are not so worried about how they win games, as long as they win.

So the fact that they defeated a depleted Minnesota Timberwolves team just 99-98 in overtime at the Target Center Sunday afternoon is not so much a concern as it is a consolation, particularly since their recent two-game losing streak closed the gap even further on the best record in the league, which will determine who has homecourt advantage throughout the playoffs.

By avoiding their first three-game losing streak in 15 months - since Dec. 14, 1996 - and winning their third overtime game in three tries this season, the Sonics, who have defeated Minnesota 27 of the past 28 times, improved to 46-15 and head home for the final stretch of the season, where they play 13 of their last 21 games at KeyArena.

“We have 21 games left,” Gary Payton said. “We should win 19 or 18 of those games - easily. We can’t let Chicago win 20-some games and us go 15-6.”

The Sonics finished this four-game road trip with a 2-2 record - they are 22-11 overall away from home - which, considering their problems since the All-Star break, they will happily take.

“It was probably one of the ugliest ones ever,” Detlef Schrempf said, “but we’ll be happy with 2-2, the way we are playing.”

With their win over a Timberwolves team playing without Tom Gugliotta, the Sonics (46-15) also maintained a 3-1/2-game lead in the Pacific Division over the Los Angeles Lakers (41-18), who defeated the Detroit Pistons Sunday. The division title race has come down to a two-team affair, with Phoenix bowing out with a recent slump; the Suns trail the Sonics by 6-1/2 games. Utah trails the Sonics by two games in the Western Conference.

The Sonics nearly made the race even closer because they could not hit free throws in overtime that would have sealed the victory. Overall, they were 24 of 36 from the foul line, a shortcoming that cost them a game in Charlotte on Friday.

After Vin Baker missed a last-second shot in regulation that would have won the game, the Sonics took a 98-94 lead in the extra period with 2:40 left to go.

After neither team could make a shot for 2 minutes, Minnesota’s Kevin Garnett was fouled and made both shots to draw the Wolves (32-29) within 98-96 with 42.3 to go.

Payton then was fouled with 12.7 seconds left and could have iced the game, but he made only 1 of 2 for a 99-96 lead. Anthony Peeler hit a 3-point attempt off the side of the backboard, but Sam Mitchell put back the carom for 99-98 with 11.8 left.

Greg Anthony then was fouled intentionally, but he clanked both free throws, giving the Wolves one last shot. Garnett missed a 16-footer at the buzzer as Minnesota dropped to 7-12 since Gugliotta had season-ending ankle surgery.

“We won that game with a lot of guts,” Sonics coach George Karl said. “There is no basketball team in the world that can play well for 100 games a year. I thought it was a positive step that we struggled but we fought. It was a great win. I’m very happy.”

However, there still are some concerns that Karl said he wants to work on this week, when the Sonics play two games in the next seven days. First and foremost is rebounding, particularly after Seattle grabbed a franchise record-low 20 Friday night.

They led the Wolves by seven rebounds in the second period, but ended up being outrebounded 50-45, and gave up 22 offensive rebounds for 19 second-chance points by Minnesota.

“Tonight, I though we worked hard at rebounding, but I thought the ball didn’t bounce our way, which is part of it,” Karl said. “We’ll work on it this week.”

The Sonics won because they put on one of their defensive displays at the end of the third quarter and beginning of the fourth, when they went on a 19-2 run that took them from a 13-point deficit to an 87-80 lead with seven minutes left in the fourth.

They also won because Baker scored a game-high 27 points, 15 of which came from the free throw line. He also grabbed 12 rebounds.

Payton had 22 points, Dale Ellis 13 points, four rebounds and four assists and Sam Perkins had 11.

Sonics 99, Timberwolves 98 (OT)

FG FT Reb SEATTLE Min M-A M-A O-T A PF Pts Schrempf 42 3-11 0-0 1-8 7 4 6 Baker 43 6-15 15-21 7-12 1 3 27 McIlvaine 14 3-4 0-0 2-7 0 3 6 Hawkins 39 0-7 0-0 0-4 2 2 0 Payton 45 8-19 2-4 2-3 2 1 22 Perkins 25 5-10 0-0 1-5 1 3 11 Ellis 33 3-8 4-6 1-4 4 0 13 Anthony 16 3-5 2-4 0-2 4 3 9 A.William 8 2-3 1-1 0-0 1 4 5 Totals 265 33-82 24-36 14-45 22 23 99

Percentages: FG .402, FT .667.

3-Point Goals: 9-18, .500 (Payton 4-7, Ellis 3-5, Perkins 1-1, Anthony 1-1, Schrempf 0-1, Hawkins 0-3).

Team Rebounds: 15.

Blocked shots: 10 (Mcilvaine 4, Baker 2, Payton 2, Schrempf, Ellis).

Turnovers: 10 (Schrempf 3, Hawkins 2, Payton 2, McIlvaine, A.Williams, team).

Steals: 7 (Payton 2, Ellis 2,Schrempf, Perkins, Anthony).

Technical fouls: Anthony, 10:54, second.

Illegal defense: 1.

FG FT Reb MINNESOTA Min M-A M-A O-T A PF Pts Garnett 51 7-21 5-8 4-10 3 5 19 Mitchell 40 10-17 0-0 4-5 4 4 21 Roberts 11 0-1 0-0 1-2 2 4 0 Peeler 48 7-17 3-4 4-9 2 1 20 Marbury 45 5-24 4-7 0-7 13 4 15 Parks 24 2-7 3-4 5-10 0 4 7 Hammonds 28 3-5 3-4 3-6 0 3 9 Porter 13 2-3 0-0 1-1 2 0 5 Carr 5 1-4 0-0 0-0 0 1 2 Totals 265 37-99 18-27 22-50 26 26 98

Percentages: FG .374, FT .667.

3-Point Goals: 6-17, .353 (Peeler 3-6, Mitchell 1-1, Porter 1-2, Marbury 1-6, Carr 0-2).

Team Rebounds: 22.

Blocked shots: 6 (Garnett 4, Mitchell, Hammonds).

Turnovers: 11 (Garnett 3, Marbury 3, Roberts, Peeler, Parks, Porter, team).

Steals: 5 (Peeler 3, Garnett, Mitchell).

Technical fouls: Mitchell, 10:54, second.

Illegal defense: None.

Seattle 17 26 27 22 7 - 99

Minnesota 24 22 25 21 6 - 98

A-19,006 (19,006). T-2:40.