Sonics Punish Wolves Send Strong Message With 34-Point Win

It’s amazing what a little home cooking and sleeping in your own bed can accomplish.

Just ask the revitalized Seattle SuperSonics, who took full advantage of a three-day break to trounce the Minnesota Timberwolves, 114-80, before 17,072 fans at KeyArena on Saturday afternoon.

The Sonics looked like a completely different club than the one that trudged through a four-game trip to the East Coast last week. They ran the court at will, shot the ball better than they have in weeks and were so active defensively, the Wolves found it difficult to get into any flow.

The result was Seattle’s third consecutive victory, which improved its record to 48-15 and extended its Pacific Division-lead over the Los Angeles Lakers (44-18) to 3-1/2 games. The Sonics will play host to Los Angeles on Monday night at KeyArena.

“The break allowed us to exhale,” Greg Anthony said. “What happens over the course of the season is you have breakdowns in various aspects of the game. The break allowed us to get back to doing the things we do best. We just need to continue to build upon that.”

Perhaps equally important as extending their Western Conference lead over Utah to 1-1/2 games, the Sonics also got in the Timberwolves’ heads a little. It is very likely these two teams will meet in the first round of the playoffs, and of Seattle’s three victories in four games against Minnesota this season, the Sonics wanted to make sure Saturday’s stomping was the most memorable.

“If we meet this team in the first round, they are going to understand that it definitely is going to be a war and it is going to be a tough series,” Vin Baker said. “This was an important game for us to come out and establish ourselves like this.”

And don’t think the Wolves did not get the message. Loud and clear. The 34-point margin tied the Sonics’ most decisive decision of the season.

“When you come in here, you hope your guys are going to have a little bit more of an edge,” Minnesota coach Flip Saunders said, “knowing that if you don’t play, you are going to get killed. That’s why teams (run it up). You do it to send a message and try to destroy your will, not thinking you have confidence. If we play like we did today, we will not be a tough matchup for anybody. We wouldn’t be a tough matchup in March Madness.”

By forcing the Wolves (33-31) into 21 turnovers - seven in the first quarter - and shooting 57 percent (12 for 21) from 3-point range, the Sonics put this game away quickly and easily.

By the end, in fact, the starters were on the bench and Sonics coach George Karl had called in the reserves. Check out the lineup that finished up: Anthony, Aaron Williams, Jim McIlvaine, George Zidek and Jerome Kersey.

Still, Zidek drilled a 3-pointer at the final buzzer and raised both arms as if he had just won the NBA Finals, capping a day that went entirely the Sonics’ way.

No one could have been happier, however, than Kersey, playing his first game since separating his shoulder in Utah on Jan. 28. In 21 minutes, Kersey grabbed 13 rebounds and had five points on 2-for-7 shooting, including a nifty left-handed running hook shot.

“It felt good,” Kersey said. “I got a little tired at the end there, but I didn’t expect to play that many minutes. I was pushing myself up and down the court. But I just wanted to get back. The only way to get back into court shape is by getting back out there.”

MEMO: This sidebar appeared with the story: SuperSonics 114, Timberwolves 80 FG FT Reb MINNESOTA Min M-A M-A O-T A PF Pts Garnett 38 6-11 0-0 0-10 5 3 12 Mitchell 36 4-8 4-4 1-3 1 3 12 Roberts 25 4-6 1-5 3-10 0 2 9 Marbury 31 3-9 3-4 1-3 5 3 10 Peeler 34 3-13 0-0 2-4 4 2 6 Porter 23 6-12 2-2 0-1 0 1 16 Parks 18 2-2 0-0 2-4 0 0 4 Hammonds 16 1-5 2-2 1-1 1 2 4 Jordan 12 0-2 1-4 1-1 1 0 1 Wheat 7 2-6 1-1 1-1 1 1 6 Totals 240 31-74 14-22 12-38 18 17 80

Percentages: FG .419, FT .636. 3-Point Goals: 4-16, .250 (Porter 2-5, Wheat 1-2, Marbury 1-6, Peeler 0-3). Team Rebounds: 10. Blocked shots: 4 (Garnett 2, Roberts, Hammond). Turnovers: 21 (Garnett 5, Marbury 4, Roberts 3, Mitchell 2, Peeler 2, Porter 2, Parks 2, Jordan). Steals: 6 (Wheat 2, Marbury 2, Garnett, Jordan). Technical fouls: None. Illegal defense: 1.

FG FT Reb SEATTLE Min M-A M-A O-T A PF Pts Baker 33 4-10 2-4 1-5 2 1 10 Schrempf 28 4-11 6-8 2-5 1 1 14 McIlvaine 24 2-4 0-0 0-1 0 2 4 Hawkins 34 6-10 2-2 0-3 2 1 16 Payton 31 4-14 2-2 0-4 14 2 13 Perkins 17 7-9 1-1 0-2 2 2 18 Ellis 21 6-7 1-2 0-2 2 2 14 Kersey 21 2-7 1-2 5-13 2 2 5 Anthony 18 4-5 1-2 0-1 6 1 11 Williams 8 3-4 0-0 0-5 0 3 6 Zidek 5 1-2 0-0 0-0 1 1 3 Totals 240 43-83 16-23 8-41 32 18 114

Percentages: FG .518, FT .696. 3-Point Goals: 12-21, .571 (Payton 3-5, Perkins 3-5, Anthony 2-2, Hawkins 2-4, Ellis 1-1, Zidek 1-1, Kersey 0-1, Schrempf 0-2). Team Rebounds: 9. Blocked shots: 6 (McIlvaine 3, Baker, Hawkins, Kersey). Turnovers: 12 (Kersey 4, Baker 2, McIlvaine 2, Williams 2, Schrempf, Ellis). Steals: 14 (Payton 5, Baker 3, Hawkins 2, Schrempf, Ellis, Kersey, Anthony). Technical fouls: None. Illegal defense: 1.

Minnesota 25 17 18 20 - 80 Seattle 28 26 27 33 - 114

A-17,072 (17,072). T-2:00.