Struggling Sonics hit the long road

SEATTLE – Reggie Evans appropriately described the Seattle SuperSonics’ recent struggles on their home floor:

“The way we’ve been losing, we’ve kind of slapped ourselves upside the head,” Evans said.

No kidding.

Nine of Seattle’s 12 games so far this month were played at home, but the Sonics won just four of them. The Sonics’ lone road trips were to Utah, Portland and Phoenix, where they won two of three.

“We know we shot ourselves in the foot probably five times, and if we won three of those games, we’d be leading the division,” coach Bob Weiss said. “Yet, we feel like we’re just horrible. We’re very, very close, and so we just have to keep after it.”

Some of the disappointment was tempered by a strong 118-111 win over Boston on Monday night, but the Sonics have an important back-to-back set at Minnesota and Denver on Wednesday and Thursday.

“I think it’s going to let us know where we stand, these back-to-back games,” Rashard Lewis said.

The Sonics return home to play Memphis on New Year’s Eve, but then won’t see much of their home arena for the next two months.

Seattle plays 11 of its next 15 on the road, including a five-game East Coast swing to Indiana, Detroit, Chicago, New York and Philadelphia.

February isn’t much friendlier, with 10 of 14 games on the road and an 11-day, six-game trip spanning the All-Star break.

Playing on the road hasn’t affected Seattle as much as others, despite extended travel from the Northwest. The Sonics are 5-6 on the road this year and were 26-15 last season.

“A lot of teams play with much more confidence at home. We seem to play the same both places,” Weiss said. “I’m not exactly sure why that is, but that’s kind of been the profile of this team.”

Unlike last season, when Seattle used a strong start and coasted to the division title, the Sonics failed to use their friendly December and make a move toward the top of the relatively weak division.

Seattle had chances, but watched New York, Houston, Golden State and Dallas pull out fourth-quarter wins behind standout individual performances by Jamal Crawford, Tracy McGrady, Baron Davis and Dirk Nowitzki.

If there was solace, four of Seattle’s home losses came by a combined 15 points.

“It sucks losing, regardless of how close the game is, but I don’t think we’re miles away,” forward Nick Collison said.

Theoretically, Seattle could leave Denver on Thursday night in first place in the Northwest Division. It’ll also be the last time Seattle sees these two division foes for at least six weeks.

“It’s wide open for us,” Evans said. “We need to take advantage of the opportunity.”

Guards Murray, Ridnour ailing

Supersonics guard Ronald “Flip” Murray has dislocations of two fingers on his right hand and will be evaluated on a day-to-day basis before three Seattle games this week.

Murray scored a season-high 29 points off the bench Monday in the Sonics’ win over Boston. But he collided with Celtics guard Ricky Davis for a loose ball late in the game.

X-rays taken late Monday were negative. Murray then had further tests Tuesday before the team left for games today and Thursday at Minnesota and Denver. The tests confirmed the original diagnosis of dislocations of the proximal interphalangeal (PIP) joints – the knuckles – of the ring and middle fingers on Murray’s right hand.

Murray, acquired as a rookie in a 2003 trade that sent Gary Payton to Milwaukee and brought Ray Allen to Seattle, is averaging 11.5 points per game as a Sonics reserve this season. He missed 19 games last season with a left quadriceps strain.

He played a season-high 32 minutes Monday – most in place of starting point guard Luke Ridnour. Ridnour became nauseous during the game, a lingering effect of abdominal and chest pain from a collision Friday with Dallas’ Jerry Stackhouse. Ridnour had further tests Tuesday. The team also lists him as day-to-day.

The Sonics listed reserve center Mikki Moore as day-to-day with a lower back strain.