Seattle stares down Sacramento with final-quarter charge

SEATTLE – A year ago, the Seattle SuperSonics would have folded up like a french pastry. But in case you haven’t noticed by now, this is not last year.

Not even close.

Facing a Sacramento Kings team intent on redemption and flexing its muscles, the Sonics stood up against every challenge and walked out of this fistfight with a 115-107 victory Thursday night at KeyArena.

It was Seattle’s fourth consecutive victory, improved its record to 34-13 and extended its lead over the Minnesota Timberwolves once again to 101/2 games in the Northwest Division.

When these teams met nine days earlier, it was a drastically different look, with Ray Allen missing with a viral infection and Chris Webber, Peja Stojakovic and Maurice Evans sidelined by various injuries.

There was no shortage of heated play this time around.

As is his wont, Reggie Evans agitated the Kings’ Chris Webber to the point that Webber was pounding the floor with his fists and complaining to the referees about Evans’ antics.

That set the stage for a fourth-quarter confrontation between Webber and Danny Fortson that ended with Fortson’s ejection.

Webber had the ball on the wing and knocked down Fortson, then stood over Fortson, who was called for the foul. Fortson got up and started jawing at Webber, who yelled back. Both were issued technical fouls.

When play resumed, Fortson brushed past Webber, then went after him.

Players stepped between them, but referee Danny Crawford issued Fortson another technical foul and ejected him. As he was walking off the court to the locker room, Fortson picked up a chair and threw it, an action that is sure to earn him a fine for unsportsmanlike conduct.

But more than anything, that exchange seemed to awaken a Sonics team that had played well but without a great deal of passion up to that point.

“That put that needed intensity in the game that we didn’t have at that time,” Antonio Daniels said.

Down by five, the Sonics scored six straight points, including a 3-pointer by Rashard Lewis right in Webber’s face that gave the Sonics a 96-95 lead with 6:24 left.

That was a lot of time left, and Sacramento regained the lead several times, including on a few baskets by Webber as he was being booed by the raucous crowd. After, Webber ran up the court shouting at the fans and pounding his chest.

But Seattle was not to be intimidated in this one, no matter what the circumstance. When Sacramento took a 103-100 lead, Seattle played good defense to get back in it. Nick Collison picked off a pass by Cuttino Mobley that led to a dunk by Daniels.

And Lewis stole a pass by Webber, then finished on the other end with a scoop shot while he was being fouled by Darius Songaila. When the ball rolled through, giving Seattle a 105-103 lead, the crowd exploded as Lewis pumped his fist in a display of emotion that has become more frequent.

The teams volleyed back and forth until Collison banked in a shot with 54.5 left, giving Seattle a 111-107 lead. When Mike Bibby and Mobley missed back-to-back 3s, and Daniels was fouled, the Sonics succeeded in passing yet another test.