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Sonics run over

Matt Harpring, who helped lead Utah to victory Friday night, is called for an offensive foul against Seattle's Ray Allen. (Associated Press / The Spokesman-Review)
Tim Booth Associated Press
Matt Harpring, who helped lead Utah to victory Friday night, is called for an offensive foul against Seattle's Ray Allen. (Associated Press / The Spokesman-Review)

SEATTLE – Deron Williams continued his streak of outstanding all-around play with 27 points, reserve Matt Harpring added 21, and the Utah Jazz improved to 8-1 Friday night with a 118-109 victory over the Seattle SuperSonics.

The 8-1 start for Utah – best in the NBA – is the second best in franchise history, behind only a 9-1 start to the 1999 season. Utah gets a chance to match that tonight, hosting Phoenix.

It’s unclear if Andrei Kirilenko will play in that game. The talented Russian forward stayed in Salt Lake City, missing his second straight game with a sprained right ankle.

Utah didn’t need him against the Sonics. Not with Williams scoring at least 20 points for the third time in Utah’s last four games and six Jazz players scoring in double figures.

Mehmet Okur had 15 points and 11 rebounds and Carlos Boozer 14 and 13.

Williams scored 23 in the second half and combined with Derek Fisher to hand out 14 of Utah’s 27 assists. Williams also kept Seattle’s Luke Ridnour in check, leaving the Sonics’ scoring load to Ray Allen and Rashard Lewis.

Allen finished with 32 – his fourth game with 30 or more points – and Lewis added 24. But a third and fourth scorer failed to emerge for the Sonics (4-6), who have lost two straight at home after a three-game win streak.

Ridnour finished with 15 points, most coming late. Ridnour had scored 19, 32 and 20 points, respectively, in his previous three games.

The 118 points are a season high for Utah. Harpring’s 3-pointer with 1:45 left put the Jazz up 107-97 just moments after Allen missed a wide-open 3. It was just Harpring’s third basket of the second half, but sent Seattle fans headed for the exits.

Okur added the final blow, hitting his second 3-pointer in the final 5 minutes with 50 seconds left, pushing the lead to 13. Utah also dominated the boards, outrebounding Seattle 47-27, including 19-5 on the offensive end.

Reserve Nick Collison added 11 points for Seattle, but the Sonics reserves were outscored 47-24. Seattle shot 54 percent but gave up 36 points in the fourth quarter.

Seattle twice rallied to take leads in the third quarter, first at 57-56 and again at 68-67. But Utah closed the third on an 11-3 run behind six points from Williams to retake control.

Arena locale sought

The ICON Venue Group of Denver has been hired by the owners of the Sonics to plan and develop a potential arena complex in the Puget Sound region, the team announced.

“Without question, we have selected the very best in the world for this complex and challenging project,” Sonics chairman Clay Bennett said in a statement.

Bennett and his group purchased the team in July for $350 million. The Sonics’ future in the Seattle area is dependent on finding a replacement for Key Arena, Bennett has said.

Finding a solution in the city of Seattle became more difficult last week, when voters approved an initiative that restricted public financing from the city for a new arena without the city receiving a return on the investment. Team owners have been looking at suburban sites near the cityand hopes to have one decided on in late December or early January.