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Sonics get win

The Seattle SuperSonics' Delonte West, left, dunks the ball in front of Minnesota's Gerald Green. Associated Press (Associated Press / The Spokesman-Review)
Associated Press The Spokesman-Review
The Seattle SuperSonics' Delonte West, left, dunks the ball in front of Minnesota's Gerald Green. Associated Press (Associated Press / The Spokesman-Review)

SEATTLE – An injury to the team’s franchise player overshadowed a nice win by the SuperSonics.

Wally Szczerbiak and rookie Jeff Green each scored 18 points, and Seattle overcame the loss of Kevin Durant to beat the Minnesota Timberwolves 109-90 on Saturday night.

The Sonics played the final three quarters without Durant, their leading scorer. The second pick in the 2007 draft, who is averaging 20.2 points, sprained his left index finger near the end of the first period. X-rays were negative, but Seattle held Durant out as a precaution.

With 9.2 seconds left in the first period he came off the floor to the Sonics bench holding his hands together.

“I just ran into somebody and sprained my finger. It was kind of hurting more than it usually does,” Durant said. “I hit it in every game and the pain usually stops, but tonight it started throbbing and swelling up a little bit. I wanted to play but our trainer just wanted me to sit out for the rest of the game.”

Durant, the Sonics’ first pick (second overall) in the 2007 NBA draft, leads the team in minutes played at 33.7. He has started all 30 games for the Sonics. His status is uncertain for Monday’s home game against Philadelphia.

The Sonics also lost forward Chris Wilcox to a sprained left knee with 2:07 left in the third period. He did not return. His status also is uncertain.

“It looked to me like Weezy’s was worse, but I don’t know if that’s accurate,” Sonics coach P.J. Carlesimo said.

“I just hope it’s nothing serious because I want to be able to help my teammates. I am going to get X-rays tomorrow, so hopefully everything will come back negative tomorrow and I’ll be back on the court,” Wilcox said.

The Sonics (9-21) trailed by nine at the end of the first period. But Szczerbiak scored 15 points in the second period to help give the Sonics a 57-46 lead by intermission.

“Wally Szczerbiak has been for a long time, and still is, a very good player in this league,” Carlesimo said. “I think more so than with most of our guys, with Kurt (Thomas) and Wally we know what we’re getting night to night.”

The Sonics took the drama out of the game with a 12-0 spurt midway through the third period. By the 3:09 mark, they had an 80-52 lead. Their 19-point margin of victory was their largest this season.

Antoine Walker hit the game’s first 3-pointer for a 27-21 lead in the final minute of the first quarter, then followed with another at the buzzer for a nine-point advantage. The Wolves shot 62 percent in the period.