Sonics snap 14-game losing streak

SEATTLE – Kevin Durant scored 26 points, including the go-ahead jump shot with 32.6 seconds remaining and Seattle stunned the defending NBA champion San Antonio Spurs 88-85 on Tuesday night to finally end a team-record losing streak at 14 games.

Durant swished an open shot created by a screen from Kurt Thomas, whose consecutive open jumpers had given Seattle an unlikely lead with 90 seconds to go. Luke Ridnour hit two free throws with 12 seconds left before Manu Ginobili, who had 29 points, missed a leaning 3-pointer with 4.9 seconds remaining that would have tied it.

The Spurs lost for a season-high third consecutive time while playing without star Tony Parker. The point guard will be out indefinitely with a bone spur in his left heel, coach Gregg Popovich announced before the game.

San Antonio is 9-9 this season without Parker, Ginobili or Tim Duncan. Duncan scored 27 points but was frustrated for much of the night while missing 11 of 21 shots.

The Spurs are 0-2 on a nine-game trip to both coasts, San Antonio’s annual trek while the city’s stock show and rodeo take over its home court.

Popovich said this week that his teams have often used the “rodeo trip” to improve focus. The Spurs went 8-1 on the trip in 2003 before lassoing the second of four NBA titles since 1999. They went 5-2 on the rodeo trip en route to winning it all in 2005.

Then again, the Spurs were 4-4 on their trek last year – then went 23-6 after the All-Star break and won another league title a few months later.

Now, they will have to get along without Parker, their catalyst who is averaging 19.2 points and 6.1 assists per game this season.

But they still have Duncan and Ginobili, who was playing his second game since taking off the protective device he’d been wearing this month over his sprained left index finger.

A visibly agitated Duncan got a frustration foul and went to the bench in the final minute of the third quarter after a turnover that he thought was a slap across his wrist by Thomas. While Duncan sat and stewed, Seattle turned a 64-59 deficit into a 69-66 lead.

Durant has 51 points in two games this season against the Spurs, who entered the day with the third-best scoring defense in the league.