Closs, Fitch Meet to Clear the Air

Center Keith Closs, who complained that Coach Bill Fitch was trying to play mind games with him after benching him for the final three quarters of Sunday’s 107-101 loss at Seattle, met with Fitch after Tuesday morning’s shoot-around.

Fitch suspended and/or fined players for making critical comments during his first three seasons here, but didn’t fine Closs in this instance.

He shrugged it off, saying he has been criticized before.

“We had so much fallout that we’re still recovering from it,” Fitch joked. “Keith is squared away. He’s in uniform ready to go tonight.”

Closs, making his first NBA start after scoring a season-best 15 points in Friday’s 83-74 loss to the Atlanta Hawks, had four points and no rebounds in eight minutes against the SuperSonics on Sunday.

However, he had trouble checking SuperSonic center Jim McIlvaine, who made three of four shots and had six points in the first quarter.

“Maybe I should have talked to Coach Fitch first,” Closs said.

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Guard Brent Barry, who won the NBA dunk contest in 1996, was disappointed after the NBA said it was canceling the contest for the 1998 All-Star Game in New York.

“I’m glad I won it when I did,” Barry said.