Clippers Finish Off the Mark

The Seattle SuperSonics came to the Sports Arena Monday intent on maintaining their pace toward the best record in the NBA and the home-court advantage throughout the playoffs.

The Clippers were simply hoping to impress center Isaac Austin that they are a team on the road to respectability.

The SuperSonics achieved their goal with a surprisingly difficult 101-100 victory before a crowd of 6,578.

The Clippers also scored a victory of sorts, sending the game to its final possession before guard Darrick Martin missed a 26-foot shot as time was ran out.

“They might have been the better team tonight,” SuperSonic Coach George Karl said. “They never went away. We had three or four times where we had the lead with a chance to pull away, and they showed a lot of heart.”

Martin, who played the entire game and finished with 11 points, took an inbounds pass from Lamond Murray near halfcourt with 2.9 seconds left and dribbled to his left before pulling up for the shot.

“He gave it a good lick,” Clipper Coach Bill Fitch said. “From where I was standing, I thought it was going in.”

It missed, however, helping the SuperSonics improve their NBA-best record to 42-13 and league-leading road record to 20-9. Seattle has defeated the Clippers 25 times in their last 28 meetings, including 11 of the last 13 games at the Sports Arena.

The Clippers lost their seventh game in a row and have dropped 15 of their last 16. It was also the Clippers’ sixth consecutive loss at the Sports Arena, where they are 7-21 this season.

The Clippers, though, didn’t look the part.

Murray scored 15 of his 24 points in the first quarter. Eric Piatkowski had 19 points and made three three-point baskets, including one with 16 seconds left that pulled the Clippers within a point of the SuperSonics.

Piatkowski then stole a pass and tipped the ball, causing a scramble that resulted in a jump ball between Nate McMillan and Murray with 6.3 seconds left. The Clippers controlled the tip and called timeout. But play resumed, the SuperSonics took a delay of game while getting a handle on the Clippers’ plans.

“We wanted to get Darrick rolling to the basket,” said Murray, who also had nine rebounds, “but when they took that delay of game, they saw what were were going to do, so Darrick did the best he could.”

Austin, making his first start since being traded from the Miami Heat on Thursday, scored 17 points and had five rebounds, but had a game-high seven turnovers.

Seattle guard Gary Payton made only four of 12 shots, and finished with 12 points. But he had 10 assists and made a three-point basket with one minute left that put the SuperSonics in front, 99-97.

“That’s why they call him a great player, a money player,” Fitch said. “If he misses that and we get the rebound . . . “

Vin Baker led the SuperSonics with 27 points and seven rebounds.

Both teams shot 48% in a game that saw the lead change seven times with the Clippers ahead by as many as 10 points and the SuperSonics by as many as 11.

Murray punctuated his 17-point first half with a steal and breakaway jam that gave the Clippers a 53-51 lead at halftime.

Murray made five of six shots, including two three-pointers, in the first quarter. The Clippers made 12 of 18 shots (67%) on their way to a 35-26 lead at the end of the quarter.