Every complaint that the Seattle Supersonics have had thus far this season could have been echoed last night by the Orlando Magic.

Back-to-backs have been a killer? Orlando was playing for the second time in as many nights, not getting into Seattle until 1 am after losing to Portland yesterday evening.

Long road trips to the other coast have caused fatigue? The Magic were playing the final game of a six game road trip -- five of them on the West Coast -- and entered the game 1-4 on the trip.

Injuries have been painful? Well, the Sonics haven't lost anyone remotely near the caliber of Grant Hill, who resided not in Orlando's starting lineup but instead, as he has most of the last season plus, on the injured list.

As if all that wasn't enough in Seattle's favor, they got another early-Christmas gift when Orlando star guard Tracy McGrady, averaging 36 points on the trip with three campaigns of 40 or more, strained his back on a dunk just five minutes into the game, not to return the rest of the night.

In the early going, Orlando's play must have reminded Sonic fans of the way their own team has responded to back-to-backs (0-8 thus far this season). Getting balanced excellence from each of their starters, the Sonics jumped out to a 25-9 lead seven minutes into the game. By that point, McGrady was gone for good, and it appeared the Sonics would cruise.

As with most things, however, it wasn't that easy. In the second quarter, the Sonic defense relented, and Orlando, playing a small lineup with several three-point threats, took advantage on the perimeter. After giving up 34 in the first quarter, Orlando scored 30 of their own in the second quarter. At halftime, the Magic remained within striking distance, trailing by 7.

Orlando's third quarter play was keyed by second-year forward Mike Miller, last season's Rookie of the Year. Buoyed by three triples, Miller gave fans a taste of what they might see on a regular basis if he weren't in the considerable shadows of McGrady and Hill, scoring 23 points and adding 8 boards. Along with the rest of the small lineup, Miller brought the Magic within three in the third quarter.

The Sonics returned fire with a flurry of jumpers from Gary Payton, who decided to take matters into his own hands midway through the third quarter. He scored 8 points in a four-minute period, and the Sonics managed to return the lead to a healthy 11 at the close of the third.

Utilizing a small lineup to start the fourth quarter, with Art Long, Desmond Mason, Brent Barry, Earl Watson, and Payton in a four-guard lineup, the Sonics didn't let up. Instead, they went on a 13-3 run to start the quarter which put their lead at 21 and, for all intents and purposes, ended the game with 7 minutes left.

By that point, the only drama left was whether the Sonics would get to 110 points, earning the fans free chalupas in a promotion from Taco Bell. After a brief offensive dry spell, Long gave the fans what they wanted by scoring on a nice drive from the right corner with just under two minutes left.

Payton led the balanced Sonic offensive attack with 26 points on 13 of 24 shooting, adding in a team-high 9 assists. Barry had 22 points on 8 of 14 shooting, including 4 of 8 from beyond the arc, and added 8 rebounds and 6 assists. Vin Baker had a quietly fine game, scoring 19 points on 7 of 15 shooting and adding 9 rebounds. Lewis added 14 points. Long, starting for the first time this season, responded with career-highs in both points and rebounds for his second career double-double. He had 12 points on 6 of 9 shooting along with 12 rebounds. Watson provided his usual spark off the bench, scoring 10 points on 3 of 5 shooting, adding 2 of 3 from beyond the arc and 4 steals while turning the ball over just once.

Beyond Miller's 23 points, only one other Orlando player was in double figures. Reserve guard Troy Hudson had 10 points and 5 assists. Darrell Armstrong and Pat Garrity both had 9 points, while Steven Hunter and Jud Buechler contributed 6 rebounds.

Notes:
Mason returned from injury to play 28 minutes, scoring 7 points on a subpar 3 of 9 shooting ... Mason took the minutes of rookie forward Vladimir Radmanovic, who sat out with a sprained ankle suffered Wednesday against the Clippers ... Antonio Harvey also did not play due to injury. Harvey will only play as needed ... the Sonics' last two starting centers, Horace Grant and Patrick Ewing, had an unsuccessful return to Seattle. They combined for 11 points and 8 rebounds in 40 minutes of play.

SC.com Player of the Game: Tonight's play displayed a markedly different Art Long from the one we saw at the beginning of the season. Playing confidently and intelligently, Long recorded a double-double, more than fans can ask for out of the Seattle center position on most nights.