Sonics Find Right Fourth Quarter Path Against Atlanta

Payton, James Lead Team to Close Victory Down Stretch

Jerome James, left, came up with a pair of crucial put-back dunks in the closing minutes last night.

After losing another heartbreaking tight home game which was decided in the final seconds on Wednesday against Portland, the Seattle SuperSonics were desperately in need of a win down the stretch to regain their confidence in such situations.
They didn't necessarily expect it to come Friday night, against the 19-35 Atlanta Hawks, who had lost by 15 the previous night to the Portland Trailblazers.
However, the Hawks not only stayed close but led most of the way thanks to hurculean efforts from point guard -- and Seattle native -- Jason Terry and All-Star forward Shareef Abdur-Rahim.
When Brent Barry made a three pointer -- one of four on the night -- four minutes into the fourth quarter, a back-and-forth struggle where every possession counted was on. The teams entered the final five minutes with Atlanta up two, 88-86, but the Sonics quickly tied the game as Jerome James, seeing action down the stretch for the first time in three months, rebounded a missed three pointer and slammed it home emphatically at the 4:51 mark.
After a stop, the Sonics put the ball in the hands of Gary Payton. Backing down his smaller defender, Jacque Vaughn, Payton drew double-team attention from the Hawks, who left open Rashard Lewis. Lewis slid from the corner to the elbow, just beyond the arc, where Payton was able to swing a pass and a wide-open Lewis tickled the twine with a cold-blooded three that gave the Sonics the lead, 91-88, for the first time in the fourth quarter. The KeyArena crowd, waiting nervously much of the night, exploded into pandemonium, forcing Atlanta coach Lon Kruger to take a timeout.
The stoppage of play didn't end the bleeding for the Hawks, as Abdur-Rahim, trying to pass out of a double-team necessitated by Seattle coach Nate McMillan's decision to defend him with the 6-5 Desmond Mason, threw the ball into the front row. Payton followed with a jumper that gave the Sonics only their second lead of five or more points all night.
Atlanta then summoned the energy to fight back. Abdur-Rahim made a baseline jumper over Mason and Barry missed a three, giving the Hawks a chance to get within one or tie with two and a half minutes left. Abdur-Rahim again was doubled, leaving DerMarr Johnson an open look at a game- tying three. He missed, but Alan Henderson recovered the offensive rebound and was fouled. He made both attempts to make it a one-point game with 2:25 to play.
Both teams failed to score on their ensuing possessions, leaving the Sonics still up one as they took possession with a minute and twenty seconds left. Payton, who had struggled in the Sonics' late defeats, drove the right side of the lane and made a fadeaway jumper from the baseline to give the Sonics back a three point lead, 95-92, with a tick under a minute remaining.
After calling a timeout to set up a play, Atlanta went back to Abdur-Rahim in the post. He was fouled and sent to the line, where he split the two attempts. Up two, a Sonic score seemed ready to finally send away the pesky Hawks. Payton again got the call, but was off with a jumper. Again, the Sonics had an answer in James, who stepped up marvelously for the injured Vin Baker, who was placed on the injured list before the game, with nine points and seven boards. He rebounded, dunked, and the game looked over.
Following another timeout, Terry looked to score quickly for Atlanta. He sliced the lane and diced the Sonic defense, leaving Henderson open before he was fouled. This time, Henderson missed both attempts, but the Sonics could not secure the rebound and the Hawks saved it in and eventually worked it to Terry, who nailed an open three to provide some drama.
With 13 seconds left, the Hawks now trailed by just one, 97-96. Needing two free throws to keep Atlanta from having any shot of winning in regulation, the Sonics inbounded the ball after a timeout to Mason. He sunk both.
The Hawks needed a three, but Terry was effectively shut off by the Sonics, who switched as he went through a screen. The ball eventually came to Abdur-Rahim, who has made just 10 triples this season. He got off a shot, but it was forced in the face of strong defense. A scrap ensued for the ball and Sonic guard Shammond Williams knocked it toward his team's baseline, going out of bounds with 1.1 seconds left. Without any timeouts, the Hawks needed to throw the ball the length of the court and make a three. The ball went to Abdur-Rahim again, but he could not control it and time ran out, allowing the Sonics to escape with a hard-fought victory.
The Hawks were able to get to the end of the game on the backs of Terry and Abdur-Rahim. Playing in front of family, Terry scored 32 points on 12 of 25 shooting and handed out eight assists. Abdur-Rahim was a monster inside, dominating the glass with 16 boards and also scoring 25 points. Johnson, with 13, was the only other Hawk in double figures.
The Sonics countered with balanced scoring. Payton led with 21 points and eight assists, but Barry (6 of 9 from the field) and Mason chipped in 17 points apiece, while James provided a strong interior force.
Atlanta, showing no ill effects of playing the second of a back-to-back, opened the game on a 13-4 spurt as the crowd moaned and McMillan was forced to quickly take a timeout. Seattle answered back with a 10-0 run to take the lead halfway through the first period, but the Hawks took a lead to the second quarter. They maintained it through only one Sonic run, and led by three at half. The Sonics did rally in the third quarter, taking a lead as large as five, but lost it in the final minutes of the quarter, as Atlanta took a lead they would not relinquish . . . until winning time.