TACOMA, Wash. (AP) _ Patrick Ewing took one for the team, and Gary Payton wishes he hadn't.

Ewing, making his Seattle SuperSonics debut in the team's 96-88 exhibition victory over the Vancouver Grizzlies on Monday night, was the recipient of a jaw-smashing charge from Shareef Abdur-Rahim that sent him sprawling in the third quarter.

``I told him, 'You better not take another one of those,' '' Payton, the Sonics' All-Star point guard, joked after the game.

``It's killing me,'' Ewing said of his jaw after the game at the Tacoma Dome, adding, ``It will be all right. I'm just playing, just doing what comes natural. Basketball is instinctive. That's the way I've played my whole career.''

The 7-foot Ewing, acquired from New York last month in a four-team trade that also involved the Los Angeles Lakers and Phoenix, was held to four points in 20 minutes. But he grabbed seven rebounds and gave the exhibition crowd a glimpse of things to come with hard-nosed interior defense and another inside offensive option.

``Patrick's a great player. We need more preseason to work out with each other, but obviously we're going to work well together,'' said power forward Vin Baker, who started practicing Friday after returning with Payton from the Olympics in Sydney, Australia.

Baker said his left knee, which he sprained in practice, was improving. He logged 20 minutes Monday night.

Ewing's projected backup, Jelani McCoy, had 15 points and 10 rebounds, including a dunk with 25 seconds left that put the Sonics up 92-88.

Shammond Williams followed with a pair of free throws and Ruben Patterson stole the ball and dunked on a fast break to seal the victory.

Patterson finished with 16 points and three steals, Payton added 13 points, and Rashard Lewis had 12 for the Sonics.

Rookie Stromile Swift had 16 points for the Grizzlies. Othella Harrington added 11 points, and Mike Bibby 10.

Swift got Seattle's attention late in the third quarter when he soared from underneath the basket to block a five-footer from Ewing and start a fast break the other way.

Swift isn't modest about his goals for the coming year, saying, ``I think all rookies have one expectation, and that's to win rookie of the year.''

Despite the loss, new Vancouver head coach Sidney Lowe was upbeat.

``It felt great. It was good just to be out there,'' said Lowe, an assistant for Cleveland the past six seasons after serving as head coach at Minnesota from 1992-94.

Lowe said he was impressed by Seattle's defense, and was stressing defense for his own squad.

``Guys like Gary (Payton) ... they can lock you down,'' he said.

Seattle trailed by as many as 13 points in the third quarter before rallying to tie the game at 72 in the fourth on a pair of free throws by Patterson.

The Sonics took the lead for good on a jumper by Ruben Wolkowyski with 8:50 remaining.

The Grizzlies, 1-7 in the preseason last year before struggling to a 22-60 record in the regular season, stayed within five points until the final minute.

Vancouver led 53-44 at the half, as Swift had nine points in seven minutes on 3-of-4 shooting from the field and 3-of-4 from the free-throw line.

^Notes: The Sonics and Grizzlies had met four times in exhibition play, with the Sonics holding a 3-1 edge. The Sonics were 4-0 against the Grizzlies in regular-season games last season.The Grizzlies are holding their training camp at the University of Santa Barbara in California. Payton sported a full head of hair _ a new look for Sonics' fans after nearly a decade of clean-shaven pate ... Attendance was a sparse 3,684.