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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
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 GAME FLOW
DENVER (AP) -- The Denver Nuggets committed a classic mistake:
They made Gary Payton mad, and Payton made them pay.
|  | | Gary Payton dazzled in Denver with 35 points and 10 rebounds. |
Following an exchange of words with Nuggets coach Dan Issel,
Payton went on a tear, finishing with 35 points to lead the Seattle
SuperSonics to a 103-93 victory on Wednesday night.
The Sonics, who trailed 85-84 after Denver's Keon Clark tipped in a missed shot with 8:44 remaining, outscored Denver 19-8 the
rest of the way, including seven points by Payton and five by Brent Barry, who had 21 points.
Antonio McDyess had 26 points, Ron Mercer 25 and George McCloud
19 for the Nuggets.
A third-quarter incident may have sealed the Nuggets' fate.
Back-to-back 3-pointers by McCloud gave Denver a 65-62 lead
midway through the third period, but as Payton went to the line for
two foul shots, he and Issel had words, some of them profane.
Payton made both free throws, and then both he and Issel were
assessed technical fouls.
Counting those two foul shots, Payton, showing renewed resolve, scored 11 of Seattle's last 16 points in the quarter. He had 16 points in the period and 23 in the second half.
"When my team needs me to come out and score, I'll be there,"
Payton said. "The Nuggets have been beating a lot of good teams.
We needed a game like this. This is the best game I've seen us play
in a couple of months."
Asked about his verbal exchange, Payton said, "Me and coach are cool. We're straight. I like to talk. I felt like talking at the time, and I talked. It was no big thing. Things happen on the floor.
"After the game, we shook hands and said it was over. I like
coach Issel. He played in the NBA, and he's a competitor just like
me."
Issel said the incident "was nothing. I love Gary Payton. He is
a competitive player, and he backs it up. He's a phenomenal player.
He is one of the few players in the league who can win a game all
by himself."
Seattle coach Paul Westphal said the play of his five-time
All-Star guard "is almost getting old. Every night Gary amazes me.
This guy leaves his guts out there every night. I hope people
appreciate what they're watching."
Seattle forward Vin Baker said Payton's reaction to the third-quarter shouting match wasn't surprising. "Gary is not going
to back down from anyone -- coach, official, fans, president --
anybody," Baker said. "The guy competes."
Besides Payton's play, Westphal said his team prevailed because "we cut down on their transition baskets in the second half." Denver had 16 fast-break points in the first half and only two in the second half.
Denver kept it close for most of the fourth quarter. Mercer hit
two jumpers that just beat the shot clock in the final period, but
Payton's three-point play with 5:03 left made it 91-87.
Emanual Davis' 3-pointer and Payton's basket from the lane on an inbounds pass gave the Sonics a 96-89 lead with 3:01 left.
Two baskets by McDyess cut the deficit, but Barry hit a
3-pointer from the right corner with 1:56 left and Seattle led
99-93.
Despite committing eight turnovers in the first quarter, the
Sonics shot 58 percent and took a 29-23 lead. Back-to-back
3-pointers by Barry and Payton fueled an 8-0 run that gave Seattle
an early 10-4 lead.
McCloud sparked a Denver comeback in the second period, scoring
nine points with five assists, four rebounds and three steals.
McCloud and Mercer each had four points in a 10-0 Denver flurry
that produced a 42-39 lead with 4:15 left in the quarter.
All three of McCloud's steals led to easy baskets on the other
end, two by Mercer. McCloud's 3-pointer gave Denver a 55-50 lead at
intermission.
Payton started the third quarter with a driving layup and a
3-pointer, and neither team led by more than four points after
that.
Game notes
Before tipoff, the crowd and players observed a moment of
silence for Charlotte Hornets guard Bobby Phills, who was killed in an auto accident on Wednesday. ... The Nuggets tied a season low
for free throws made, hitting 8 of 13. Seattle was 22-for-23 for a percentage of .957 -- a season high for a Denver opponent. ... Seattle, which lost its last five games of 1999, has won five of its first six games in 2000. ... The Sonics have won 12 of their last 14 with Denver.
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NBA Scoreboard
Seattle Clubhouse
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RECAPS
Boston 95
LA Clippers 88
Indiana 117
Washington 102
Toronto 108
Orlando 102
Chicago 0
Charlotte 0
Detroit 114
New York 108
LA Lakers 103
Milwaukee 94
Seattle 103
Denver 93
Portland 95
Cleveland 75
Phoenix 95
Vancouver 92
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