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Tuesday, Jan. 18 10:00pm ET
Streaking Sonics lower boom on Cavs | |||||
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 GAME FLOW
SEATTLE (AP) -- Shawn Kemp looked like an old Shawn Kemp, not the old Shawn Kemp. And the Seattle SuperSonics, a day after their biggest win of the season against the Lakers in Los Angeles, broke open a close game early in the final quarter to beat the Cleveland Cavaliers 99-80 on Tuesday night.Winning their sixth in a row and for the eighth time in nine games, the Sonics got 28 points from Vin Baker, 25 from Gary Payton and 21 from Brent Barry. Kemp was Seattle's former "Reign Man" of the 1990s when the Sonics promoted him as the best power forward in the NBA. Now, at 30 and in the second year of a $100 million contract, he didn't remind his former fans of his old self. He struggled mightily in his second game back in Seattle. In 34 minutes, he had no dunks and no dazzling moves, getting 13 points and five rebounds, with five turnovers. "As a team, we didn't get a strong effort at the end," Kemp said. "There so many guys in the league who have played for the Sonics, I see a former Sonic once a week." Of the Sonics, who are in third place in the Pacific Division behind the Lakers and Portland, Kemp said: "Teams are measured by what they do in the playoffs. But the Sonics are playing together and they seem to be headed in the right direction." The Cavs got the first two baskets of the final quarter to cut Seattle's lead to 72-71 before the Sonics went on a 13-0 run that featured a one-handed dunk by Rashard Lewis. Lamond Murray paced the Cavs with 20 points. In the final period, Barry, Payton and Baker each had two baskets in Seattle's 13-0 run. After Andre Miller's dunk with 1:08 gone in the last quarter, the Cavs went without a point until Kemp's 18-footer with 5:29 to go. Payton then responded with a 3-pointer and a 17-footer over Brevin Knight to put Seattle in front 90-73 with 4:20 on the clock. "Yeah, I bounced back tonight," said Baker, who was held to three points on 1-for-8 shooting in Seattle's one-point squeaker in Los Angeles. "Having an offensive game like that yesterday, it was poor for me. So coming back tonight, I looked to be a little more aggressive." Said Payton: "We were all right. I mean they just made good runs. We just weren't focused in that third quarter, which we do kind of often. But then we came back with our starters and blew them away." Kemp, who left Seattle in a three-team trade that brought Baker to the Sonics from Milwaukee Sept. 25, 1997, was outplayed by Baker. In addition to his 28 points, Baker had eight rebounds and four blocked shots. Cleveland went ahead for the first time in the game at 52-51 on a layup by Kemp with 4:34 gone in the second half, but Kemp left after being charged with his fourth personal foul with 5:49 left in the third quarter. Lewis and Payton each had layups for Seattle in the final minute of the period to give Seattle a 72-67 lead. The Sonics led 46-40 at halftime after leading by 18 at 27-9 with 1:48 left in the opening quarter after layups by Baker and Payton and a 19-footer by Baker. Ruben Patterson, Seattle's 6-foot-5 starting small forward, dazzled the Key Arena crowd with 3:52 left in the first half on his one-handed dunk on an alley-oop pass from Payton on a fastbreak. Patterson's dunk put Seattle ahead 44-30, but the Cavs outscored Seattle 10-2 the rest of the second quarter. Game notes Kemp is now 0-4 against the Sonics. ... The Sonics beat the Cavs for the 10th straight time and the eighth consecutive game in Seattle. They won 109-103 Nov. 11 in Cleveland. The last time the Cavs beat the Sonics was 101-90 Nov. 27, 1993, in Cleveland. ... Payton hit one of four 3-point attempts, giving him a 3-pointer in every game this season. His 3-pointer against Cleveland came with 5:08 left. ... The Cavs are 0-12 in games this season when they trail at halftime. | ALSO SEE NBA Scoreboard Cleveland Clubhouse Seattle Clubhouse NBA West: Best guard in game leads Sonics
RECAPS Chicago 92 Miami 85
Seattle 99
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