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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
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GAME FLOW
SEATTLE (AP) -- Nate McMillan wants to make one thing clear:
These aren't the same Seattle SuperSonics since he became coach.
|  | | Seattle's Gary Payton drives past Bruce Bowen Friday night. |
McMillan, who has preached defensive intensity since replacing
the fired Paul Westphal on Nov. 27, has led Seattle to a 7-3
record, including Friday night's 99-81 victory over the Miami Heat
that put the Sonics (13-12) above .500 for the first time this
season.
The Sonics lost to the Heat 87-81 in Miami on Nov. 8.
"Nate has talked to us about these games not being revenge
games but games where we say, 'Hey, you're playing a different
Sonics team now,"' Brent Barry said.
Brian Grant, who had 30 points and 21 rebounds in the previous
meeting, got two fouls early and was held to just five points, all
on free throws.
"It's my fault for not being more aggressive," Grant said.
The loss left the Heat winless in 13 tries at Key Arena.
"I thought in the third quarter they were more physical, and
from an offensive standpoint, they simply took it right to us and
through us," Heat coach Pat Riley said.
Patrick Ewing, taking advantage of the absence of his old
Eastern Conference nemesis Alonzo Mourning, hit his first seven
shots. He also sparked an 8-0 run to open the third quarter, stole
the ball twice and hit three field goals, as the Sonics took the
lead for good.
Ewing finished with 16 points, on 8-for-10 shooting, and had 10
rebounds.
"Coach said from the beginning, they don't have any inside
players or shot blockers, so we're going straight to Patrick," the
Sonics' Ruben Patterson said.
Mourning is expected to miss the entire season with a kidney
ailment.
Gary Payton led the Sonics with 25 points and 13 assists,
despite mildly spraining his right knee in the first half, when he
had just six points on 2-for-9 shooting.
"We just knew we had to come out and play defense like they
did," Payton said. "They wanted to knock us, so we had to come
out and knock them."
The Sonics led by at least 12 throughout the fourth quarter.
They had a 17-0 run that bridged the end of the second quarter and
start of the third.
Rashard Lewis added 16 points for Seattle.
Anthony Mason led Miami with 16 points and 10 rebounds, and
Eddie Jones had 14 points but went only 5-of-16 from the field.
Miami's frustration began to show in the fourth quarter, as
Anthony Mason and Bruce Bowen were whistled for consecutive
technicals after arguing a call with the Heat down 82-68.
Patterson scored all of his 11 first-half points in the second
quarter, while Ewing had 10 points at the half -- on 5-for-5
shooting -- and six rebounds. The Sonics' 9-0 run to close out the
first half tied it at 44.
Game
notes
The Sonics have a 21-5 overall edge in the series. ... The
Sonics came in third in the league in points scored per game, while
the Heat came in third-best in points allowed. ... Expressing his
admiration for Pat Riley's coaching style, McMillan said, "I've
always felt like he was a hard-nosed, maybe dirty kind of guy who
believed in physical play, in the aggressive, attack mode." ...
Sonics guard Emanual Davis left with a sprained right ankle late in
the third quarter and did not return. Davis said he hurt the ankle
in Vancouver on Wednesday and is treating it day to day.
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ALSO SEE
NBA Scoreboard
Miami Clubhouse
Seattle Clubhouse
RECAPS
Cleveland 103
Indiana 95
Dallas 112
Philadelphia 94
Charlotte 103
Washington 89
Sacramento 104
Boston 81
Utah 89
New York 58
Minnesota 99
Detroit 90
Atlanta 85
Chicago 74
Milwaukee 104
Toronto 97
LA Clippers 98
Phoenix 88
Portland 106
Orlando 96
Seattle 99
Miami 81
LA Lakers 98
Vancouver 76
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