|
RECAP
|
BOX SCORE
|
GAME FLOW
LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Gary Payton is playing some of his most
inspired basketball of the season, now that his one-game suspension
is behind him.
|  | | Sonics guard Gary Payton drives the lane as Jeff McInnis tries to draw a charge. |
The Los Angeles Clippers are hoping that Lamar Odom will respond
the same way to his punishment.
Payton scored five of his 26 points in overtime to help send the
Clippers to their season-high sixth straight loss, 114-110. The
All-Star point guard has averaged 30 points in the three games he
has played since his suspension for shouting at teammate Ruben
Paterson and coach Nate McMillan.
"I don't know that Gary's been angry the last few games. I
think he's just been more focused," teammate Brent Barry said.
"Anytime you're playing on a team with a guy like him that gets
focused, you're glad to be putting on the same uniform. Hopefully
it's something that will continue."
Patterson scored four of his 18 points in the final 2:23 of
overtime, putting the Sonics a season-best three games over .500
for the third time.
With Odom sitting out the first half because of disciplinary
reasons, Eric Piatkowski made his first start of the season and
scored a season-high 30 points.
Odom, the Clippers' 21-year-old co-captain and leading scorer,
also was fined an unspecified amount by coach Alvin Gentry after
failing to attend Tuesday's 2 1/2-hour practice because he overslept
and missed his flight from Las Vegas.
"I missed my flight," Odom said. "I mean, it was a bad day to
do it when we had practice, but I made a mistake. I was wrong. I'm
a man. I'm 21 years old, I'm the co-captain on this team, and I can
look anybody in the eye and let them know I made a mistake. But I'm
going to get past it.
"It's not the end of the world. It's not going to faze me
whatsoever. It's going to be forgotten. We're not going to base our
season around one mistake."
Rookie guard Quentin Richardson scored all of his 18 points in
the first half for the Clippers, who are 0-6 in overtime this
season. The loss was their seventh straight at home against
Seattle.
The Sonics, one of four NBA teams that had not played an
overtime game this season, erased an eight-point deficit in the
final 2:08 of regulation to force the extra five minutes. They got
within 99-98 on Barry's 3-pointer and a three-point play by Payton
with 29 seconds left.
The Clippers missed two shots on their next possession, but the
rebound went off a Sonics player with five seconds to go.
Piatkowski was fouled on the ensuing inbounds play and made one of
two free throws for a 100-98 edge.
Seattle rookie Desmond Mason inbounded to Rashard Lewis, whose
return pass to Mason cutting through the lane resulted in a
game-tying slam dunk with 1.5 seconds left in regulation.
The Clippers never led in overtime. Payton's 3-pointer with 3:23
remaining gave Seattle the lead for good at 106-103 and Patterson
followed a 22-footer by Odom with a short hook shot and a layup 45
seconds apart for a 110-105 cushion.
Jeff McInnis' 3-pointer made it a two-point game with 35 seconds
left, but Lewis clinched it with a pair of free throws.
"We did not execute down the stretch. That is why we are 0-6 in
overtime games," Gentry said. But I love the effort we are playing
with. We had an opportunity to win the game, but we just made
little mistakes."
Odom reported into the game for the first time with 7:35 left in
the third quarter and the Clippers leading 65-63. He finished with
16 points.
Odom made his first basket with 9:02 left, a
5-foot hook shot that put the Clippers in front 82-81. A layup
by Shammond Williams gave Seattle an 83-82 lead with 8:41 to play.
But the Clippers went on a 16-7 run, opening up a 98-90 lead on
Rooks' two free throws with 2:08 left.
Piatkowski, who made a season-high five 3-pointers, scored seven
points in the first quarter as the Clippers built a 26-22 lead and
shot 63 percent from the field. He made a driving layup and a
3-pointer during a 14-2 run that turned an eight-point deficit into
an 18-14 lead, their biggest during the first three quarters.
Game notes
Odom, named Clippers co-captain with Sean Rooks on Nov. 4,
also was kept out of the starting lineup on Dec. 6 for disciplinary
reasons. But he played 42 minutes that night, getting 20 points, 10
rebounds and three blocks in a 93-85 victory at Washington. ... The
only teams that have yet to play an overtime game this season are
Atlanta, New Jersey and Washington. ... The Clippers have had a
losing streak of at least six games in 21 of the last 22 seasons.
The only time they didn't was 1992-93, when their longest drought
was four games. ... Payton needs 11 points to pass Hall of Famer
Bill Russell for 94th place on the career scoring list.
|
|
ALSO SEE
NBA Scoreboard
Seattle Clubhouse
LA Clippers Clubhouse
Sonics' dizzy Baker taken to hospital after game
Miffed Clippers sit Odom temporarily for missing practice
RECAPS
Cleveland 94
Chicago 86
Phoenix 106
Detroit 73
Miami 103
Toronto 83
Charlotte 81
New York 67
Philadelphia 85
Houston 84
Golden State 109
New Jersey 87
Seattle 114
LA Clippers 110
|
