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Monday, Feb. 5 10:00pm ET
Sonics cruise without Payton, Patterson

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SEATTLE (AP) -- The SuperSonics didn't need Gary Payton and Ruben Patterson to beat the Vancouver Grizzlies in Seattle.

Gary Payton
Gary Payton missed only the third game of his 11-year career because of injury.
With Payton and Patterson missing, the Sonics got 17 points from Vin Baker, including nine in the final quarter, to defeat the Grizzlies 95-82 Monday night.

The Sonics are 11-0 overall at home against Vancouver.

"Baker went off on us," Vancouver coach Sidney Lowe said. "He just took over the ballgame. Basically, we couldn't defend him."

Payton missed his second straight game because of a strained abdominal muscle, while Patterson served the third and final game of a suspension imposed by the NBA.

Shammond Williams also scored 17 points for Seattle.

"Vin played well, but we really got some play off the bench, which is exactly what we needed without Gary and Ruben," Seattle coach Nate McMillan said.

Williams and Emanual Davis ran the Sonics at point guard in Payton's absence.

"It's not the same guy out there, obviously," Seattle's Brent Barry said. "We were struggling with that. Now, we've had to play without him and we're trying to find our way."

Mike Bibby had 23 points and Shareef Abdur-Rahim added 21 points and 12 rebounds for the Grizzlies, who lost their 15th consecutive road game.

"I give them a lot of credit," Lowe said. "Any time a team is missing players of that magnitude, you want to try to take advantage of them. We were hoping we could come in here and get us one."

After scoring 16 points in the third period, the Sonics got some badly needed offense from Baker in the final quarter. Baker shot 4-for-7 in the final period while going against the Grizzlies' Bryant Reeves.

"We didn't have a whole lot going for us and they got on a roll," Reeves said. "We couldn't shut them down."

Baker's 12-footer with 4:32 left gave Seattle an 80-73 lead, but Vancouver wasn't finished.

Abdur-Rahim made a short hook shot, Baker missed two free throws, Reeves sank a free throw and Bibby hit a 19-footer to cut Seattle's lead to 80-78.

But the Sonics outscored the Grizzlies 15-4 in the final 2:23, with Williams sinking a 3-pointer and making two free throws in the final minute.

The teams combined for only 31 points in the third quarter. After Williams sank a 16-footer with 33.4 seconds left, Michael Dickerson hit a 20-footer to cut Seattle's lead to 67-65.

Dickerson's 17-footer and two free throws by Abdur-Rahim in the final 1:25 of the first half cut Seattle's lead to 51-50 at halftime.

"We had an opportunity tonight and we didn't take advantage of it," Dickerson said. "That's the way it is."

Patterson was suspended after pleading guilty to a misdemeanor assault charge in Cleveland for breaking a man's jaw. He was not allowed to attend the game.

Payton watched in a suit at the end of the bench.

"He gave us little pointers here and there," Williams said of Payton. "But he wasn't giving us too many pointers. It was good to see he had confidence in us."

Rashard Lewis had 14 points and 10 rebounds for Seattle.

Game notes
Payton is averaging 22.8 points and Patterson 13.1, the Sonics' Nos. 1 and 3 scorers. ... Payton missed the third game of his 11-year career because of an injury. McMillan said he expects Payton to play Wednesday night at Portland in Seattle's final game before the All-Star break. Payton is scheduled to practice Tuesday. ... Seattle is 20-3 against the Grizzlies overall. ... The Grizzlies are 3-19 on the road this season. Their last road victory came Nov. 26 at Boston.
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RECAPS
Philadelphia 99
Denver 80

Toronto 110
Boston 98

Dallas 91
Atlanta 81

Houston 100
New York 86

San Antonio 109
Golden State 85

Seattle 95
Vancouver 82

LA Clippers 102
Chicago 82

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 Vancouver's Stromile Swift flushes the Erick Strickland pass.
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