Sonics
Minnesota sends Sonics tumbling to fifth loss in row

By Percy Allen
Seattle Times staff reporter

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Perspective, much like beauty, is in the eye of the beholder.

The Minnesota Timberwolves limped into KeyArena last night amid talks of dissension, which surrounded the team because of its season-long losing streak.

"How many games have they lost? Two games." said a Sonics member. "I'd love to have their problems. They don't know how good they got it."

You want problems? The Sonics have problems.

They lost their season-high fifth consecutive game last night, 105-92, thanks to Latrell Sprewell, who scored 31, and Kevin Garnett, who scored 29.

"Sometimes you think you got real problems until you put them in the basket with other problems and then you want yours back," Garnett said. "Every team goes through their own little dramas and episodes and we're no different.

"My understanding and my focus is this team. I'm aware of everybody else's, but I can't give two cents about it."

Minnesota avoided what would have been a season-high three-game losing streak and improved to 45-19, just 2½ games behind Western Conference-leading Sacramento.

The Sonics, meanwhile, dropped out of the playoff race a long time ago and are now eyeing moral victories and simpler goals.
 
"We want to try to get back to .500 as soon as possible," coach Nate McMillan said. "That is a goal of ours. We take it one game at a time.

"We didn't get the game tonight, but I like the effort. I like the intensity. I like the way we played. If we play like this and knock down some shots and rebound better, we'll win some games."

Days after scoring a franchise-record-tying low 65 points Sunday, Seattle fell to its lowest point in nearly two decades. At 27-37, the Sonics are 10 games under .500 for the first time since they finished 31-51 in 1985-86.

The Sonics, who embark on a five-game trip in 10 days, can breathe a little easier today after completing a six-game stretch against teams with winning records, when they went a meager 1-5.

"What we had out there wasn't good enough," said Ray Allen, who scored a game-high 37 points despite feeling the lingering effects of the flu.

"They (the Timberwolves) have a chance to win a championship," Allen said. "I said that after Sacramento as well. We put our best effort against these teams and sometimes it's not good enough."

Allen simply couldn't carry the Sonics by himself. He needed someone else to counter the effects of Sprewell and Garnett, who accounted for more than half of Minnesota's points.

Brent Barry returned sooner than expected from a broken right ring finger, but he played like someone who has missed the past six weeks and 20 games. The Sonics guard managed just three points in 24 minutes off the bench and committed five turnovers.

Only center Vitaly Potapenko gave the Sonics any spark, with 14 points and six rebounds. Rashard Lewis scored a quiet 13 points and no other Sonic scored more than eight points.

When asked if he had enough help to compete with teams like Minnesota, Allen said yes.

Said Allen: "In order for us to be a good team from here on out, guys coming off of the bench, these guys have to have good, solid performances. ... We got the guys here that can do it, they just have to set it in their minds and want to do it."

The Sonics held a 69-66 lead late in the third quarter, but Minnesota took control in the final minutes of the quarter. Garnett sank a fadeaway jumper with 2:09 left in the quarter that put the Timberwolves ahead 70-69.

Minnesota never trailed again and built a 75-71 lead heading into the final quarter. Once the Timberwolves captured the lead, they stretched it to 88-77 with 8:06 remaining and 96-83 with 4:28 left.

Allen, who said he felt his worst at the start of the game, scored 10 in the fourth quarter.

"I can very much relate to what that team and specifically what Ray is going through," Garnett said. "I had something like that for a long time. Being the only guy. It's tough, man. You know if you don't bring it, your team ain't bringing it.

"I feel for the guy. But I can only feel for him so much. ... I got my own things to worry about and tend to. This is my focus. He'll handle it and do what he needs to."

For now, all Allen can do is put up big numbers as he did last night and hope his Sonics are able to match him.

Copyright © 2004 The Seattle Times Company