Seattle's flourish ends up just shy against Jazz

The Sonics had been living dangerously for the past week, coasting in the first half and playing frantic defense late to pull victories out of the proverbial fire.

The late-game theatrics had become a dangerous habit that the Sonics were unable to shake Tuesday against Utah, which seemed the perfect foil considering the Jazz was without three of its top players.

There would be no last-second heroics. Seattle reduced a 17-point, third-quarter deficit to two, but was undone in the final seconds and absorbed a 93-87 defeat that left players shaking their heads in disgust.

"It bothered me a lot just watching and being a part of that game," said Ray Allen, who wore his frustrations like a wrinkled suit. "Coming in here at halftime it seemed like, it wasn't that they beat us on execution.

"They didn't beat us with just somebody shooting the lights out. We got beat on hustle plays. We got beat on second-chance plays, on small little plays, and that's hard for me to swallow."

Coach Bob Weiss cautioned the Sonics about their cavalier approach to the start of games. He warned them that falling behind by double digits was a risky way of doing business and a formula not conducive to championship basketball.

But just as they did against Sacramento and Chicago, the Sonics stumbled at the start. Seattle lost the lead late in the first quarter and trailed the rest of the way. Utah led by as many as 14 (48-34) in the first half, and had a 17-point lead (61-44) with 7:53 left in the third.

"We can't keep doing that," Sonics guard Luke Ridnour said. "It's too hard for us. It's too hard on us."

The problems that plagued the Sonics in their 1-4 start surfaced again. Besides Rashard Lewis, who scored a game-high 26 points, and Allen, who had 23, no one stepped forward offensively.

The duo each connected on eight of 20 shots, while reserve guard Mateen Cleaves was the next highest scorer at nine.

"We have to get everyone involved in the game," said Ridnour, who had eight points, six rebounds and six assists. "We have to get everyone going and not just a couple of guys. We have to have everyone."

Utah, which played the night before and was without Carlos Boozer (strained left hamstring), Andrei Kirilenko (sprained right ankle) and Matt Harpring (right knee), overcame its limitations with a shared effort.

Forward Mehmet Okur led five players in double-digit scoring with 24 points on 10-of-16 shooting. Gordan Giricek had 17 points, and reserves Devin Brown added 14, Milt Palacio had 12 and Jarron Collins 10.

"We lost defensive focus," Weiss said. "Okur was the only guy that we really didn't want getting open. Everybody else we want them beating us on the outside."

The Jazz (6-7) was 5 of 11, while the Sonics were 6 of 21, on three-pointers.

Still, despite their defensive lapse, the Sonics, which fell to 5-6, had a chance to steal the game in the final seconds.

Lewis led the charge as he scored 10 points in the fourth quarter. His three-pointer with less than five minutes remaining pulled the Sonics to 84-74. About a minute later, he sank another trey that cut the deficit to 84-79.

Forward Reggie Evans, who played extensively in the second half after Danny Fortson succumbed to a right toe injury, scored on a short jumper to reduce the deficit to 86-83.

Allen narrowed the deficit to 89-87, and Seattle seemed poised to pull out yet another thriller because the Jazz offense stalled.

Brown attempted to close out the Sonics with an errant three-pointer that bounced into the hands of Evans.

Nick Collison was whistled for an offensive foul that sent Collins to the free throw line, where he sank both shots and put Utah ahead 91-87 with 17 seconds left.

"We were both just kind of locked up and you'd like to see them let the play go, but he made a call," Collison said. "I think we were both probably grabbing a little bit. ... I wished he wouldn't have called it, but I could see why he did."

Needing a miracle, the Sonics turned to Allen, whose desperation trey rimmed out.

"We thought it was going to be an easy game and it turned out to be not easy at all," said Vladimir Radmanovic, who had just two points.

Percy Allen: 206-464-2278 or pallen@seattletimes.com