Notebook | Wilcox, Ridnour, Swift not back to full strength

Sonics forward Chris Wilcox missed his fourth consecutive game because of a right pinkie finger dislocation.

Wilcox, one of the team's leading scorers, said the injury was evaluated while the team was on its four-game trip to start the month, and a torn ligament was discovered. He has the pinkie taped to his ring finger, but he said he feels pain when he catches the ball and shoots.

Wilcox will practice Sunday, and if the pain has abated, he'll play Monday against the Los Angeles Lakers.

"It's better, the swelling has gone down," he said. "After a couple of practices I think I'll be good to go."

Wilcox was having problems with his knees and ankles before the pinkie injury. He missed one game with a left knee sprain.

"The break helped my whole body," Wilcox said.

Ridnour waits

Sonics point guard Luke Ridnour is antsy to play, but coach P.J. Carlesimo wants him to wait. Ridnour is suffering from a left quad strain. Although he's returned to the court since suffering the injury Nov. 14, he hasn't been able to play continuously without pain.

"We have to be sure that he's ready to come back," Carlesimo said. "He's got to go through a full practice, and he's got to be going forward."

Carlesimo wants Ridnour to practice, and incrementally increase his playing minutes.

Swift returning?

Sonics center Robert Swift was examined by team Dr. Richard Zorn on Wednesday, who said Swift's tendinitis is normal. Zorn said Swift may be able to return to practice in two weeks.

It had been erroneously reported that Swift traveled to California for another evaluation of his surgically repaired right knee.

Of the prognosis, Swift said, "It's good news. It's nothing I did wrong; it's just something where every body is different. It's surgery-related, and it just needs time to heal."

Sending love

Want to see rookie Kevin Durant smile? Just ask him about playing in front of Beyoncé when the Sonics lost to New Jersey on Wednesday. The singer sat courtside with her boyfriend, rapper Jay-Z, and rapper Kanye West.

"I was just staring," said Durant, who calls Beyoncé his favorite celebrity. "Somebody had to come over and say, 'K.D., come on.' The whole game I couldn't look over there because I was going to stare at her the whole time. I really love her."

Note

• Sonics guard Damien Wilkins missed the shoot-around on Friday for treatment on an impacted wisdom tooth, but he played against Dallas.

Jayda Evans: 206-464-2067 or jevans@seattletimes.com

DALLAS
min		fgm-a	ftm-a	or-t	a	pf	pts
JoHoward	35:08	9-21	0-0	4-11	0	3	18
Nowitzki	27:18	5-10	10-10	1-6	2	2	20
Dampier	27:14	2-6	0-0	3-10	2	3	4
Harris	29:30	2-7	2-2	1-1	5	2	7
Jones	20:53	2-6	0-0	0-3	0	3	6
Stackhouse	20:39	0-4	0-0	0-3	2	0	0
Terry	17:39	5-10	1-1	0-3	1	0	11
Bass	21:03	3-8	2-2	1-3	0	0	8
George	11:32	1-6	0-0	2-5	0	0	2
Diop	17:42	3-3	4-6	2-5	0	0	10
Hassell	6:36	1-1	0-0	0-0	0	1	2
JuHoward	4:46	1-1	0-0	1-2	1	0	2
Totals		34-83	19-21	15-52	13	14	90

Percentages: FG .410, FT .905. Three-point goals: 3-13, .231 (Jones 2-4, Harris 1-1, Bass 0-1, Stackhouse 0-1, Jo.Howard 0-3, Terry 0-3). Team rebounds: 4. Team turnovers: 11 (10 PTS). Blocked shots: 6 (Dampier 2, Terry 2, Bass, Jones). Turnovers: 11 (Harris 3, Dampier 2, Diop 2, Jo.Howard 2, Hassell, Terry). Steals: 6 (Terry 4, Jo.Howard, Nowitzki). Technical fouls: None.

SEATTLE
min		fgm-a	ftm-a	or-t	a	pf	pts
Green	34:29	3-8	0-0	2-5	0	4	6
Collison	30:40	7-11	1-2	2-7	3	2	15
Thomas	32:51	1-5	0-0	3-15	2	3	2
Watson	26:32	2-10	1-2	1-3	1	4	5
Durant	33:51	4-13	7-8	0-3	6	1	15
Petro	9:16	1-6	0-0	0-1	2	2	2
West	21:28	1-9	0-0	1-3	3	0	2
Szczerbiak	28:19	7-9	0-0	0-2	0	4	17
Wilkins	20:32	2-7	2-4	0-1	3	0	6
Gelabale	2:03	0-1	0-0	0-1	0	0	0
Totals		28-79	11-16	9-41	20	20	70

Percentages: FG .354, FT .688. Three-point goals: 3-11, .273 (Szczerbiak 3-4, Watson 0-1, Wilkins 0-1, West 0-2, Durant 0-3). Team rebounds: 10. Team turnovers: 13 (13 PTS). Blocked shots: 6 (Green 3, Collison, Durant, Thomas). Turnovers: 13 (Collison 2, Durant 2, Green 2, Watson 2, West 2, Wilkins 2, Szczerbiak). Steals: 5 (Watson 2, Thomas, West, Wilkins). Technical fouls: None.

Dallas	18	26	22	24 — 90
Seattle	16	19	13	22 — 70

Attendance: 12,522 (17,072). Time: 2:07. Officials: Joe Forte, Derrick Stafford, Sean Wright.