Notebook | Durant told to be aggressive, but result so far is turnovers

MEMPHIS, Tenn. — It's a Catch-22 situation.

Rookie guard Kevin Durant leads the Sonics with 43 turnovers, but the team is encouraging its leading scorer to experiment offensively and discover how he can be effective in the NBA.

His miscues occur most often when he collects an offensive foul while trying to get to the basket or is whistled for carrying the ball.

"I just got to put my hand on top of the ball and be more careful with it," said Durant, who had five turnovers and 11 points in the 125-108 loss Monday against Memphis at FedExForum. "I got a couple of turnovers by being aggressive.

"I know they're bad turnovers, but I'm going to try to keep being aggressive. I just got to watch out for the charges and just make better passes. One I threw out of bounds that I thought he could have caught, but I floated it a little bit."

Before the game, Durant ranked seventh in the NBA in turnovers. Four of the six players preceding him on the list were All-Stars last season.

Scouting talent

Coach P.J. Carlesimo said Sonics general manager Sam Presti and assistant general manger Scott Perry attended the University of Memphis practice Tuesday.

The front office tandem likely were scouting point guard Derrick Rose and swingman Chris Douglas-Roberts. Rose, a 6-foot-3 freshman, is considered the top prospect in the draft next summer, and Douglas-Roberts, a 6-7 junior, was a first-team all-USA Conference choice last season.

NOTES

• The Sonics have three days off before the game Friday against New Jersey. Seattle plays seven of its next eight games at home. The next prolonged road trip begins Dec. 9, a five-game trek that includes stops in New Orleans, Chicago, New York, Minnesota and Utah.

• Center/forward Kurt Thomas (sore right hamstring) missed his third consecutive game but could see action Friday against New Jersey. Center Robert Swift (sore right knee) will be re-evaluated when the team returns home.

• Memphis played without center/forward Darko Milicic (sprained thumb) and rookie PG Mike Conley (strained right shoulder).

• The Grizzlies attracted just 10,863 fans Monday. Before the game, Memphis averaged 14,514 this season, which ranked 24th in the NBA directly behind Seattle.

SEATTLE
min		fgm-a	ftm-a	or-t	a	pf	pts
Wilkins	30:38	4-12	3-4	3-5	6	3	11
Green	30:45	4-12	3-4	8-14	1	3	11
Wilcox	20:43	6-9	4-6	1-6	1	4	16
Watson	21:33	4-8	3-4	0-2	3	1	11
Durant	29:51	2-8	7-8	0-2	2	2	11
Collison	19:03	5-9	1-1	1-3	0	5	11
West	26:27	6-10	2-2	0-1	4	2	17
Szczerbiak	24:02	5-8	1-1	0-5	1	0	11
Petro	17:46	1-3	0-0	2-7	1	5	2
Gelabale	13:11	1-3	2-2	0-0	1	0	4
Sene	6:02	1-5	1-2	3-3	0	0	3
Totals		39-87	27-34	18-48	20	25	108

Percentages: FG .448, FT .794. Three-point goals: 3-9, .333 (West 3-3, Gelabale 0-1, Szczerbiak 0-1, Watson 0-2, Wilkins 0-2). Team rebounds: 8. Team turnovers: 17 (18 PTS). Blocked shots: 3 (Collison 2, Sene). Turnovers: 16 (Durant 5, Szczerbiak 3, Petro 2, Watson 2, West 2, Green, Wilkins). Steals: 5 (Collison, Green, Watson, West, Wilkins). Technical Foul: Defensive three second, 5:16 first.

MEMPHIS
min		fgm-a	ftm-a	or-t	a	pf	pts
Gay	31:31	4-12	2-2	2-7	4	3	12
Gasol	30:22	5-9	4-5	1-7	5	3	14
Swift	24:28	10-14	4-8	3-5	4	5	24
Stoudamire	22:22	5-7	3-3	0-1	7	1	16
Miller	26:11	6-12	4-4	0-3	7	2	19
Jacobsen	21:22	1-4	0-0	0-2	1	2	2
Lowry	25:38	4-7	4-6	0-2	2	1	12
Warrick	25:02	8-13	0-0	3-5	1	5	16
Navarro	21:36	4-5	0-0	0-2	2	1	8
Kinsey	5:45	1-3	0-0	0-0	0	0	2
Brown	5:45	0-0	0-0	1-1	0	1	0
Totals		48-86	21-28	10-35	33	24	125

Percentages: FG .558, FT .750. Three-point goals: 8-15, .533 (Stoudamire 3-3, Miller 3-4, Gay 2-4, Lowry 0-1, Navarro 0-1, Jacobsen 0-2). Team rebounds: 9. Team turnovers: 13 (14 PTS). Blocked shots: 10 (Gasol 7, Lowry, Swift, Warrick). Turnovers: 13 (Navarro 4, Gasol 3, Warrick 2, Lowry, Miller, Stoudamire, Swift). Steals: 9 (Gay 2, Gasol, Jacobsen, Kinsey, Lowry, Navarro, Swift, Warrick). Technical fouls: None.

Seattle	24	29	24	31 — 108
Memphis	38	30	34	23 — 125

Attendance: 10,863 (18,400). Time: 2:12. Officials: Kevin Fehr, Mark Wunderlich, Bill Kennedy.