Hornets send Sonics to 8th straight loss

NEW ORLEANS — The Sonics are back where they started, on an eight-game losing streak.

After opening the season with eight losses, Wednesday's 123-92 loss to the New Orleans Hornets in front of 9,882 in the New Orleans Arena shoved the team back again. The streak equals the fourth-longest losing stretch in team history.

Perhaps more frustrating is whatever energy was generated in Monday's overtime loss to the Los Angeles Lakers dissipated in a flash. A flash of Hornets point guard Chris Paul, the heft of center Tyson Chandler and the sure firing of old-standby shooter Peja Stojakovic, who led the team with 23 points and four three-pointers.

"We can't come out like a majority of teams and have a decent effort, we have to have a really good effort to win games, that's the way we are," Sonics forward Nick Collison said. "We had a really good effort against the Lakers, we were right there, got beat at the end, but tonight we had an average effort and we have to be above average — really good — for us to win."

It was a glowing night for the Hornets (26-12), who are on a three-game winning streak and reached a franchise record for wins through the first half of the season even though they are three games from the season's midpoint.

Center Tyson Chandler finished with 14 points and 21 rebounds. But it was the way he started that made history.

Chandler pulled down 17 rebounds in the first half, setting a franchise record for the number of rebounds in a half. His 13 defensive rebounds in the first half set another team record. His scavenging ways coupled with Seattle's 43-percent shooting to New Orleans' 51.6 percent robbed the Sonics of an avenue to get back into a game. They trailed 65-46 at halftime. New Orleans also outrebounded the Sonics, 53-41.

Center Kurt Thomas sat knee-deep in a bucket of ice water commiserating the regrettable night.

"Mainly we just missed a lot of shots and Tyson grabbed every one of them," Thomas said. "You've got to take your hat off to him. ... We've just got to shoot the ball better. We got off to a horrible start in the first quarter and it just carried over to the rest of the game."

The Sonics (9-29) briefly revitalized to open the third quarter, with their best flash of competition of the night.

Seattle opened the second half on an 11-2 run courtesy of better shooting and improved rebounding. Thomas scored twice, Jeff Green hit a driving layup, and Kevin Durant provided a one-handed dunk in transition. Earl Watson was fouled on a made shot on the following possession and made the free throw to slice the Hornets' lead to 67-57 with 9:41 remaining in the third quarter.

Collison's baseline jumper cut the margin to eight points with 8:23 remaining in the third quarter.

But New Orleans regrouped. Stojakovic hit a three-pointer with 6:58 remaining in the third to move the lead to 74-61 and the Hornets kept slipping the Sonics' defenses in the final five minutes of the third quarter. New Orleans exited the third with a 95-75 edge.

The opening of that quarter was the only time in the game the Sonics met the Hornets' aggression.

"When we did [match their intensity] — we were obviously upset after talking about it at halftime, and we came out and you see what we are capable of doing and for that six or seven minutes," Sonics coach P.J. Carlesimo said. "New Orleans didn't match our intensity, it was a night and day different team. They played hard, but you've got to keep playing hard for 48 minutes."

Durant led the Sonics with 20 points. Collison, who scored two points and grabbed five rebounds in 22 minutes, said the rebounding was hampered by the poor shooting.

"Offensive rebounding is a function of how you are playing," Collison said. "If you are playing well, and you're breaking defenses down and guys have to help, that opens things up. When you're not and you're forced to take tough jump shots, then not only is the ball not coming off in the rebounding area, but you know your man is right there with you because he didn't have to move."

The Monday-Wednesday schism in the Sonics' performance provided yet another example of their inconsistency.

"They're a good team, but with that being said we didn't play real well all night," Collison said. "Pretty much a bad effort all the way around. A lot of nights we haven't played well, hopefully that's not who we are."

The Sonics head to Memphis to play the Grizzlies on Friday for the second game in their four-game trip. But they didn't have much positive to take out of New Orleans.

Said Carlesimo: "It's not as frustrating as it is disappointing. ... [The Hornets are] a good team in their building. ... We just didn't meet the challenge of their intensity for too many minutes."

SEATTLE
min		fgm-a	ftm-a	or-t	a	pf	pts
Green	27:55	4-13	1-1	1-2	0	2	9
Collison	22:23	1-6	0-0	1-5	2	2	2
Thomas	22:29	5-8	2-2	1-5	1	3	12
Watson	24:25	6-9	3-3	1-3	11	2	17
Durant	29:31	9-15	1-1	1-7	6	0	20
Wilcox	18:29	3-8	2-3	0-4	0	2	8
Petro	20:38	2-7	0-0	3-7	0	3	4
Ridnour	23:35	0-3	3-4	0-3	2	1	3
Szczerbiak	23:17	6-11	0-0	0-3	2	1	14
Wilkins	21:25	0-4	0-0	0-2	5	2	0
Gelabale	5:53	1-2	0-0	0-0	0	0	3
Totals		37-86	12-14	8-41	29	18	92

Percentages: FG .430, FT .857. Three-point goals: 6-11, .545 (Watson 2-2, Szczerbiak 2-3, Gelabale 1-1, Durant 1-2, Collison 0-1, Ridnour 0-1, Wilkins 0-1). Team rebounds: 3. Team turnovers: 15 (26 PTS). Blocked shots: 4 (Thomas 2, Petro, Wilkins). Turnovers: 15 (Durant 4, Green 2, Ridnour 2, Watson 2, Gelabale, Petro, Szczerbiak, Wilcox, Wilkins). Steals: 6 (Thomas 2, Wilkins 2, Durant, Green). Technical fouls: None.

NEW ORLEANS
min		fgm-a	ftm-a	or-t	a	pf	pts
Stojakovic	29:57	6-11	7-7	1-4	1	1	23
West	25:54	8-17	3-4	3-11	3	4	19
Chandler	36:34	7-9	0-4	5-21	1	0	14
Paul	29:57	6-13	0-0	1-3	11	1	12
Peterson	20:34	1-9	0-0	0-1	1	1	3
Ely	23:53	4-9	0-1	1-3	1	1	8
Jackson	19:33	5-9	0-0	0-1	6	0	13
Bowen	13:00	1-1	0-0	2-2	2	0	2
Pargo	18:03	7-9	1-1	0-1	4	2	18
Armstrong	8:49	0-0	0-0	0-2	1	0	0
Butler	7:53	2-4	4-4	0-4	1	2	8
Vinicius	5:53	1-2	0-0	0-0	0	1	3
Totals		48-93	15-21	13-53	32	13	123

Percentages: FG .516, FT .714. Three-point goals: 12-22, .545 (Stojakovic 4-6, Pargo 3-3, Jackson 3-4, Vinicius 1-2, Peterson 1-5, Paul 0-2). Team rebounds: 5. Team turnovers: 13 (13 PTS). Blocked shots: 6 (Armstrong 2, Ely 2, Chandler, Pargo). Turnovers: 12 (Paul 4, Pargo 3, Armstrong, Butler, Chandler, Ely, Stojakovic). Steals: 7 (Chandler 2, Pargo 2, Armstrong, Butler, Paul). Technical fouls: Defensive three second, 6:26 third.

Seattle	18	28	29	17 — 92
New Orleans	30	35	30	28 — 123

Attendance: 9,882 (17,200). Time: 2:01. Officials: Ron Garretson, David Guthrie, Leon Wood.