Sonics end 14-game slide by topping defending champs

Blame it on youthful exuberance, but Kevin Durant just couldn't help himself.

He whooped and hollered and wrapped Luke Ridnour in a bear hug at half court before bounding into the locker room as a roar of approval rippled around KeyArena.

The look on his face was pure ecstasy.

"It felt like we won a championship," the Sonics rookie said.

Maybe not a championship, but the Sonics did win a game, which was a major accomplishment for a team that had lost a team-record 14 consecutive games and hadn't tasted victory in 31 days. And it wasn't a run-of-the-mill win, but a come-from-behind, nail-biting 88-85 improbable win against the defending NBA champion San Antonio Spurs.

It was a win that no one outside of the Sonics locker room expected.

"That's just how crazy the game of basketball is," Earl Watson said. "The way this season has been going for us, the way we've lost games, to win like this is predictable. You could see this coming."

After a heartbreaking loss to Sacramento on Sunday and two narrow defeats against Houston last week, the Sonics quietly whispered words of encouragement to themselves. They told anyone who would listen that they were better than their record.

"I know Kevin is excited, but in all due respect, he's a kid," Watson said. "This wasn't a championship. We knew we could do this. We've always been able to do this. It was just a matter of putting a game together and being focused."

In 10 games during their losing streak, the Sonics scored more points and shot the ball better than they did Tuesday night when they shot 41.6 percent (37 of 89).

But the Sonics had never made all of their free-throw attempts. They were 13 of 13 on Tuesday.

They had not committed as few as six turnovers.

And they've never been better defensively all season.

San Antonio's 85 points was a season low for a Sonics opponent. Only Manu Ginobili (29 points), Tim Duncan (27 points) and Fabricio Oberto (12 points) scored more than six points for the Spurs (28-16), who were without injured guard Tony Parker.

Parker will sit indefinitely because of a bone spur in his left heel. He was to return to San Antonio and have an MRI today.

"He was told he was going to get better, but he's gotten worse," Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said of Parker. "I don't know how long it's going to be, but he's going to sit.

"He doesn't like it, but this is the way it's going to be."

Considering coach P.J. Carlesimo spent the past five seasons with the Spurs, the defensive manner in which the Sonics won seemed apropos.

Popovich has been known to throw away a game or two just to prove a point, but there was no truth to the rumor circulating around the building that he felt so bad for his former assistant that he decided to help out the Sonics.

"I thought the Sonics did a great job making shots down the stretch," Popovich said. "Kurt [Thomas] made a couple, [Chris] Wilcox and Kevin Durant, they got four in a row down there. ... They made shots down the stretch and often times in games, that's what it's about. Making shots and they did it. It was a great win for them."

The final few minutes must have felt like an eternity for the Sonics (10-35) and their victory-starved fans.

Trailing 77-71, Wilcox scored on a putback dunk and a layup to pull Seattle two behind. Minutes later, Kurt Thomas sank two midrange jumpers that sent the crowd of 13,295 into a frenzy and put the Sonics up 82-81 with 1:30 remaining.

San Antonio regained the lead after Ginoboli nailed a three-pointer, but on the ensuing possession, Durant ran off a baseline pick and drilled a 19-foot jumper at the top of the key with 32.6 seconds left.

"I think I've been getting good looks in the games before, but I just wanted to get to the basket and get to the free-throw line," said Durant, who finished with 26 points, seven rebounds and five assists. "I think I did that."

Ginobili tried to counter on the next possession, but Durant forced him to pass to Oberto in the lane and the Spurs center missed a contested layup.

After two Luke Ridnour free throws gave Seattle a three-point lead, Ginobili shot a three-pointer with Watson closely guarding him. The ball hit the side the rim and bounced out of bounds.

"Big-time win," Durant said.

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

The Associated Press contributed to this report.