After being eliminated by the Chicago Bulls 4-2 in the 1996 Finals, the Sonics made two straight trips to the Western Conference semifinals before Karl was fired in 1998.

Since then, the Sonics have had four coaches (Paul Westphal, Nate McMillan, Bob Weiss and Bob Hill) and have made just one trip to the conference semifinals.

Karl, who received a smattering of applause before Sunday's game at KeyArena, believes he did his best coaching job in Seattle the season before he was released.

"The last year, coach [Tim Grgurich] and I think was the best season we ever coached, the year we had 61 wins," he said. "It was kind of a makeshift crew. At the end of September we pick up Jerome Kersey and Dale Ellis. We kind of put three or four guys in our rotation. ... [It] was kind of not a very good team."

The 1997-98 season began with Shawn Kemp making a contentious trade demand and the Sonics dealing him for Vin Baker. The season ended with a disappointing 4-1 series defeat to the Los Angeles Lakers.

Star of the game: Carmelo Anthony scored 15 of his team-high 33 points at the free-throw line. He sank just 9 of 21 field goals. Anthony also had nine rebounds and three steals.

Play of the game: It's difficult to discern whether Luke Ridnour attempted a horrible shot or made a great pass when the ball left his hands and bounced off the rim as the shot clock was winding down. In any event, Johan Petro caught the deflection and flushed a dunk that gave Seattle a 94-90 lead.

Turning point: The Sonics failed to convert a field goal in the first three minutes of overtime and allowed Denver to score six unanswered points in taking a 110-104 lead.

Key statistic: Denver scored 55 points in the paint, while Seattle had 42.

Up next: Milwaukee, 5 p.m. Tuesday at Bradley Center.

Trade winds blowing

A Knicks scout attended Sunday's Sonics game, the same day New York newspapers speculated about the Knicks making a deal with Seattle involving forward Reggie Evans and guard Ronald Murray.

New York does not play Seattle again this season and the Knicks don't face Denver until March 13.

There's a chance New York is looking at several Nuggets believed to be on the trading block, including Kenyon Martin and Earl Watson.

The Sonics have been linked to Watson for months. The almost daily barrage of rumors has caused the Denver guard to go silent whenever the topic is broached.

"I don't know if I've ever seen a player that's been on the [trading] block this long," he told the Rocky Mountain News, "from November, when I couldn't get traded." He wasn't eligible until Dec. 15.

Notes

• F Rashard Lewis (right-thigh contusion) missed his first game of the season. He had been the only Sonic to start every game and is expected to play Tuesday in Milwaukee.

• C Marcus Camby returned to the Nuggets' lineup after missing Friday's game against Dallas with a strained lower back. He scored 12 points before leaving midway through the fourth quarter with a strained neck.

• Since returning from a strained right thigh, F Vladimir Radmanovic came off the bench for a second straight game and Nick Collison remained the starter for the Sonics. Hill did not say if Radmanovic would regain his starting job.

More sports headlines...