The maternal grandmother of Sonics assistant coach Ralph Lewis was murdered Wednesday night in Philadelphia. Lewis coached against Minnesota on Friday, but is expected to miss the Sonics' game Sunday against the Lakers in Los Angeles to help his family with arrangements and to attend the funeral.

Catherine Smullen, 82, was alone when, according to detectives, someone she "probably knew entered the residence, slit her throat and stabbed her 13 times. The suspect also apparently burglarized the property because articles appeared out of place." Smullen wasn't found by her caretaker until Thursday morning.

"How do you explain to your children that your grandmother was brutally murdered?" said Lewis, whose son is a Sonics ballboy and who also has a 15-year-old daughter.

"[Friday] my mother and her sister had to identify the body, which is one of those things you never expect to do. And [today] they'll have to clean up the house from all the blood," Lewis said. "Once those things are done, we're going to sit down and figure out what the next step should be."

Smullen lived a few blocks from LaSalle University, where Lewis starred in the mid-1980s. But the neighborhood has deteriorated, and one resident told reporters that she won't walk the block alone at night.

When not keeping to herself, Smullen was a giving person, throwing parties for area kids. Lewis said he'll always remember how she cared for him, cheering in the stands when he played in college and the pros and wanting him to get a coaching position once his NBA career ended.

"When I got the opportunity here in Seattle, she was extremely excited," he said. "I'm glad that she got a chance to see that."

Player of the game: Sonics All-Star Ray Allen showed his pride in a nothing game, playing a game-high 45:23 and finishing with 38 points, making 4 of 9 three-pointers.

Reserve of the game: Earl Watson sparked the team off the bench, scoring 12 points and dishing out 10 assists in 27 minutes.

Digits: The Sonics outscored the Timberwolves 12-2 in the final four minutes of the game.

Next: at L.A. Lakers, 12:30 p.m. Sunday, Staples Center.

Packing Schrempf

Detlef Schrempf, who joined the Sonics in January as an assistant coach, has been cleared to travel with the organization. Sonics coach Bob Hill expects Schrempf's first trip with the team will be to Los Angeles, and Schrempf will be on the road for the remainder of the season.

His primary responsibilities are the small and power forwards.

"It'll be more experience for him," said Hill of why Schrempf is traveling. "He's aggressive. He's the first to ask a question if there's something he doesn't understand. It'll be good to have him around."

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