Sonics squeeze past Clippers

With Seattle holding a two-point lead, Lewis converted a pair of free throws with 52.4 seconds on the clock for a 75-71 Sonics advantage.

Elton Brand then scored on a turnaround jumper from the low left post with 42.5 seconds remaining to make it a one-possession game, but Lewis cut across the baseline and scored on a floater with 24.8 seconds left to again give Seattle a four-point cushion.

Corey Maggette then cut hard down the lane and got bumped by Chris Wilcox, who fouled out with 9.3 seconds on the clock. After Maggette sank both free throws, Seattle advanced the ball to halfcourt with a timeout.

However, LA’s Will Conroy knocked the ball off Damien Wilkins’ shoulder on the inbound pass, giving LA 8.2 seconds of golden opportunity to tie it or win the game. Brand got a good look on a 16-foot jumper, but came up short, as the Sonics escaped with the win.

Wilcox finished with 12 points and 13 rebounds for Seattle, which has won two of its last three. Luke Ridnour also scored 12 points, and Nick Collison added 11 points and 10 boards for the SuperSonics, who are 17-13 at KeyArena. Seattle is scheduled to host rookie Adam Morrison and the Charlotte Bobcats on Sunday.

Brand posted 22 points and eight rebounds for the Clippers, who had a three- game winning streak snapped. Mobley netted 18 points, Maggette had 15, and Chris Kaman added 10 points and nine boards for the Clippers, who return home to host Indiana on Saturday and San Antonio on Monday; and are just 8-20 on the road this season.

Both clubs were severely shorthanded at the guard position. Seattle’s Ray Allen sat out with inflammation in his left ankle, while Sam Cassell suffered a strained right groin in the set’s opener, and did not play either.

After Mobley’s jumper 34 seconds after the opening tip-off, Seattle raced out to an 11-2 lead, capped by a Collison tip shot with 8:33 remaining. LA then got going and scored seven straight to trail 11-9 with 7:14 left, and the Sonics led 26-21 heading into the second.

Leading by one four minutes into the second stanza, the Sonics went on a 9-2 spurt capped by a Lewis trey with 5:55 to go, and retained control down the stretch for a 41-34 halftime lead.

The Clippers regrouped in the locker room and opened the second half on an 8-2 run, sparked by a pair of Maggette free throws 41 seconds into the third quarter, to trim their deficit to 43-42. Both clubs stayed neck-and-neck thereafter for a 57-57 tie heading into the fourth.

Game Notes

This was the fourth and final meeting of the campaign between the clubs with each team winning twice.