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Sonics Sweep Lakers In OT

Game-Tying Dunk Leads Seattle Into Win, 109-97

LOS ANGELES , 3:59 p.m. PST March 13, 2001 -- Shaquille O'Neal called it a goaltending tip-dunk.

Nate McMillan said no way.

McMillan and his side got the call on Desmond Mason's game-tying dunk with 4.5 seconds left in the fourth quarter Sunday night, and the Seattle SuperSonics went on to beat the short-handed Los Angeles Lakers 109-97 in overtime.

The Sonics scored the last seven points of regulation and the first 11 of the extra period as they completed a sweep of their season series with the Lakers 4-0.

"I think it's a matchup thing," said McMillan, the Sonics' coach. "Who would think that we would sweep the Lakers?"

The Lakers, who lost for only the third time in 11 games, played without Kobe Bryant, sidelined with a viral infection.

With Bryant out and Isaiah Rider serving the third of a five-game suspension for failing to comply with the NBA's drug policy, the Lakers had only 10 players in uniform.

It became nine early in the second quarter when Robert Horry picked up two technical fouls, leading to automatic ejection. The Lakers led at the time, 41-31.

Mason soared over Mark Madsen to dunk the second straight missed free throw by Rashard Lewis, making it 93-all. Mike Penberthy didn't come close on a long 3-pointer as time expired, sending the game into overtime.

"That was no goaltending, that was two points," McMillan said.

"It looked clean to me; it was a bang-bang play," said Seattle's Brent Barry, who scored 20 points.

"It was good," Mason said with a smile. "It wasn't goaltending; they know it wasn't goaltending."

O'Neal led the Lakers with 29 points and seven rebounds, but fouled out with 5:32 left in the fourth quarter, picking up his last two fouls in a 12-second span.

He made no attempt to hide his anger afterward, and it wasn't just over Mason's dunk.

"I've never had four offensive fouls in my life, called by the same guy," he said, referring to Nolan Fine. "It was a horrible job done by those three officials."

Terry Durham and Hank Armstrong worked with Fine.

When asked about the possibility of being fined for his remarks, O'Neal let loose a stream of profanities, saying among other things: "I don't care, they stunk tonight. If they want to take the money, they can take it double. Money doesn't rule me."

Gary Payton led the Sonics with 24 points -- six in overtime -- and 11 assists. Lewis added 21, Vin Baker scored 17 and Mason had 14, including the game's biggest two.

Rick Fox had 18 points and nine rebounds for the Lakers. "As one of our coaches said, 'We snatched defeat out of the jaws of victory tonight,"' Lakers coach Phil Jackson said.

The Lakers led 84-80 when O'Neal left, and 93-86 after a follow shot by Horace Grant, but the Sonics got a 3-pointer by Lewis with 52 seconds to play and a layup by Payton with 29 seconds left before Mason's game-tying dunk.

The Sonics won despite going the first 8:37 of the fourth quarter without a field goal, missing their first 12 attempts before Lewis made a 3-pointer.

The Sonics, who beat the Lakers in three previous games this season by an average of 17.3 points, snapped a four-game losing streak and won for only the fourth time in 14 games.

"They had our number this season; that's just how it worked out," said Brian Shaw, who had 11 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists while playing 50 minutes. "We have to keep our head up; we were short-handed tonight."

Neither team led by more than five points in the third period, which ended with Seattle on top 76-72. The Lakers then went on a 21-10 run before the Sonics turned the game around.

Notes:

The Lakers hadn't been swept in a season series of at least four games since the 1993-94 season, when four teams, including Seattle, accomplished the feat. The Lakers were 33-49 that season and failed to make the playoffs.

The Sonics hadn't beaten a team with a winning record since Jan. 23, when they beat the Lakers 91-80.

Copyright 2001 by The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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