Raptors Win, 1st In Seattle

The Seattle SuperSonics were missing one of their top players Sunday in Vin Baker. The Toronto Raptors weren't missing their best.

Vince Carter scored 13 of his game-high 34 points in the first quarter as the Raptors raced to a 17-point lead and held off the SuperSonics 99-97 for their first win in Seattle.

Carter was 11-of-22 from the field and made 11-of-12 free throws. He also had nine rebounds and four assists.

"We made him earn most of his points. He's a sensational talent and if you make him make tough shots that's all you can do," Seattle coach Paul Westphal said of Carter, who entered the game fifth in the NBA in scoring, averaging 25.6 points.

The hosts were without Baker, who strained his left hamstring in Friday's win over Golden State. The forward is second on the team in scoring and leads Seattle in rebounding and blocked shots.

"We were lucky that they were playing without Vin Baker," Toronto coach Butch Carter said. "You don't get very many opportunities to play good teams without all their people. We needed to capitalize on that."

The Sonics got 28 points from second-year forward Rashard Lewis and 22 from Gary Payton. Horace Grant added 13.

"It was a little rough without the inside presence of Vin down there," Grant said. "He commands the double-team. We really missed him inside tonight."

Although they never led, the Sonics had two chances to win late but Payton missed a layin with 6.5 seconds left and the Sonics down 98-97.

After Toronto's Muggsy Bogues made just one of his free throws, the Sonics called time out. They set up a play for Lewis, but his 3-pointer was blocked by McGrady as time ran out.

The Sonics started Jelani McCoy in place of Baker, who averages 17 points per game, and also sent in Greg Foster in the first quarter. But it was Lewis, who finished two points short of the career-high 30 he scored last month at Dallas, got the bulk of the playing time in the last three quarters.

"Rashard got a chance to play extended minutes and when he does that he usually does well," Westphal said. "He's progressing nicely for as young as he is and I think he's showing people why he had the nerve to come out of high school."

Lewis was drafted 32nd overall by the Sonics in the 1999 NBA draft out of Alief Elsik High School in Texas.

Payton ended up with triple-double, scoring 22 points to go with 10 rebounds and 10 assists, but was just 8-for-23 from the field.

The Sonics got to within three points, 50-47, on Payton's jumper with 58.1 seconds left in the half. It was the closest Seattle had been since trailing 4-2 early. Lewis scored eight of his points and Brent Barry had six, hitting two 3-pointers in the quarter.

Seattle trailed 47-38 with 2:56 left in the half on Christie's 3-pointer, but outscored Toronto which had been 0-2 in previous outings at Seattle 9-3 down the stretch.

Toronto controlled the first quarter, and Carter's 3-pointer with 45 seconds left gave Toronto a 31-14 lead.

The Sonics made just 8 of 28 shots in the period.

Notes