Sonics Shoot Through First Game

April 25, 1998 / 2:32 AM EDT / CBS/AP

Vin Baker didn't look like a neophyte in his first career playoff game.

Despite coach George Karl's concerns about his pre-game anxiety, Baker had 25 points and 12 rebounds Friday night to lead the Seattle SuperSonics to a 108-83 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves in the opener of their first-round series.

"At the shootaround today, Vin was so excited and so hyper," Karl said. "Before the game in the lockerroom, I asked him, `Should I talk to you?"'

"Yeah, I was nervous when I stepped on the floor and I got cottonmouth too soon, but thank goodness it didn't affect my shooting," said Baker, who was 11-for-19 from the floor.

Gary Payton added 19 points and seven assists, and Detlef Schrempf tallied 17 points for the Sonics, while Kevin Garnett had 18 points and 18 rebounds and Stephon Marbury added 13 points for the Wolves.

Anthony Peeler's 3-for-18 shooting was the major factor in Minnesota's defeat, coach Flip Saunders said.

"If he does that again, we're not going to beat anybody in the playoffs," Saunders said.

Peeler and Marbury, Minnesota's starting guards, were a combined 7-for-32.

"I'm a shooter so I'm going to keep putting it up," Peeler said. "I was too anxious and forced my shots."

Minnesota sealed its doom in the second quarter by shooting 3-for-24 as the Sonics pulled ahead 53-32 at the half. It was never close in the second half.

Baker, who did not make the playoffs in his first four NBA seasons in Milwaukee, scored 14 points on 7-for-9 shooting in the opening quarter.

"He hit his first shot, he got on a roll and that seemed to inspire the whole team," said Tom Hammonds of the Wolves.

Said Baker: "This team isn't looking for me to go out and get playoff experience. They're looking for me to go out and play big."

The teams meet in Game 2 here Sunday night before the best-of-5 series switches to Minnesota on Tuesday night.

Baker put together his highest scoring game since he had 26 points against Washington on March 25.

"That was the old Vin out there tonight," Payton said. "I think he got fatigued in the second half of the season. If he stays like this, we're going to win some basketball games."

Garnett's 18 rebounds were a Wolves' playoff high.

Hersey Hawkins had 12 points and 10 rebounds, and Jerome Kersey, who started in Jim McIlvaine's place at center, added 11 points for Seattle, the No. 2 seed in the West after a 62-victory regular season.

"I'm not ready to issue my challenge to Shaq (Shaquille O'Neal of the Los Angeles Lakers) yet," the 6-foot-7 Kersey said.

Terry Porter scored 13 points and Tom Hammonds had 12 for Minnesota, which still hasn't won a playoff game in four tries.

Baker, Payton and Schrempf did not play in the final period.

The Sonics extended their lead to 29 points twice 72-43 and 74-45 in the third quarter and took an 82-58 lead into the final period.

The Wolves went 8:11 without a basket in the second quarter. In that span, Seattle went from a 34-26 lead to a 46-27 advantage.

In the most spectacular play of the night, Payton, driving to the basket on a fast break, scored on a spinning layup between two Wolves' defenders for their 46-27 lead with 3:48 left in the first half.

Payton also sank a fastbreak 3-pointer in the final second of the opening quarter to give Seattle a 34-21 lead after Marbury missed a short shot and the Sonics rebounded.

Baker sank 15- and 14-footers when Seattle took an 8-0 lead in the game's first 1:30.

Notes: McIlvaine, who started 72 games at center for the Sonics during the regular season, entered the game in the fourth quarter and picked up four fouls. ... The Sonics improved their career record over the Wolves to 33-4, including 4-1 this season. ... The Wolves' 32 points in the first half were a season-low. They tied their season-low with 11 points in the second quarter. ... Minnesota outrebounded Seattle, the league's worst rebounding team during the regular season, 60-58.