Supersonics Fly By Nuggets

May 1, 1999 / 2:56 AM EDT / CBS/AP

Time is runnig out for the Seattle SuperSonics. They're down to their final three games in a desperate bid to avoid missing the playoffs for the first time since 1989-90.

Gary Payton's 23 points and 14 assists led the Sonics to a 111-101 victory over the Denver Nuggets on Friday night.

But the Sonics, in ninth place in the Western Conference playoff race with a 23-24 record, couldn't pick up any ground on eighth-place Minnesota. The Timberwolves beat Golden State 90-85 Friday night to improve their record to 24-23.

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"Did they win?" Seattle's Hersey Hawkins asked of the Timberwolves, who also have three games left. "We just have to go out and continue to win. They (the Timberwolves) still have some tough games on the road and they haven't played that well on the road."

Detlef Schrempf added 28 points for the Sonics, who play the Los Angeles Lakers at home Sunday.

"That's another game we have to win," Hawkins said. "That's the bottom line."

Seattle has beaten the Lakers twice in three meetings this season.

"We have to approach them like we do every game," Sonics coach Paul Westphal said. "We have to make Shaq (Shaquille O'Neal) earn what he gets."

The Timberwolves have the tiebreaker against the Sonics because they beat Seattle two of three times this season. Sacramento, which was idle, is also 24-23 with three games left.

"We can't worry about what the other teams are doing," Seattle's Olden Polynice said. "We've got three games left we need to win."

Antonio McDyess scored 25 points for the Nuggets, while Chauncey Billups and Nick Van Exel each had 18. Danny Fortson had 17 rebounds for Denver, while Van Exel had 11 assists.

Denver lost for the 23rd time in 25 road games this season.

Nuggets coach Mike D'Antoni said he would be surprsed to see the Sonics miss the playoffs, pointing out they went to the NBA Finals against the Chicago Bulls in the 1995-96 season.

"They've been there," D'Antoni said. "Those guys know how to play."

McDyess seemed discouraged that the Nuggets weren't able to win a game they could have won.

"I don't know what to say," McDyess said. "But I don't think anyone on this team has quit. We played hard. It just seems at crunch time that there's someone who says, `You guys ain't going to win."'

The Nuggets were within six points when Polynice, Seattle's starting center who came into game shooting 29 percent from the free throw line, was fouled by Fortson.

He made his first free throw and then appeared to fake a free throw, but the referees ruled Denver jumped into the lane too early and gave him another free throw. After protests by the Nuggets, Polynice made the free throw and Seattle had a 100-92 lead with 3:08 remaining.

"Nick faked in on the first one so I faked him back," Polynice said with a smile.

In the third quarter, the Sonics led 83-67 after Hawkins' second 3-pointer of the period, but didn't get another basket over the final 2:51. Van Exel hit a 3-pointer from about 27 feet as the Nuggets outscored Seattle 10-2 to cut the deficit to 85-77.

The Sonics led 60-51 at halftime on Jelani McCoy's dunk on a pass from Payton with three seconds left in the second quarter. Seattle led by as many as 10 points in the opening period.

McDyess kept the Nuggets in the game in the first half with 14 points on 6-for-9 shooting.

Notes: Vin Baker returned to the Sonics' lineup after missing six games because of a deep bruise in his right knee. He had been expected to be out for the remainder of the regular season. In six minutes in the first half, Baker scored two points. ... Seattle backup point guard John Crotty was held out of the game because of a mild concussion suffered in Portland Wednesday night. The Sonics brought Drew Barry off the injured list to back up Payton. ... Seattle split four games with the Nuggets this season, winning twice at home and losing twice in Denver. ... The Sonics had a season-high 32 assists.