Mon Jan 28 00:42:27 2008

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Martin's buzzer-beater sends Sonics to 14th straight loss

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Seattle, WA (Sports Network) - Kevin Martin scored 26 points, including a jumper at the buzzer to give Sacramento a thrilling 103-101 victory over Seattle at KeyArena.

Damien Wilkins had pulled the Sonics even with a three-pointer from the left corner with six seconds remaining, but the Kings worked quickly to get the ball down court. Martin crossed from the left side to the right, and almost lost his dribble in traffic at the foul line.

He regained control, leapt in the air from the right side, and nailed the game-winning shot just before the red light illuminated the backboard.

Mike Bibby and Brad Miller picked up 13 points each for the Kings, who featured seven players in double figures en route to winning their fourth game in the last six.

John Salmons added 11 points off the bench, while Mikki Moore and Ron Artest chipped in 10 points apiece.

"Martin obviously made two big plays," said a jubilant Artest. "Players make plays down the stretch of games and that's what we had to have tonight."

Kevin Durant posted 19 points and five assists for the Sonics, who extended their franchise-worst losing skid to 14 in a row and have not won a game in 2008.

"All the losses are tough," Durant said. "I thought they did a good job trying to get to the line. Hopefully we can come out to get a win next game."

Wally Szczerbiak scored 16 points, Kurt Thomas had 15 points and 10 rebounds, and Chris Wilcox added 11 points and eight rebounds in defeat.

Although a Szczerbiak jumper put Seattle on top by one early in the fourth, the Kings responded with seven straight points to regain an 83-77 edge.

Thanks to cold shooting by Sacramento, the Sonics managed to forge ahead again, 86-85, with 4:56 remaining on two Szczerbiak free throws to cap a 9-2 burst.

Bibby hit one from the line to tie the game, but Szczerbiak hit a three the next time down the court for an 89-86 Seattle edge. Bibby's jumper with 1:18 left in regulation capped a 12-2 run which gave the Kings a 98-91 advantage, but Seattle charged back to within a pair, 98-96, with 43.1 to play, after Thomas hit both from the charity stripe.

Martin missed a jumper, but on the inbounds pass after a timeout with one second on the shot clock, he scored a one-handed tip-in from the paint while falling backwards for a four-point Sacramento lead with 17.9 remaining.

Durant's putback of his own missed jumper pulled Seattle within two, then Martin followed by making one-of-two with 10.1 left for a 101-98 game.

Wilkins appeared to send the game into overtime, but the Sonics did not do well enough defensively to prevent Martin's game-winner.

"It was a gutsy win on our part," said Kings head coach Reggie Theus. "It was a game they had in hand. We had a big lead for a while, and they didn't quit."

The Kings started fast, leading 13-6 after a pair of Miller free throws almost halfway through the first. The lead reached seven twice more, the last time when Salmons sank a layup to give the visitors a 25-18 edge after one.

When Martin hit a pair from the line with under a minute to go in the second, it was a 52-41 Kings lead. However, the Sonics ended the quarter with a 7-2 burst to climb within 54-48 at the break.

Thomas scored six, Wilcox sank a free throw and Earl Watson added a lay-in off the fast break, and Seattle came within 60-57 with 3:46 played in the third.

After a brief Kings run which restored a seven-point edge, Jeff Green's emphatic dunk and a deuce by Johan Petro brought Seattle back to 69-67 with 3:26 left in the quarter.

The Sonics got within two once more, on a Petro jumper with a little more than two minutes to go, and ended the third down 74-73 after Szczerbiak made both shots from the line with under a minute left.

Game Notes

The Kings have won seven of the last nine meetings...Miller posted a game-high 12 rebounds...Sacramento committed 15 turnovers to Seattle's 13...The Kings nailed 23-of-26 from the free-throw line, and the Sonics converted on only 29- of-39...Sacramento hosts Charlotte on Wednesday, while Seattle welcomes San Antonio on Tuesday.