Final - OT
Allen's career night lifts SuperSonics
Jan 13, 2007 - 7:36 AM SEATTLE (Ticker) -- Ray Allen's sweet stroke never looked so good.Allen scored a career-high 54 points to lead the Seattle SuperSonics to a scintillating 122-114 overtime triumph over the Utah Jazz.
One of the game's best pure shooters, Allen never had reached the 50-point mark in 763 career games. The six-time All-Star's previous career high was 47 points set on April 14, 2002.
"It was just one of those nights that we talk about," Allen said. "People want to know what the zone is like and that's a night that if I can have a DVD of that and show people this is what it's like. You can't really explain it. It just happens."
It looked like 50 points would be out of the question Friday after Allen picked up two quick fouls and managed to make only a pair of free throws in the first quarter.
However, Allen was virtually unstoppable the rest of the way in making eight 3-pointers and finishing 17-of-32 from the field. He also sank all 10 of his free throws to go along with 10 rebounds.
"I've never seen a better a performance," said Sonics coach Bob Hill, who returned to the bench after missing Wednesday's game with a respiratory infection. "The lift on his shot, and the release on his shot, was the same at the end of the game as it was at the beginning. He's truly amazing. He just wasn't going to let us lose."
Jazz coach Jerry Sloan praised Allen.
"I'd say he was terrific. He had an absolutely terrific game," Sloan said.
Allen's performance was the second-highest scoring game in Sonics history behind only Fred Brown's 58-point effort in 1974.
Allen scored 18 points in the fourth quarter, when the Sonics erased a seven-point deficit with just over two minutes remaining. He came off a screen to swish a 3-pointer over the outstretched arm of Carlos Boozer with eight seconds left in regulation, tying the game at 106-106.
"The second half was quite a performance by Ray Allen," Hill said. "You don't have to get him open very long, you just have to get him open, and he'll take care of the rest. It was a phenomenal performance."
In overtime, Allen drilled three more jumpers, the final one with 2:09 remaining, which gave the Sonics a 114-110 lead.
After Andrei Kirilenko made two free throws for the Jazz, Nick Collison scored on a reverse and Damien Wilkins sank a pair of foul shots, giving the Sonics a 118-112 advantage with 18 seconds to go.
The Sonics also received big performances from Collison and Earl Watson en route to snapping a six-game losing streak. Collison had 25 points and 13 rebounds and Watson handed out 16 assists.
Boozer collected 32 points and 16 rebounds and Mehmet Okur scored 23 points for the Jazz.
- NBA
UTAH 114
SEATTLE 122 FINAL IN 1ST OT
Jan 13 1:14 AM - NBA
UTAH 106
SEATTLE 106 END OF 4TH QTR GOING INTO OVERTIME
Jan 13 12:56 AM - NBA
UTAH 73
SEATTLE 73 END, 3RD QTR
Jan 13 12:17 AM - NBA
UTAH 54
SEATTLE 50 HALFTIME
Jan 12 11:36 PM - NBA
UTAH 26
SEATTLE 21 END, 1ST QTR
Jan 12 11:09 PM
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