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Durant hits game-winner as Sonics top Hawks in two overtimes

Nov 17, 2007 - 5:16 AM ATLANTA (Ticker) -- For nearly 58 minutes, Damien Wilkins carried the Seattle SuperSonics past his uncle's old squad. But Kevin Durant took care of the last few seconds.

Durant threw in a wild 3-pointer at the buzzer in the second overtime and Wilkins scored a career-high 41 points as the SuperSonics pulled off an exciting 126-123 double-overtime victory over the Atlanta Hawks on Friday night.

Nick Collison had 10 points and 14 rebounds for Seattle, which has won two in a row since starting the season with eight straight losses.

"We'd rather be 8-2 instead of 2-8, but we're starting to put things together and clean a few things up," Wilkins said. "We're definitely starting to play better."

After Wally Szczerbiak made just 1-of-2 free throws to make it 123-121 with 16 seconds left in the second overtime, Tyronn Lue answered on the other end with a running floater over Earl Watson that bounced off the back iron, straight up in the air and in to tie the game.

But Durant - the second overall pick in this June's draft - would not be denied on the final possession of the contest, taking the inbounds pass, turning and nailing a fadeaway 3-pointer over fellow first-year standout Al Horford.

"If I got the ball and said that I'm going to knock the shot down," Durant said. "Al Horford was right on it, but I faded away and, fortunately, it went in."

Durant, who scored 21 points on 8-of-18 shooting, pounded his chest and screamed at the Philips Arena crowd in the first big moment in what promises to be a stellar career for the 19-year-old swingman.

"We wanted to get the ball to either Damien in the corner or Kevin on top on the last play," Sonics coach P.J. Carlesimo said. "We got the ball to Kevin, and he made a monster shot. Players make monster shots."

It somehow overshadowed a dominant performance by Wilkins, who is the nephew of former Hawks superstar Dominique Wilkins. Damien Wilkins shot 15-of-20 from the field and added nine rebounds.

"(Damien Wilkins) doesn't need any incentive playing in this building," Carlesimo said. "His uncle's jersey is in the rafters and his dad was here tonight. I have to think that when he plays in Atlanta, it's pretty special to him."

Sitting alongside his brother - and Damien's father, former NBA standout Gerald Wilkins - courtside, Dominique Wilkins watched his nephew channel some of his old moves - going over, around and between Sonics' defenders all night.

"The last time I think I scored that many in a game, it was in high school, definitely not at this level," Damien Wilkins said. "Playing in front of family certainly made it special for me."

Wilkins provided heroics at the end of regulation, nailing a uncontested 3-pointer from outside the left corner - a few feet from his uncle and father to give the Sonics a one-point lead with 16.5 seconds left.

"(Delonte West) drove down the baseline," Wilkins said. "The defense converged on him. I went to the corner. He dished a great pass. I was wide open and let it go."

"He had it going," Hawks coach Mike Woodson said. "Anytime you put 41 points on the board, I'd say that you had a great night."

Atlanta had a chance to win it at the end of regulation, sending Josh Childress, who had been perfect 24-of-24 from the free-throw line, to shoot two free throws. But in snakebitten, Hawks-like fashion, Childress connected on just 1-of-2 free throws to send the game to overtime.

Wilkins responded again in the extra period, banking in a tough one-handed runner with 25 seconds left to make it 114-114 - eventually sending the game to a second overtime.

Atlanta guard Salim Stoudamire missed a shot from the arc as the horn sounded in the first extra period.

The loss was the second disappointing home defeat for the Hawks, who have played well against the high-flying Phoenix Suns and Dallas Mavericks here, but have looked like a totally different club against the previously winless Washington Wizards and the struggling Sonics.

Atlanta opened up flat as Seattle roared to a 58-45 lead at the half behind 15 points from Wilkins before Joe Johnson singlehandedly willed the Hawks back in the game with 13 third-quarter points.

"We came out a little flat to start the game," Childress admitted. "That happens over the course of the season. The important thing was that we were able to bounce back in the second half."

Johnson scored a season-high 39 points and Childress added 22 and 10 rebounds for the Hawks, who have dropped eight in a row against the Sonics.