Spurs Turn Up Heat on Jazz: Sonics' Hopes Fading

SAN ANTONIO--The West hasn't been won yet, although the San Antonio Spurs took another giant step yesterday toward doing just that.

With chants of "M-V-P" raining down on Tim Duncan from the largest crowed in the NBA this season, the Spurs played an inspired fourth quarter and defeated Utah 84-78 to prevent the Jazz from clinching the conference.

Now, it's the Spurs who can secure homecourt advantage throughout the postseason by winning their final two games--at Portland on Tuesday and at Golden State on Wednesday.

"This was huge, and winning those last two games will make it really, really big", Duncan said.

Duncan had 26 points, 14 rebounds and four blocked shots, outplaying Karl Malone down the stretch and showing rare flashes of emotion.

An emphatic dunk by Duncan off a missed shot with 9:06 left elicited a scream from the 7-footer and gave San Antonio its first lead since the first quarter, 67-65. After that, the Spurs never let Utah regain the momentum.

"I'm not dead to the world out there", said the usually stoic Duncan. "I'm trying to play hard, and when things happen that are great for us I get excited about it".

Mario Elie added 15 points, Sean Elliott had 14 and Avery Johnson 12 for the Spurs (35-13), who won the season series from the Jazz 2-1 and thus will have the tiebreaker edge if the teams finish with the same record.

Malone had 24 points and 14 rebounds for Utah (36-13), which has one game remaining--at home against the Los Angeles Clippers.

It was just the fourth time this season that Utah lost a game it led entering the fourth quarter.

"The last couple of years Utah has been strong, but things have changed this year", Elie said. "I'm proud of this team. We finally have mental toughness. There's no panic when we get behind. That's what we need in the playoffs".

Lakers 91, SuperSonics 84

SEATTLE--What the Seattle SuperSonics thought was impossible is happening to them: They are on the verge of playoff elimination.

"I hate to use the term mathematically still alive because that means you're almost dead. But right now it doesn't look good", Sonics guard Hersey Hawkins said.

Led by Shaquille O'Neal's 33 points and 12 rebounds and Kobe Bryant's 28 points, the Los Angeles Lakers beat the Sonics 91-84 Sunday.

A combination of two victories by Sacramento, in eighth place in the Western Conference standings, or losses by the Sonics would eliminate Seattle from the playoffs for the first time in nine seasons.

The Sonics won 61 games and their third straight Pacific Division title last season, when they were the first team to qualify for the playoffs in the entire league.

Under George Karl, the Sonics won 55 or more games for six consecutive seasons, Karl was fired after the Lakers defeated the Sonics in the playoffs last season.

"A lot of things happened this year that I didn't expect", said Olden Polynice, who signed with the Sonics as a free agent. "I came here knowing I would be in the playoffs. That's why I made the decision".

Gary Payton scored 14 of his 29 points in the fourth quarter, but it wasn't enough for Seattle, which dropped to 23-25 with two games left.

The Sonics'loss clinched a playoff spot for Minnesota which is in seventh place in the Western Conference. Eighth-place Sacramento took a 24-23 record against Phoenix at home Sunday night.

In case of a tie, Seattle owns the tiebreaker against the Kings because it has a better conference record.

Heat 100, Hornets 93

MIAMI--In a game fraught with playoff implications, Terry Porter scored 12 of his 18 points the fourth quarter, including an 18-footer and a three-pointer in the final minute that secured Miami's 100-93 victory over Charlotte last night.

Jamal Mashburn paced Miami with 20 points, while Alonzo Mourning, wearing goggles, returned after missing three games with an eye injury, to get 19 points and 12 rebounds.

Miami (32-16), which trailed by 11 points in the second half, remained as the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference.

The Heat, which ended a three-game home losing streak, have to win one of two remaining games to wrap up its first Eastern Conference title.

Charlotte (24-24), which had won 12 of its last 15 games to sneak back into the playoff picture, wasted an opportunity to catch the Knicks (25-23) for the eighth and final playoff berth. With two games remaining, New York holds the tiebreaker edge and sets up a potential firstround meeting with arch-rival Miami.

Eddie Jones led Charlotte with 23 points, while Chucky Brown added 17. Jones ran off the court bleeding with 1:17 to play after teammate Derrick Coleman inadvertently elbowed him in the head while attempting to block a dunk by Mourning.

Tim Hardway, who had 16 points, hit consecutive layups to give Miami a 92-90 lead with 1:46 left, the Heat's first lead since 2-0.

Jones drained a jumper to tie it 92-92 with 1:29 left. Mourning made one of two free throws then Porter hit a jumper.