I to-oo-oold you!

[peter delevett <pdelevett@amcity.com>]

SEATTLE (AP) -- Gary Payton was great, and so was his backup.

                          Payton had 32 points and six assists, and reserve
point guard Moochie Norris hit four straight
                          3-pointers in the fourth quarter as the Seattle
Sonics beat the Portland Trail Blazers 91-88 Sunday.

                          Payton and Norris combined for 21 points in the
fourth quarter as the Sonics outscored the Blazers
                          30-17. While Payton is an All-Star, Norris played in
the CBA last season for the Fort Wayne
                          Fury.

                          "It was great to see him playing like that," Payton
                          said. "We needed it."

                          Norris finished with 12 points and three assists.

                          "Gary had a great game but Moochie really hurt us,"
                          said Damon Stoudamire, who led the Blazers with
                          19 points and nine assists. "We could have
                          withstood Gary's points but the others were
                          unexpected."

                          "When Gary came back, he played like he just wasn't
going to let us lose," Sonics coach Paul
                          Westphal said. "We have always known he (Moochie) is
a great shooter. Now some other people
                          know he is a greater shooter, too."

                          The Blazers led 71-61 going into the fourth quarter,
but the Sonics rallied behind Norris.

                          Norris, a CBA All-Star last year, hit four
consecutive 3-pointers and Ellis hit another shot from
                          behind the arc to tie it 73-73. Neither team led by
more than three points the rest of the way.

                          The Sonics took a 75-73 lead on Detlef Schrempf's
layup, but the Blazers countered with a 5-0 run
                          for a 78-75 lead.

                          Norris' 3-pointer tied it again before Portland
regained the lead on a 3-pointer by Greg Anthony,
                          who played with Seattle last season.

ESPN also had this funny bit: "If you like well-dressed control freaks,
Tuesday's Celtics-Heat game is for you as Rick Pitino matches wits with Pat
Riley. Rumor has it the loser has to buy a suit from the Men's Wearhosue
clearance rack."