Jazz lose to Sonics

SEATTLE — The Jazz came here sensing they'd have to help themselves. What they failed to pick up on was just how much Ray Allen was intent on hurting them.

The Sonics' veteran All-Star finished with a career-high 54 points Friday night, leading Seattle to a 122-114 overtime victory over Utah at KeyArena.

Allen hit a 3-pointer that tied the game at 106 with eight seconds remaining in regulation to force overtime, then scored six of Seattle's first eight points in the extra five minutes as the Sonics snapped a six-game losing streak.

If the Jazz did not see it coming, perhaps they should have.

Allen, after all, had 32 points the first time Utah beat Seattle this season and 33 the next.

Yet nothing coach Jerry Sloan's club tried against the Sonics shooting guard seemed to work, whether it was veteran guard Derek Fisher trying to defend him as he did for much of the fourth quarter or forward Andrei Kirilenko taking his best shots in critical late-game situations.

The most crushing blow for Utah came as the fourth quarter rolled to a close.

With Utah clinging to a 106-103 lead, Allen cut cross-court and underneath the basket as Kirilenko was slowed by not one but two Seattle screens — one from Nick Collison, the other by Chris Wilcox.

That left Allen free to can his trey over the outstretched arm of Carlos Boozer, vaulting the Sonics — who still are without their other star, Rashard Lewis, who remains out with a hand injury — into an overtime period in which they never trailed.

When Allen hit his final bucket on a pullup jumper, Seattle went up 114-110.

Kirilenko, whom the Jazz went to most frequently on offense in overtime, responded with two free throws, but that would be Utah's final points of OT until a late and meaningless Boozer dunk.

Kirilenko did make a nifty steal on Allen and passed to point guard Deron Williams on a fast break that would have tied the game at 114, but Andre Brown got back to block Williams' layup attempt.

Collison followed with an inside bucket for Seattle, and after Kirilenko missed an ensuing 3-point attempt the Jazz essentially were done.

The loss dropped the 24-12 Jazz to just 10-9 on the road, leaving Sloan's club — which after facing Miami tonight at home embarks on a four-game Eastern swing — still trying to figure out how to play better when not in Utah.