Payton Takes It To His Airness

The guard from Generation X took it to basketball’s grand master Wednesday night.

With his Sonics on the brink of a humiliating NBA Finals sweep at the hands of the game’s best player, Gary Payton wouldn’t quit.

The brash, gum-popping, diamond-loving playmaker outplayed Michael Jordan, and denied, or at least postponed, what might have been the Chicago superstar’s finest moment.

Jordan, in a quest to complete his triumphant return to the game by leading the Bulls to their fourth NBA title in six years, was just 6 of 19 from the field with four turnovers, three rebounds and two assists.

In frustration, he also was called for a technical foul and a flagrant foul.

Jordan still had 23 points, thanks to his 11-for-13 foul shooting. But that’s nine points below his playoff average.

Payton, meanwhile, was the magnificent maestro of a stunning 107-86 Sonics’ rout.

After missing his first three shots, all 3-pointers, he wound up 7 of 15 overall and 3 of 6 from 3-point range for 21 points. He also had 10 assists, two steals and just one turnover.

And “The Glove,” as Payton is known, finally lived up to his billing as the NBA’s defensive player of the year.

Payton had been matched against Jordan sporadically in the first two games out of fear of foul trouble. On Wednesday night, Seattle coach George Karl decided to start Payton on Jordan.

“Good luck,” Karl told Payton. The Seattle guard didn’t need it.

The matchup set the tone for the night. Payton, his long arms flailing, fronted Jordan, making it tough to get the ball.

Jordan, named to his seventh all-defensive team, guarded Payton much of the night. Twice on the baseline, Payton drove around Jordan as if he were frozen in time, tossing in easy layups to the deafening roar of the KeyArena crowd.

Payton was helped by the return of his favorite backcourt teammate, Nate McMillan, who had missed virtually the entire series with a nerve problem in his back. The Sonics also rediscovered the 3-pointer, making 9 of 17 in a blowout that was just as overwhelming as Chicago’s 108-86 rout of the Sonics on the same court Sunday.

Payton guarded Jordan only for a little while. But the game’s greatest player never could get going, and he reacted with frustration.

With 5-1/2 minutes left in the third quarter, Jordan was called for an offensive foul for pushing off on Hersey Hawkins. He argued the call and got a quick technical from referee Mike Mathis.

Then, 56 seconds from the end of the third quarter, Jordan got a flagrant foul for knocking down David Wingate on a layup.

With 4 minutes to go in the game, Payton punctuated the night with a half-court pass to Shawn Kemp, who caught it and slam-dunked it with one hand.

A minute later, his team up by 24, Payton left the game. And the Seattle SuperSonics were not quite through with their season.

Discipline, Sonics-style

Before Game 4, center Ervin Johnson, who was about to be benched, said coach George Karl told him he wasn’t talented enough to be on the floor at this point. Reserve Vince Askew, unhappy with his playing time, didn’t attend a media session and was fined $11,000 - $10,000 by the league and $1,000 by the team.

Wednesday, Karl used every player except Johnson and Askew.

Short memories

Even Chicago players who embraced the notion they were the greatest team in history claimed after taking their Game 4 beating that it was the press’ idea.

“I feel like we ignored it,” said Scottie Pippen, who had announced the Bulls were the greatest team. “I know as players we knew what we had at stake tonight to win.”

Finding the range

The Sonics’ ability to stay alive in the Finals is thanks in large part to the rediscovery of the 3-pointer.

In the first three games against Chicago, the Sonics were 12 of 47 (26 percent). In Wednesday night’s 107-86 victory, they were 9 of 17.

Gary Payton, 1 of 10 in the first three games, was 3 of 6. Hersey Hawkins, 2 of 11 up until Wednesday night, was 2 of 3.

Nate McMillan, who missed all of Games 2 and 3 and most of Game 1 with a sore back, was 2 of 3.

“When we shoot the ball on the perimeter, we have more confidence in almost every aspect of the game at the offensive end,” coach George Karl said.

Hobbled Harper

Ron Harper started at guard for Chicago but played only 13 minutes, none in the second half, because of tendinitis in the left knee. The injury kept him out of all but a minute of Game 3 Sunday.

“Ron wanted to start this game and we gave him the opportunity to start it,” Bulls coach Phil Jackson said. “And we knew that he was just laboring a little bit. But it was pretty obvious that he couldn’t play at the level he wants to play or we wanted him to play.”

Defeat costs Chicago $1 million

The Bulls’ failure to win their fourth NBA championship left fans disappointed and the city with a $1 million tab for the extra police sent out to handle the celebration that wasn’t.

Fans in Chicago’s trendy Rush Street nightclub district poured into the streets moments after the Bulls’ loss chanting “Friday, Friday, Friday.”

Minutes later, the crowd had dispersed and officers took down the barricades they’d erected to contain rowdy fans.

Bulls fan Jim McHugh had driven from Detroit to watch the game in a Rush Street bar. He has to work and won’t be able to return to Chicago for Friday’s game.