Nate McMillian is a thief - and proud of it.
"This is a great accomplishment for me," McMillian said after stealing his way into the Seattle SuperSonics' record book. "Coming into this league, I wasn't sure I belonged here. So to lead a professional team in steals and assists is great."The NBA leader in steals, McMillian had three more Thursday in Seattle's 107-92 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves to become the SuperSonics' all-time thefts leader with 1,150, breaking Fred Brown's mark of 1,149. McMillian already holds the Seattle career record for assists, now at 3,995.
The victory, Seattle's 12th straight over Minnesota, dating back to December 1990, also clinched a playoff berth for the SuperSonics, who have the NBA's best overall record (46-16) and best road record (21-12).
And defense was the key.
"The difference tonight, which isn't surprising in terms of the way Seattle has won ballgames, is that we turned it over way too much," said Minnesota coach Sidney Lowe. "They turned it on in the second half, starting pressing us and trapping us. They became more aggressive and got their hands on a lot of loose balls."
Just the way Seattle coach George Karl planned it.
"It was a sloppy game in a lot of ways - we missed a lot of shots we should have made - but our defense always allows us to stay in the game," Karl said.
"The coaches preach 48 minutes of defense," said Seattle's Detlef Schrempf. "Forcing turnovers is our game. Both the starters and the bench put the pressure on."
Shawn Kemp led Seattle to its ninth victory in the last 11 games, finishing with 21 points, 14 rebounds and four steals.
Stacey King had 17 points and Mike Brown tied a career high with 16 rebounds for the Timberwolves, who have lost 21 of their last 24 games. Minnesota played its fifth straight game without leading scorer Christian Laettner, sidelined with a groin injury, while Seattle played its second straight game without guard Ricky Pierce, who is undergoing surgery today to remove bone spurs from his left foot.
Knicks 105, Bucks 83
The Knicks shut down visiting Milwaukee on just three points in the final 5:59 to tie the NBA post-shot clock record of holding opponents under 90 points in eight straight games. The record was set by the Syracuse Nationals during the 1954-55 season.
"It became a conscious effort," Anthony Mason said of New York's defense in the closing minutes. "There aren't many teams in the pros you can hold under 10 points in six minutes. We pride ourselves on our defense. Everything else takes care of itself."
Patrick Ewing led the Knicks with 26 points, while Vin Baker led Milwaukee with 25 points.
Heat 115, Mavericks 98
In Miami, Rony Seikaly had 28 points, 14 rebounds and four blocks as the Heat remained the NBA's hottest team, extending its record to 13-3 since the All-Star break. Miami has won three in a row and 11 of the last 13.
Glen Rice scored 24 points and Brian Shaw added 13 points and 11 assists.
Jimmy Jackson led Dallas with 25 points as the Mavericks suffered their 10th straight loss.
Nuggets 102, Clippers 99
In Los Angeles, Dikembe Mutombo and Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf each scored 21 points as Denver clipped the Clippers' season-high four-game winning streak.
Mutombo also grabbed 13 rebounds, while Dominique Wilkins had 35 points and Ron Harper 27 for Los Angeles.