A man walked into a ticket broker's office on Mercer Island this past summer to purchase concert tickets and nonchalantly asked about the interest level in Seattle SuperSonics tickets.

"It's the worst I've seen it in 10 years," the ticket agent told the man. "It's so bad, we don't even stock extra tickets anymore. Nobody wants them."

Little did that agent know how prescient her comments would be, given the scene at Key-Arena for Sonics games this season.

You could call it the Departing of the Red Sea.

Go to any Sonics game these days and there is a virtual sea of empty red seats. The vacant seats illustrate a trend that goes beyond Seattle to most of the NBA, where overpriced seats, uninspired play and disenchantment with players leave many thinking the league has lost touch with its supporters.

"It is that way everywhere," Sonics coach Nate McMillan said. "All arenas. I've gone in (Key-Arena) and said, 'Wow.'"

When: Today, 7 p.m.
Where: KeyArena

Radio: KJR (950 AM)

TV: KING.

Records: Sonics 8-9, Lakers 13-1

Notes: Tonight's game is Seattle's first sellout of the season at KeyArena, which holds 17,072 fans. No more tickets are available. Although playoff hero Derek Fisher has returned to the active roster, Lakers Coach Phil Jackson has the guard coming off the bench. Lindsey Hunter, who was acquired in a trade shipping Greg Foster to Milwaukee, starts at point guard. ... Former Sonics center Jelani McCoy signed with the Lakers during the offseason, and is on the inactive list. After not being re-signed by the Sonics this summer, the former UCLA Bruin gets to play back home.

Injuries: Sonics ? C Antonio Harvey (tendinitis) and C Jerome James (sprained right foot) are on the injured list. Lakers ? C Jelani McCoy (bruised right foot) is on the injured list.

There are strange occurrences in life that are difficult to comprehend. Bright sunlight on a rainy day. The school nerd dating the prom queen.

And the Sonics sweeping the Lakers.

Last season, the world-championship Lakers won almost 70 percent of their games before completing the best playoff record in NBA history. But the Lakers, led by Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal, couldn't figure out Seattle's unspectacular team. Will the Sonics have some kind of quirky advantage when they host the Lakers at 7 tonight at KeyArena?

"You definitely have to throw that out," said Coach Nate McMillan, whose Sonics defeated the Lakers by an average of 16 points last season. "We don't have a lot of the guys we had last year."

With seven new players, the 8-9 Sonics aren't the same team. And the 13-1 Lakers ? with their mainstays ? are playing in the dominating fashion of the postseason.

"It's a lot different," said Sonics guard Gary Payton. "They're coming in with a lot of confidence."

If there is an explanation for Seattle's perfect record against the Lakers last season, it's in the matchups. The Lakers' guards had even more trouble than usual keeping up with Payton, who averaged 27.5 points and 8.3 assists. Despite his worst season in the NBA, Vin Baker often resembled an All-Star against the Lakers. Patrick Ewing used his size and savvy against O'Neal. And the Sonics possessed athletic defenders such as Payton, Ruben Patterson and Desmond Mason to throw at Bryant.

Tom McEachin of the Ogden Standard-Examiner writes that the Jazz showed just how good they can be in their win over the Sonics.  Utah's win was due in part to a lineup switch.

McEachin writes:  "The Jazz entered the game with a 5-9 record and coach Jerry Sloan responded by shaking things up, starting rookie Jarron Collins at center in place of Greg Ostertag.

"I thought we"d change things around a little bit," Sloan said. "I don't care who plays, I'd just like to see somebody come and play hard. If you can do that then you have a chance to work out of a tough situation."

That's what the Jazz got on Wednesday as Sloan found strong performances at every turn."

It took a little starting lineup change as well as a little motivation and the Utah Jazz returned to an old form on Wednesday night.

Rookie Jarron Collins filled in at the center spot in front of two veterans and did so nicely in the Utah win.  Five players scored in double-figures and Utah routed the Sonics 112-88.

The article states, "Coach Jerry Sloan shuffled the deck Wednesday night at the Delta Center. The Jazz royally flushed Seattle."

HIGHLIGHT: Desmond Mason's third-quarter thunder jam over a host of Jazz players.

LOWLIGHT: Rashard Lewis' one-handed 8-footer over Greg Ostertag that went 5 feet.

OVERDUE: Gary Payton received his first technical foul for arguing this season when official Luis Grillo rung him up 45 seconds into the game. Payton had two technicals previously, but both were for scuffling with opponents. Payton was upset about a bail-out call given to John Stockton.

JUST REVENGE: In the second quarter, Stockton tried one of his famous flops and failed to draw the offensive foul. Payton made him look even sillier, hitting a 20-footer over his fallen foe.

NOT SURPRISED: On the improved inside play of Vin Baker, Sonics coach Nate McMillan said: "The guy has the skills to do that. He can be effective."

TAKE IT TO THE HOOP: Here's why McMillan doesn't want Baker on the perimeter: In the first quarter, he missed a 20-footer, failed to get back on defense and watched as his man, Karl Malone, broke free for an uncontested layin.

NICE PLAY: Payton, on the post, zipped a behind-the-back pass around Stockton to Baker for a second-quarter layin.

JUST WONDERING: In the first quarter, Baker stood still with his arms extended. Going up for his shot, Malone initiated contact, but Baker was called for the foul. "He was straight up!" McMillan barked to Grillo. "What does he have to do?"

TRADE RUMORS: Salt Lake City newspapers were filled yesterday with talk of a deal involving the supposedly disgruntled Malone and the Mavericks. Most of it had more bluster than substance. Boiled down: "Nobody wants a 38-year-old man, do they?"

VOICE FROM THE CROWD: "Underhand!" a fan yelled as Brent Barry took a free throw, wanting him to shoot it like his dad Rick did.

JAZZERCIZE: Donyell Marshall, who leads the NBA in shooting at 60 percent, went 8-for-12 and scored 20 points.

NEXT UP: L.A. Lakers, tomorrow night at 7, KeyArena

Whatever happened to the Sonics team that blistered the Minnesota Timberwolves the night before?

Where were those guys when the Utah Jazz ran layin drills in the second quarter and took control of the game?

Tuesday night, you watched in wonder. Last night, you watched and wondered. Same players, same green-and-gold uniforms, completely different results.

The Delta Center, otherwise known as the NBA's Senior Tour stop, is where younger legs are supposed to have an advantage now that John Stockton and Karl Malone are in their late 30s.

But wily prevailed again as the Jazz defeated the Sonics for the second time this month, this time by a 112-88 score.

Utah had 12 layups in the second quarter, eight in a row at one point, as the Sonics were either fatigued from the Minnesota game or slow to react for other reasons.

It's not like they could have been surprised because Utah runs the same offense it always has.

Player of the game: No Sonics player could match up against Donyell Marshall. The 6-foot-9 forward had 20 points (on 8-of-12 shooting) and 10 rebounds, including four offensive.

Top reserve: Andrei Kirilenko would love to play the Sonics every day. The rookie broke a slump with 15 points, four steals, four rebounds, three assists and three blocks.

Key to the game: Utah didn't have to use its vaunted half-court execution as the Jazz turned into a fast-break team last night. Running layup drills, Utah outscored Seattle 62-28 in the paint.

Dunk of the game: The Sonics had few highlights last night. But the play of the game came when Desmond Mason dribbled the ball like a yo-yo to break down Kirilenko and glide in for a one-handed slam that even garnered "oohs" from Jazz fans in the third quarter.

When guard Shammond Williams returned from the injured list after healing his left ring finger, rookie Earl Watson seemed to have claimed the role of Gary Payton's backup.

But because Williams was the incumbent with great scoring ability, Coach Nate McMillan seems to be doing a juggling act to get minutes for both players.

"I want to try to give Shammond an opportunity," McMillan said. "I know what Earl can do, and he's doing good things for us. I'm just playing by feel."

Williams is a valuable player as one of the NBA's best shooters, and one of only two Sonics who can break down a defense. When the Sonics have the final possession of a quarter, Williams often gets the call to do his thing.

Watson has shown uncanny defense for a rookie, and because McMillan is a coach who emphasizes defense, Watson won't get buried on the bench.

Although Watson doesn't have a defined role, he doesn't feel pressure to play flawlessly.

"Every time I play I have the feeling that I have a small margin for error," Watson said. "Even when I was at UCLA playing 40 minutes a game, I didn't want to mess up. I wanted to play as good as I could because I wanted to lead by example. With Shammond coming back, I think it brings depth to our point-guard position. You can go with Shammond or me off the bench."

McMillan has considered playing both players together but has been hesitant because of their diminutive size (Watson is 6-foot and Williams is 6-1).

"The benefit is that you can pick up the ball fullcourt," McMillan said. "It doesn't matter who (the opponents) give the ball to. You can apply pressure with both of those guys."

Mason to defend title

The NBA's slam-dunk contest is more two months away, but second-year player Desmond Mason already plans on defending his title. Mason's decision is noteworthy because past winners have quit while ahead.

"You really don't know what's going to happen in the future," Mason said in an interview with NBA.com. "But if I'm healthy, I really plan on going back and having a lot of fun again."

Over the past week, the Sonics have seen their big men return from injuries, and with a healthy roster of young, athletic players, Seattle has produced its longest winning streak this season, including Tuesday's upset victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Meanwhile, Utah was off to one of its worst starts in franchise history, finally looking like the old team that doomsayers had been predicting for years. And after Utah's meek start, rumors about a trade of Karl Malone reached a crescendo.

But last night at the Delta Center, it was the same old Jazz as Utah handed the Sonics their most lopsided loss of the season, 112-88.

The Jazz, which won its seventh straight game against Seattle, looked like it was practicing layups in the first half, when the game was all but decided. After a Sonics miss, the Jazz (6-9) wasted few dribbles, zipping the ball up court to its big men. Greg Ostertag, the adroit-challenged center, turned into the Flash last night.

"Big men outrunning everybody on our team and getting layups," said Brent Barry, summing up the game. "And when you do that against this team (the Jazz) ? as efficient as they are ? when you give them shots that are that easy, they are as good as they used to be."

Several times, a Sonics player would get stripped trying to penetrate then practically cry to a referee while the Jazz pushed the ball at the other end.

If Seattle's coaching staff wants to save time reviewing the debacle, all it needs to do is watch one sequence midway through the fourth quarter: