SEATTLE – Strange doesn't begin to describe the scene inside KeyArena on Sunday night.

It was equal parts fire sale and historical tribute.

They gave away televisions and cars, and if you didn't know better, you'd have thought the Seattle SuperSonics were trying to get rid of everything they didn't feel like shipping to Oklahoma.

AP

The Dallas Mavericks and Seattle SuperSonics played Sunday in what could be the final NBA game in Seattle's KeyArena.

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For every salute to their 41-year history in Seattle, there was a reminder that the moving vans might be pulling up any day now.

All of which provided a weird background to what ended up as a 99-95 Seattle celebration at the Mavericks' expense. It was the final home game of the Sonics' season and, maybe, their Seattle existence.

"Maybe if they got that support earlier in the year, they'd still be here," said Jason Terry, a Seattle native who grew up as a Sonics fan and wore a green sports jacket to Sunday's game in support of the home team.

Terry's missed 3-pointer with 1.4 seconds left was the final blow that doomed the Mavericks, who went 0-2 on this Northwest swing and still need a win Wednesday against New Orleans in the regular season finale or a Denver loss to lock up the No. 7 playoff seed.

Figuring out their opponent requires nothing less than a quantum physics degree. It probably will come from the foursome of New Orleans, Houston, San Antonio or the Los Angeles Lakers. The Mavs finished 17-24 on the road.

Not all the news was bad. Josh Howard returned to the starting lineup and had 16 points, although 4-of-13 shooting could have been attributed to his sore right knee.

Dirk Nowitzki had 32 points, and Terry added 25, but the Mavericks were run down because they missed their last eight shots and were outscored 10-0 in the final three minutes. Kevin Durant's jumper with 41.6 left put the Sonics ahead for good, 96-95, and sent the crowd into delirium.

"It wasn't the atmosphere, it was us," said Devean George. "We just didn't handle our business."

During lulls in the action, fans chanted "Save Our Sonics" and a few less-flattering taunts at owner Clay Bennett, the Oklahoma City businessman who bought the Sonics and put the wheels in motion to put the franchise on wheels.

This is the place where Avery Johnson got his NBA start. Assistant coach Paul Westphal coached here. Terry used to sneak into this arena with his mom to watch games.

And if there was any doubt that this night would be a special send-off for the Sonics, a casually late entrance by former Sonics guard Gary Payton made it clear to everybody.

He got a standing ovation in the second quarter that lasted more than a minute, a reminder of the Sonics' glory days.

"It was like Payton and Shawn Kemp were out there," said Johnson. "And we played like we were just happy to be in the playoffs, not like we were trying to secure anything. We seemed to take a deep breath after the Utah game, and we haven't had the same focus since."