The Sonics hung in there but ultimately couldn't stay with Indiana, who just executed better on both the offensive and defensive end than Seattle.

Specifically, Indiana did a nice job of attacking Seattle's zone and man defense. The Pacers shot 11-of-26 from the 3-point line. And defensively Indiana forced Seattle to shoot 37 percent from the floor.

Rookie Kevin Durant eclipsed the 20-point mark for the first time in his NBA career, finishing with 21 points on 6-of-13 shooting. In particular Durant shot the ball well from the perimeter, going 3-for-5 from the 3-point line. He also finished with five rebounds.

Listen to Durant talk about the game here.

In his first action Mouhamed Sene also played well. In 24 minutes Sene finished with six points, 15 rebounds and four blocks. Coach P.J. Carlesimo said Sene was the best player on the floor against Indiana.

X-Rays on Damien Wilkin's right ankle came back negative. I talked to Damien after the game and he said his ankle did not swell that much, but he could only put a little bit of pressure on it. He'll be evaluated by the team on Monday.

Overall Carlesimo would have liked to see Seattle play better, but he credited Indiana with a solid game on both ends of the floor. Listen to P.J. comments after the game here.

Seattle plays again on Thursday against the L.A. Lakers in Bakerfield. I think we'll see one more game of evaluation before P.J. starts to hone in on a starting lineup and consistent rotation.