53 -- The number that Seattle shot from the field, but the Sonics still managed to lose to the Spurs, 116-101 at home.

27 -- The number of points Wally Szczerbiak had for the game, including 20 points in the second quarter and 11 straight during a 3-minute stretch of the second quarter. Szczerbiak said he’s still adjusting to his role of coming off the bench for Seattle.

“You have to figure out a way to contribute right when you get out there,” Szczerbiak said. “That’s my job. I’m not used to it. I’ve been starting my whole career. And when you’re starting you can miss a few shots, maybe go to the basket and get some free throws and the hook is not quite as quick. But that’s one thing I have to deal with right now.”

39-29 -- San Antonio’s rebound advantage of Seattle, including nine offensive rebounds, several of which came in critical moments of the game when the Sonics needed stops.

11 -- The number of 3-pointers San Antonio drained. The Spurs were 10-12 from 3-point range in the first half.

2-12 -- Seattle’s record on the year, tying a franchise-record for futility, dating back to the team’s inaugural season of 1967-68.

Boxscore -- Check it out here.

Durant watch -- Durant had one of his best offensive games of the season, finishing with 25 points on 11-of-17 shooting from the field against one of the best defenders in the league in San Antonio’s Bruce Bowen.

“The biggest thing was my teammates setting good screens,” Durant said. “And they were in good positions on the floor. They were wide open. And I think my teammates opened up some opportunities for me to get some easy buckets.”

Did you see that? -- Chris Wilcox took off from beyond the paint in finishing a thunderous dunk over Duncan early in the first half. But he also missed a dunk late in the game that proved costly as Seattle tried to scrape back in the game.

Overheard -- For one of the best defenders in the game, Bruce Bowen seems to do his fair share of whining to the refs. Bowen pleaded his case to the refs after being called for a foul every time it seemed, to no avail.

Final take -- Nothing to be ashamed about here. The Sonics played the defending NBA champions tough but couldn’t finish, which has been the case all season for Seattle.

The only way Seattle will win consistently is if they improve on the defensive end. And it’s slowly happening. The Sonics are getting better in their defensive rotations and forcing misses, but now they have to rebound better defensively. And that means the guards need to help out more because of Seattle’s lack of size inside.

It doesn’t get any easier for Seattle as they face the L.A. Lakers on the road on Tuesday.

Listen to P.J. Carelesimo talk about the game here.

Wally Szczerbiak talks about getting used to his new role.

And Kevin Durant talks about his game here.