Seattle takes 3-1 lead over Kings

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — Ray Allen scored a playoff career-high 45 points, hitting six 3-pointers, and Seattle took a 3-1 series lead back home.

Rashard Lewis scored 19 points and Jerome James added 17 for Seattle — but Allen was relentlessly spectacular in front of the Kings’ deafening home crowd. He scored 10 points in the first 3 1/2 minutes of the fourth quarter, when the Sonics reclaimed the lead for the first time since the opening quarter.

And when the cold-shooting Kings got within 104-98 in the final 90 seconds, Allen finished them with a shot-block-beating 3-pointer from the right wing with 1:02 to play. He later added two more points to the highest-scoring performance in the playoffs this season.

Peja Stojakovic scored 21 of his 27 points in the first half for the Kings, who haven’t lost a first-round series since 2000.