(My Sportsbook) - Any hopes of the Seattle SuperSonics vying for a playoff spot were all but squashed over the past week.

The Sonics have lost four straight games to fall seven games below .500 and dip well below a competitive postseason race. The slide also means that Gary Payton is about to be wearing a different uniform as the trade deadline approaches.

Seattle's most recent setback came at home against the Boston Celtics on Tuesday. After trailing by 22 at the break, the Sonics used a furious second- half rally to make the game close in the fourth quarter. However, Boston barely held on for an 82-76 victory.

Paul Pierce scored 14 points in the first half to help Boston open a commanding lead, but he was forced to leave the game with a groin injury. Seattle took advantage by limiting the Celtics to seven points in the third quarter. Unfortunately, the Sonics could only muster 15 points in the frame and trailed by 14 entering the fourth.

Boston padded its cushion to 17 points early in the final stanza before Seattle used an 18-2 burst to close within just one at 71-70 with 4:34 remaining. Payton and Desmond Mason scored five points apiece during the stretch.

"There was absolutely no defense in the first half again and their All-Stars took advantage," Sonics coach Nate McMillan said. "In the second half, we played some defense and were able to get back in the game."

However, the Celtics' other All-Star, Antoine Walker, made a couple of big buckets down the stretch and Boston sealed the win from the free throw line.

"It did kind of hurt to go down early like that. But we stayed focused just, knowing that we can come back, and that's what we did," said Seattle forward Reggie Evans, who grabbed a career-high 16 boards. "We missed a couple of buckets and Antoine made a couple of baskets down there towards the end."

Payton again led the way for Seattle with 23 points, 11 assists and seven rebounds. Mason scored 17 points on just 6-of-19 shooting, while Rashard Lewis had 15 on 7-of-21 shooting. The Sonics shot just 36 percent from the floor as a team, missing all 12 of their three-point attempts, and made only 18-of-27 free throws.

Tuesday's game also marked the return of Vin Baker to Seattle. He had spent his five previous seasons with the Sonics before being traded to Boston prior to this campaign. Baker, who collected nine points and three rebounds in 16 minutes off the bench, had missed last Wednesday's game with Seattle at the FleetCenter because of heart palpitations.

"I got quite a few boos, but I think I heard worse when I was here," Baker said. "I'm just excited that our team came out and played the way we did and got the victory."

Seattle is poised to fall even further after the next couple games, as it plays on the road against Pacific Division foes Sacramento and Portland.