(My Sportsbook) - Don't be fooled by the 9-5 record. The San Antonio Spurs aren't exactly scaring the rest of the NBA.

Coming into Sunday's game against Seattle, the Spurs were riding a four-game winning streak, but all of the victories had come against teams with sub-.500 records.

Meanwhile, the hungry Sonics, one of the surprise teams in the early season, entered the SBC Center seeking revenge for last year's first-round playoff loss to the Spurs.

The Spurs led by five at intermission and began the second half with a 20-7 run to take an 18-point lead, 69-51, with 4:35 left in the third quarter. San Antonio, known for its defense and discipline, seemingly had the game in hand.

However, the Sonics answered with a 14-5 burst to close the quarter and trailed by just nine, 74-65, heading into the fourth. Seattle kept charging, and a three-pointer by Gary Payton with 39.8 seconds left pulled the Sonics within one, 89-88.

Tim Duncan was sent to the line, where he hit 1-of-2 free throws to put San Antonio up two, 90-88, with only seven seconds remaining. But at the other end, Brent Barry, who had just five points in the game, drained a three- pointer from the top of the key to give Seattle a one-point advantage with 4.7 to go.

The Spurs had one last chance, but Duncan failed to tip in Stephen Jackson's miss as time expired.

"It was a tough loss for us, a great win for Seattle," Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said. "Both teams competed well. They caught fire down the stretch and hurt us with their zone defense. They knocked down their shots."

San Antonio has struggled to pull off big victories all season, also falling to New Jersey, Philadelphia and Portland. That doesn't bode well for a Spurs team playing catch-up with a scorching-hot Dallas Mavericks team (13-0) in the Midwest Division.

One positive has been the play of David Robinson, who finished with 18 points and 17 rebounds in Sunday's game. The Admiral, playing in his final NBA season, has graciously taken a backseat to Duncan, while embracing his role as a rebounding force.

Robinson is averaging just 9.6 points per game this season, but is swiping 10.7 boards per contest. That average is up from 8.3 boards per game last season. Granted, Robinson's production is still a dramatic decrease from his prime, but the Spurs have become accustomed to a kindler, gentler Robinson over the past few seasons.