NEW YORK -- With one quarter left in Sunday's game I was all set to diss Danny (The Flagrant Vagrant) Fortson, Seattle's solo paint presence, for drawing a one-game suspension and sullying the Sonic boom.

But somehow Nate McMillian's minions exhumed themselves from a 16-point fourth quarter crater and beat the Grizzlies for their sixth consecutive victory after opening the season on a decisive downer.

There's no other way to say it; the Sonics, third in the league in scoring (103.6 ppg), are playing (Puget) Sound basketball.

At 25, Rashard Lewis (14 points, 12 boards) has become a perfect second go-to guy and satisfied leader-in-waiting.

Antonio Daniels (28 points) appears to have found a coach at long last who has confidence in his shooting.

You see Luke Ritnour (17 points, eight assists and no turnovers) and think John Stockton, and, guess what, you aren't all that wrong.

And when Ray Allen's mortars aren't zeroing in from 3-point range he's hitting pullups in the paint or dunking over dunkers (Stromile Swift) off the break for a game enthralling 34 points.

This just in: Team president Wally Walker has taken full credit for the Sonics' sudden success, as well as Ichiro, the Seattle Storm and Mount St. Helens.

As for Fortson, how can an elbow by the repeat offender to Chris Bosh's head in the previous victory against the Raptors be worth only a one-game suspension?

Surely such decisions are conclusive proof to David Stern that the league's VP of Violence Stu Jackson desperately needs help in a hurry.

Isiah Thomas strongly recommends Dick Helm for the job.

Meanwhile, Memphis, last season's most pleasant surprise, is 2-5, igniting a counterfeit story in the Chicago Tribune that there's friction between Hubie Brown and Jerry West. Not a shred of truth to it; by all accounts and everything that's holy, the coach and team president don't have a good relationship, they have a great relationship.

However, just in case the report has an iota of validity to it, Joe Paterno is hanging around the FedEx Forum hoping to be offered a five-year contract.

Legitimate injury excuses aside (James Posey was ordered to the sidelines with a severe foot problem whereas Brian Cardinal is playing though hobbled by a sore foot), the Grizzlies, nonetheless, built a 21-point advantage late in the third period before capitulating on cue.

"When opponents make a run at us we can't find a way to stop them," underlined a forward observer.

I hold Pau Gasol predominantly responsible. If I get awfully annoyed watching this guy give up going for the ball when so much as mildly challenged imagine how exasperated his coaches and teammates must get!

Is there any "franchise player" slower to return to meander back on defense after missing a critical shot, or having it blocked for committing a turnover than Gasol?

In 34 minutes of Sunday's surrender in Seattle the 213-cm Spaniard, who recently signed a six-year, $86 million extension, managed to sky for three rebounds and down the stretch did almost everything wrong and soft.

Adding insult-to-insult, Sonic extremist Reggie Evans called Gasol a "girl."

Sounds like fighting words (next time they meet) to me. And you thought the league had outlawed taunting.

I'm not remotely about to question Gasol's manhood. We all know he's a fierce competitor, especially when pushed and prodded. We all know he battles for rebounds and offers defensive resistance when the spirit moves him. The other night against the Warriors he went for 14 points, 11 boards and five blocks and nearly got into it with Cliff Robinson. We all know he's not a certified conscientious objector.

Who knows, maybe Gasol is simply worn out from representing his country in the Olympics?

Spain practiced for seven weeks, twice a day, prior to Athens.

No wonder Ray Allen's legs are so strong and his shot so true these days; having declined an invitation to play for the United State he stayed home with his newborn last summer and rested for a change.

On second thought, it's probably more about age than exhaustion.

At 23, Gasol simply may not understand how to take the next step, a quantum leap that has been known to mentally and physically intimidate many a prime time player in his precise position.