SEATTLE (AP) -- Ray Allen broke the NBA record for 3-pointers in a season, finishing with 269, and the Seattle SuperSonics wrapped up their disappointing season with a 109-98 victory over the playoff-bound Denver Nuggets on Wednesday night.
Nuggets coach George Karl watched his Northwest Division champions lose their fourth straight game to conclude the regular season, but didn't seem concerned about the outcome before the game. He rested starters Carmelo Anthony and Marcus Camby as well as Kenyon Martin, who has left knee tendinitis.
Eduardo Najera played in the first half for the Nuggets, but as a precaution taken by Karl, put on his street clothes and watched the game from the bench in the second half. He has been bothered by a right foot injury.
"Overrated," Karl said when asked about momentum going into the playoffs. "Teams that have it, brag about it. Teams that don't have it, don't."
Allen, a six-time All-Star shooting guard, erased Dennis Scott's 3-point mark of 267 set in the 1995-96 season for Orlando with his sixth made shot from behind the arc, giving him 268 for the season, with 6:30 left in the second quarter.
He tied the mark with five 3-pointers in the first period, when the Sonics pulled away for a 35-20 lead.
Allen led the Sonics with 27 points, including his seventh 3-pointer in the third quarter that put Seattle ahead 75-62 with 4:36 left.
The fans chanted for him to come back into the game and coach Bob Hill accommodated them by reinserting a smiling Allen into the lineup with 4:20 left. Then they cheered him when he was taken out with 38 seconds on the clock.
After Allen broke Scott's record, the officials stopped the game as the Key Arena crowd cheered wildly for the popular Allen, who was the team's only All-Star in its lackluster 35-47 season. Referee Jack Nies presented Allen with the ball he used to set the record.
The Nuggets went with a starting five of DerMarr Johnson, Francisco Elson, Reggie Evans, Andre Miller and Ruben Patterson. Seattle led 64-46 at halftime.
Denver got within 97-93 on a 3-pointer by Johnson with 2:21 to go.
Johnson led Denver with 22 points, tying his season high.
The Nuggets (44-38) will open their best-of-seven playoff series against the Clippers on Saturday in Los Angeles. Denver lost three of four games to the Clippers this season.
Seattle's poor season came after the Sonics won 52 games and the Northwest Division title last season, reaching the Western Conference semifinals against the San Antonio Spurs. The Sonics' 58 owners are unhappy with their lease agreement with the city-owned Key Arena and have complained about not receiving $220 million in improvements to their arena. The lease runs through 2010.
