Mentally and physically exhausted from a long trip that included a team-wide flu bug and several injuries, Seattle SuperSonics coach Nate McMillan took it easy on his charges Wednesday.

After a difficult loss Tuesday to the Portland Trail Blazers, McMillan essentially gave his starters the day off from practice while his younger players ended the day playing some three-on-three, half-court basketball that came to an abrupt conclusion when rookie Vladimir Radmanovic went down following a hard collision with Desmond Mason.

"Players start to tune the coach out," McMillan said. "It's like a broken record. Sometimes you have to step away from it."

McMillan - with the help of an objective coaching staff - has done a pretty good job this season of recognizing when to push his players and when to back off.

He sensed that his intensity was beginning to grind the players down, so he delivered an unexpected tonic.

But he will have to revert to his intense ways tonight, when the Sonics play host to Sacramento, the team with the best record in the NBA - though once again the teams will meet without Kings All-Star power forward Chris Webber.

Webber was suspended for the game after the league deemed that an elbow he threw at Utah rookie Jarron Collins in the Kings' previous game Saturday was intentional.

Webber was fined $7,500 and suspended for this game, which will cost him 1/82 of his $12.75 million salary. This comes after Webber missed the season opener against Seattle with a severely sprained ankle (a Kings victory), and the teams' second meeting Dec. 19 with tendinitis in that sprained ankle (a Sonics win).

"They beat us without Webber before," McMillan said. "They are a very good team, a top team in the league. We have to prepare for them just as if Webber was there. They have more of a threat playing smallball, they have a strong bench ... and they are a very dangerous team, with or without Webber."

Sonics forward Vin Baker, meanwhile, said he will play tonight after aggravating a sprained left shoulder in the Sonics' loss to Portland.

"Hopefully, tomorrow I can give it another shot," Baker said. "We need wins and my team needs me."

Baker said he re-injured the shoulder when he made an awkward spin move on Rasheed Wallace, forcing his body one way and his shoulder the other.

Sonics point guard Gary Payton also is ailing, suffering from an injury to his left shin.

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* Reach staff writer Frank Hughes at 253-597-8742, ext. 6120, or frank.hughes@mail.tribnet.com

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SIDEBAR: GAME DAY

Matchup - Sacramento Kings at Sonics

When - 7 p.m., KeyArena

TV - KONG

Radio - 950-AM

The series - The teams have split two meetings this season, each winning at home.

Scouting report - Kings All-Star power forward Chris Webber was suspended by the league for the game, the third time in three meetings Webber has missed the Sonics this season. Vin Baker, suffering from a sprained left shoulder, said he will play. Gary Payton, with a bruised left shin, also is expected to play. The Sonics had their two-game win streak snapped with a loss to Portland on Tuesday. This is the second game in a stretch in which the Sonics play seven of eight games at home.

Next - 7 p.m., Saturday, vs. Chicago Bulls, Key-

Arena.