SEATTLE - The Seattle SuperSonics will have to play their playoff opener without Shawn Kemp, who was suspended for a game and fined $7,500 for fighting with Denver's Tom Hammonds.

The NBA announced yesterday the star power forward will miss Friday night's game against Sacramento.

Kemp, the team's leading scorer and rebounder, was also automatically fined $1,000 for being ejected Sunday.

Sonics coach George Karl said his team does not need Kemp to beat the Kings.

''But it sure would make it a lot better if we had him,'' he said. ''We must respect their ruling and move forward. We've got to forget about it.''

Kemp practiced with the team Tuesday but declined to discuss the suspension.

''It's a situation that happens,'' guard Nate McMillan said. ''He's only gone for one game, and we have to just pull together and take care of each other for this first game.''

Kemp averaged 19.6 points and 11.4 rebounds this season. Seattle has been upset in the first round of the playoffs the last two seasons.

Jerry Reynolds, the Kings' director of player personnel, said from Sacramento the NBA ruling ''sounds fair.''

''We have to prepare for the Sonics,'' he said. ''They've won 64 games, and they didn't do that with one player.''

Hammonds was suspended and fined $7,500. He will miss the first game of next season since Denver didn't make the playoffs.

Karl said he couldn't understand why so much was being made of the incident.

''I saw a wrestling match between two players who were butting each other,'' he said.

Kemp gave the Sonics a 63-59 lead with a 3-pointer in the third quarter against Denver, when Hammonds tried to set a pick and Kemp met him with a forearm to his chest.