NBA Roundup : Bulls Win as Corzine Clinches It

L.A. Times Archives

Jan. 18, 1985 12 AM PT

From Times Wire Services

Rookie Michael Jordan had 25 points, but it was center Dave Corzine who won the cheers of the Chicago Stadium crowd for a change.

Corzine, a target of the fans because of poor play all season, scored 10 of his 22 points in the final quarter Thursday night to lead the Chicago Bulls to a 98-93 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Corzine, averaging 6.6 points per game, iced the victory with a pair of free throws with 57 seconds left.

“My confidence has been shaken most of the season because of my poor performances,” Corzine said, “and consequently I had lost a lot of confidence in addition to being hurt by the fans’ reaction each night.

“It’s awfully tough to live with the situation where the fans take out their frustrations on you.”

But Corzine said that when Caldwell Jones was hurt earlier this month, General Manager Rod Thorn told him to forget about the fans and just do his job.

Cleveland’s Phil Hubbard hit two free throws with 2:25 remaining to cut the Bulls’ margin to 89-85. It was 95-87 when Corzine made his clinching free throws. Detroit 105, New York 89--Bill Laimbeer had 23 points and 12 rebounds as the surging Pistons turned back the slumping Knicks at New York.

The Pistons, who have won six of their last seven games, built a 66-49 lead with a 12-2 run early in the third quarter as Laimbeer started the run with two straight baskets.

The Knicks, who have lost six straight games and 12 of 13, played without Bernard King, who is out with an ankle injury. San Antonio 141, Kansas City 130--Gene Banks scored 32 points at Kansas City and the Spurs handed the Kings their sixth straight defeat.

The Spurs led, 122-107, with 7:43 left only to have Kansas City rally to within 128-124 with 2:48 remaining. The Spurs pulled away on a three-point play by John Paxson and a free throw by Banks. The Kings could get no closer than six points after that.

George Gervin added 22 points for the Spurs, including 15 in the third quarter before leaving the game with a minor eye injury.