NBA Roundup : Bucks to Meet 76ers, Celtics to Face Pistons in Best-of-Seven Series

Eastern NBA fans will get two outstanding matchups as postseason play moves into the second round Sunday.

In one of the best-of-seven series it will be Boston against Detroit, and in the other it will be Milwaukee against Philadelphia.

The Bucks and 76ers clinched first-round victories Friday night. The 76ers built a big first-half lead at Landover, Md., then needed a 14-point fourth-quarter performance by Julius Erving to beat the Washington Bullets, 106-98.

The Bucks, who finished one game ahead of the 76ers during the regular season, needed another exceptional game from Terry Cummings to beat the Bulls, 105-97, at Chicago to win a tough series, 3-1.

The 76ers, in clinching the best-of-five series, 3-1, were a hot-and-cold team against the Bullets.

The 76ers made 26 of 33 shots in the first half to build a 61-47 halftime lead. Erving helped make it a high average by sinking all five of his shots.

The 76ers made 11 of their first 13 shots and 19 of their first 24, but they also had 13 turnovers in 18 minutes and led only 44-32.

In the third quarter the 76ers sank only 4 of 22 shots and the Bullets rallied. They had one spurt of 10-0 and pulled within four twice.

Once Dr. J went to work in the fourth quarter, the Bullets were on their way home to rest up for next season. In the fourth quarter, Philadelphia made 12 of 19 field-goal attempts and finished with a 56.8% shooting average.

“There was a doctor in the house and we needed his medicine,” rookie Charles Barkley said after Erving’s brilliant fourth-quarter performance.

Milwaukee 105, Chicago 97--Terry Cummings, who blamed himself for the Bucks’ failure to at least tie Game 3 Wednesday, made amends at Chicago. He scored 29 points, including six free throws in the final minute that wiped out the Bulls’ last chance.

Cummings and the Bucks had to overcome another sparkling performance by Michael Jordan. Although he made only 6 of 16 field goal attempts, Jordan wound up with 29 points, 7 rebounds and 5 assists.

“I feel bad that we didn’t at least force a fifth game,” Jordan said, “but playoff basketball is something else. I never knew how exciting it is. I was only 6 for 16, so you can’t really say I did the job.”

In the third game Wednesday night, with the Bulls leading, 107-105, the Bucks tried to use an alley-oop pass from Sidney Moncrief to Cummings in a desperate last second bid for a tie. Cummings never got to the ball. “It was my fault,” he said. “I should have been there. Tonight I wanted to make amends.”

San Antonio 116, Denver 111--Johnny Moore scored nine points and had five rebounds in the last five minutes at San Antonio to get the Spurs even, 2-2, with the series finale set for Denver Sunday.

The Nuggets, despite an off night shooting and handling the ball, forged ahead, 98-95, just before Moore, who finished with a triple-double, took charge. He had 17 points, 10 rebounds and 16 assists.

Mike Mitchell, making 17 of 21 shots, led all scorers with 37 points.

The Nuggets, the best offensive team in the NBA, shot only 41.2% from the field in their worst shooting exhibition of the season.

“We’re still alive and we’re still breathing,” Spurs Coach Cotton Fitzsimmons said. “We had to overcome a lot tonight, including ourselves. I think tonight was a good job by everyone.” Denver Coach Doug Moe said the Nuggets will “have to come out and work just as hard Sunday as we did tonight. If we get after it defensively, we’ve a good chance to win it.”

Houston 96, Utah 94--Akeem Olajuwon scored 12 of his 18 points in the fourth quarter at Salt Lake City and blocked a shot in the closing seconds to enable the Rockets to stave off playoff elimination.

The Rockets, now that the series is tied, 2-2, return home Sunday needing a victory to advance to the second round.

The Jazz held a 49-38 lead at halftime but made only 11 of 38 shots in the second half. Utah fell behind, 94-83, with 1:19, then got back in the game when Darrell Griffith made three consecutive three-point baskets. With two seconds left rookie John Stockton drove in for a game-tying layup, but Olajuwon blocked it.