NBA Roundup : Tisdale Leads Pacers Past Hawks, 109-89

In the absence of Clark Kellogg, their best player, the Indiana Pacers have had to force-feed their talented rookie, Wayman Tisdale. It is finally beginning to get results.

Kellogg injured his knee last month and recently underwent arthroscopic surgery. In the first eight games that the 6-9 Tisdale, who would be a senior this season at Oklahoma, started, the Pacers were 1-7.

For the second game in a row Friday night at Indianapolis Tisdale led the Pacers in scoring and to victory. They easily whipped Atlanta, 109-89, for their third win in the last four games.

The only defeat for the Pacers in the last week was one they will have trouble living down. It was the loss to New York Tuesday night in which they shot only 25.7% from the field and scored just 64 points.

Tisdale scored 28 points when the Pacers bounced back to beat San Antonio Wednesday night. In this game he was 8-for-10 from the field and had 19 of his 27 points in the first half to help the Pacers build a 52-38 lead.

In his last two games Tisdale has made 25 out of 36 shots and has had 20 rebounds. But what has impressed Pacer Coach George Irvine the most, is his defensive play.

Wednesday night he was largely responsible for holding the Spurs’ Mike Mitchell to just 14 points. He had an even tougher assignment in this game, Dominique Wilkins. Wilkins was only 6-for-17 from the field and had only 13 points. Wilkins has been averaging 25 points.

“Never mind the scoring,” Irvine said. “It is the defensive job Wayman has done the last two games. He has taken on two of the top offensive forwards in the league and stopped them.”

It was the first time this season the Pacers (7-16) have put together back-to-back victories.

“I’ve just had to be patient,” Tisdale said. “We were off to a poor start and I wasn’t playing well. We seem to be coming together as a team. I’ve really enjoyed the last two games.”

The Pacers dominated all phases of the game. They led in rebounds, 53-34, and kept building on their lead until it reached 99-67.

For the second game in a row, Irvine started Stuart Gray at center, bringing Steve Stipanovich off the bench. In just 24 minutes Stipanovich scored 15 points and had 11 rebounds. He was 7 for 9 from the field.

Cleveland 128, Milwaukee 124--World B. Free scored 39 points, including a layup with three minutes left at Milwaukee that gave the Cavaliers the lead for good. It was only the second loss in 11 home games for the Central Division-leading Bucks.

The Bucks led after three quarters, 94-93, but the Cavaliers outscored the Bucks, 15-7, to open the final quarter. Sidney Moncrief rallied the Bucks and they pulled even, 113-113, before Free made his layup.

Terry Cummings, the Bucks’ top scorer, was 4 for 25 in Thursday’s loss to Washington. He improved only to 7 for 17 in this one.

San Antonio 119, Detroit 113--Mike Mitchell scored 29 points, including some key baskets that turned back late Piston rallies at Pontiac, Mich.

After Isiah Thomas sank two free throws with 1:15 to play to cut the Piston deficit to 110-109, Mitchell put in the rebound of his own miss and Johnny Moore added two free throws to raise the lead to five points.

The Pistons, who missed a chance to cut Milwaukee’s lead in the Central Division to a game, have lost four of their last six games.

Portland 127, Golden State 124--Jim Paxson fired a 25-foot, three-point shot into the basket as time ran out in overtime at Oakland to give the Trail Blazers the victory. Paxson had 11 of his 31 points in overtime.

Former USC star Ken Johnson, who defected to Michigan State, jammed in a rebound with 20 seconds left in regulation to enable the Trail Blazers to get to overtime.