NBA Roundup : Cavaliers Find Home on Road, 119-105

If the Cleveland Cavaliers could just learn to play as well at home as they do on the road, they would be a contender in the Central Division.

With World B. Free scoring 29 points and Roy Hinson 22, the Cavaliers beat the Detroit Pistons, 119-105, Friday night at Pontiac, Mich., to become only the third team in the NBA to have a winning record on the road.

The Lakers are 12-3 away from home, and the Boston Celtics are 8-6. The Cavaliers, who are 6-9 at home, are 8-7 on the road.

There is more solace for Cavalier Coach George Karl. A year ago, the Cavaliers were having trouble winning anywhere. They were 7-23 and just beginning to earn respect. Now, they are 14-16 and only five games out of first place.

“I can’t explain why we play so much better on the road,” Karl said. “Maybe, for our next game at home, we should wear our orange road uniforms and bus in from a nearby hotel.

“We are an entirely different team on the road. I don’t know if it’s because we play better before hostile crowds. Last season, when we opened 2-19, our home crowds were hostile.”

Free scored 14 points in the first half and Melvin Turpin had 17 as the Cavaliers built a 69-53 lead. They pulled out to a 97-75 lead in the third quarter.

When Isiah Thomas sparked a Detroit rally that cut the lead to 103-91, the Cavaliers responded with eight points in a row to pull away.

The Cavaliers, with Turpin getting 15 rebounds, outrebounded the Pistons, 53-39. The loss dropped the Pistons (15-16) below .500 for the first time this season.

Portland 142, Dallas 133--People seem to delight in blaming Kiki Vandeweghe whenever the Trail Blazers are playing poorly. They don’t seem as eager to sing his praises when things are going well.

In this game at Dallas, Vandeweghe put on a brilliant performance. He capped a 30-point game by scoring five points in overtime. He scored 19 of his points in the third quarter when the Blazers came from an eight-point halftime deficit to an eight-point lead.

The Mavericks’ Sam Perkins sent the game into overtime by sinking a hook shot with 13 seconds left in regulation to make it 128-128. Dallas’ Dale Ellis, who hit three three-point baskets in the fourth quarter, missed one at the buzzer.

Vandeweghe, who has scored 119 points in the Trail Blazers’ four consecutive victories, made a layup to open the overtime, and Portland led the rest of the way.

Mark Aguirre, playing his second game since his suspension was lifted by Dallas Coach Dick Motta, collided with Clyde Drexler of the Trail Blazers early in the game. After getting six stitches to close a cut over his left eye, Aguirre returned and scored 18 points.

Seattle 114, Golden State 102--The SuperSonics built a 19-point lead in the third quarter at Seattle, blew all but four points of the lead and then rode the hot shooting of rookie Xavier McDaniel to victory.

The Warriors, trailing, 87-68, outscored the Sonics, 16-1, to cut the lead to 88-84 early in the fourth period. McDaniel sank four baskets in a row and Seattle won going away. McDaniel had 12 of his 20 points in the fourth quarter.

Washington 111, Atlanta 109--Jeff Malone scored eight of his 31 points in the last 4:16 at Landover, Md., to enable the Bullets to overcome a six-point deficit.

The Bullets led by 15 points in the second quarter and were ahead, 90-84, early in the last quarter. The Hawks scored eight points in a row to take the lead.

They increased the lead to 101-95 before Malone led the Bullets on an 11-0 spurt that clinched the victory.

Dominique Wilkins had 35 points for the Hawks.

The Bullets were without Gus Williams and Kenny Green, who have the flu.