NBA Roundup : Win Over Cavaliers Has Pacers Talking Playoffs

When a team that has won only three of 23 road games is talking about making the playoffs, it must be the NBA.

Sixteen of the 22 teams qualify for postseason play. Some people may think it’s easy to qualify. Not the followers of the Indiana Pacers.

The Pacers have had the worst record in the league the last two seasons and have not made the playoffs since 1981.

A recent modest surge has the Pacers talking playoffs despite their miserable record on the road.

With Herb Williams scoring 24 points and grabbing 11 rebounds, the Pacers whipped Cleveland, 105-99, Saturday night at Indianapolis to move a little closer to the playoffs.

At the moment, the Cavaliers occupy the final playoff position in the Eastern Conference. The loss left them only 2 1/2 games ahead of the Pacers.

After 40 games this season, the Pacers had only 10 victories. But they have won eight of the last 13 to re-energize their hopes.

“Now that we’re out of the Midwest Division basement, we definitely have a chance to make the playoffs,” Williams said. “We get the Bulls at home Monday night and if we beat them, we’re on our way.”

The Pacers had to overcome Roy Hinson’s big second half to beat the Cavaliers. The Pacers led, 57-43, at halftime. Hinson scored 21 of his 33 points in the second half and, with 42 seconds left, the Cavaliers had pulled to within three, 100-97. But Williams’ dunk halted the momentum.

Detroit 134, Philadelphia 133--The Pistons built a 16-point lead early in the fourth quarter, then to the chagrin of most of the 44,180 fans (largest in NBA history) in the Silverdome, they blew it.

It took some Isiah Thomas heroics in overtime to save the Pistons’ 13th win in the last 17 games. The brilliant guard scored eight of his 24 points in overtime, then forced Julius Erving into a charging foul.

A Thomas jumper gave the Pistons a 134-131 lead with 52 seconds left in overtime. Then came the charge call against Erving. After Detroit’s Earl Cureton missed two free throws, Andrew Toney, playing for the first time since Oct. 30, hit a short jump shot to cut the lead to one, but Detroit ran out the clock.

Toney scored eight points and played 19 minutes in his first appearance since suffering fractures in both feet.

Milwaukee 112, New Jersey 94--Paul Pressey had 18 points, 8 rebounds, 6 assists, 4 steals and 3 blocked shots at Milwaukee to lead the Bucks to their fourth victory in a row and a 5 1/2-game lead in the Central Division.

Pressey scored six points in a 14-6 spurt at the start of the third quarter that gave the Bucks a 12-point lead. The Nets closed to within three late in the quarter, but fell apart in the last quarter.

Denver 113, Golden State 100--Calvin Natt, making his first start since he injured a shoulder Jan. 28, scored 25 of his 27 points in the second half at Denver.

The Warriors, 2-26 on the road, jumped off to a 27-16 lead, but could not withstand the scoring of Natt and Alex English, who had 29 points.

The Nuggets, 23-4 at home, were without injured center Wayne Cooper and lost their backup pivotman, Danny Schayes, when he injured his ankle late in the game.

Utah 104, New York 97--The crippled Knicks forged in front, 93-91, with 5:08 left at New York. But they went the next four minutes without scoring, while Utah scored eight, six of them by Adrian Dantley.

For the game the Jazz shot 60.6% from the field, the Knicks just 43.7%. It was the fifth loss in a row for the Knicks, the last three coming without Patrick Ewing who has a sprained knee.

Utah shot 63% in the first half, but trailed, 53-50, because the hustling Knicks had 19 more field goal attempts.

Seattle 112, Washington 106--Jack Sikma scored seven of his 26 points in a 15-2 outburst in the fourth quarter at Seattle that carried the SuperSonics to their second win in the last seven games.

The Sonics trailed, 94-88, before making the spurt that gave them a 103-96 lead.

Manute Bol, the Bullets’ 7-7 center, blocked eight shots, five in the first half.