NBA Roundup : Bucks Defeat Spurs for 40th Win

Sidney Moncrief scored 31 points, including 14 in the pivotal third period, as the Milwaukee Bucks posted their eighth straight victory by defeating the San Antonio Spurs, 120-115, Saturday night at San Antonio.

Moncrief’s third-quarter shooting led a 38-14 surge that brought the Bucks back from a 68-59 deficit, which became a 15-point lead when the Spurs failed to score in the final 4:46 of the period.

The Bucks (40-18) joined the Lakers and Boston Celtics as the only teams with 40 victories and completed a three-game sweep of Texas. They previously won at Houston and Dallas.

San Antonio’s Artis Gilmore scored 25 points before fouling out with 3:08 left, and Alvin Robertson had 18--including eight in a rally that brought the Spurs within 117-113, but no closer.

Chicago 129, Seattle 125--Gene Banks scored 38 points, and George Gervin converted a three-point play that proved to be the game-winner with 1:04 left in the third overtime as the Bulls beat the SuperSonics at Chicago.

Gervin’s play gave the Bulls a 127-125 lead.

Tom Chambers had 31 points for the Sonics, and Xavier McDaniel added 24. For Chicago, Sidney Green had 28 points, and Charles Oakley added 19 points and 20 rebounds.

Washington 110, Cleveland 102--Jeff Malone scored 8 of his 33 points in the final five minutes as the Bullets held off the Cavaliers at Landover, Md.

With the scored tied, 100-100, with 2:36 left, Jeff Ruland put the Bullets ahead for good with a foul shot. Malone popped in an 18-footer, Dan Roundfield added a foul shot and Manute Bol made two free throws for a 106-100 lead with 24 seconds left.

Malone made 15 of 27 shots from the field and added 8 rebounds, 7 assists and 3 steals.

Roy Hinson had 26 points for Cleveland.

Denver 113, Dallas 106--Bill Hanzlik scored 21 points, and the Nuggets overcame the Mavericks in the final minutes at Denver.

The Nuggets took the lead for good, 95-93, on a three-point play by T.R. Dunn with 4:55 left.

NBA scoring leader Alex English added 19 points for Denver as the Nuggets improved their record at McNichols Arena to 26-4.

Derek Harper scored 19 points for Dallas, Mark Aguirre added 18 from Mark Aguirre and Jay Vincent scored 16.

Utah 105, Phoenix 97--Adrian Dantley scored 36 points, and Mark Eaton had 13 rebounds and 10 blocked shots as the Jazz held off the Suns at Salt Lake City.

Dantley scored 23 of his points as the Jazz took a 56-47 halftime lead.

The Suns cut the margin to 99-97 with 56 seconds left but couldn’t score after that as Utah guard Rickey Green had 4 points, 2 rebounds and 1 assist.

Walter Davis had 22 points, and Jay Humphries added 21 for the Suns.

Rookie Karl Malone had 15 points and 14 rebounds for Utah, and Green finished with 17 points, 8 assists and 7 rebounds.

Atlanta 112, New Jersey 83--Dominique Wilkins scored 27 points in three quarters and the Hawks cruised past the Nets at Atlanta.

The scored was tied, 34-34, with 4:34 left in the first half when Wilkins hit a three-point shot to start a 13-0 Atlanta run.

Kevin Willis added 17 points and 19 rebounds for Atlanta. Darwin Cook scored 16 points for the Nets.

Detroit 113, Portland 106--Vinnie Johnson tossed in 22 points and the Pistons stretched their winning streak to seven games by beating the Trail Blazers at Pontiac, Mich.

Portland lost its ninth consecutive game and 12th in 13.