NBA Roundup : Jordan’s 50 Points Offset Knick Twin Towers as Bulls Win

This is supposed to be the season that the New York Knicks, with their own version of the twin towers, make a dramatic return to respectability in the NBA.

At long last, Hubie Brown has a healthy Bill Cartwright (7-1), and Patrick Ewing (7-0) is a developing star in his second pro season.

But a fellow who is a mere 6-6 spoiled the home debut of the two giants and the new-look Knicks Saturday night. Michael Jordan, overcoming a slow start, scored 50 points to lead the Chicago Bulls to a 108-103 victory.

The Knicks, expected to be considerably improved after two seasons in which injuries all but wiped out the team, have started where they left off last season--losing their first two.

Jordan, who missed most of last season with a foot injury, scored only three points in the first quarter, but thereafter played the way he did in the playoffs. In one game against the champion Boston Celtics, Jordan broke the playoff record by scoring 63 points.

By the fourth quarter of this game he was unstoppable. In the final 5:17, he scored 15 points to thwart a furious Knick rally.

The Knicks, who trailed, 25-13, after one quarter, fought back to take a 90-85 lead midway through the last quarter. At that point, though, Jordan took charge.

Cartwright, who missed all but two games last season, was impressive in defeat for the second night in a row. He played 33 minutes, scored 21 points and had eight rebounds. Ewing, hampered by a sore knee, made only three of 10 shots and had 13 points and seven rebounds in 39 minutes.

“I was a little nervous at the start,” Jordan said, “but I promised Doug (new Coach Doug Collins) he wouldn’t lose his opener.

“All preseason I was looking forward to this game. All that (injury) stuff is out the window. I’m not doing anything tentative.”

Collins was almost speechless. “Mike was unbelievable,” he told the Associated Press. “He was splitting their double-team and he just wasn’t missing. The two shots he missed down the stretch he tipped in. He’s incredible.”

Jordan was 15 for 31 from the field. In the second half he was 12 for 19.

Milwaukee 111, Boston 105--It was an opportune time for the Bucks to end their nine-game losing streak. Both teams had played Friday night, the Celtics were missing three players and the game was at Milwaukee.

Terry Cummings scored 26 points, Paul Pressey had 17 and the weary Celtics, after wiping out a 16-point deficit, didn’t have much left at the finish.

In the absence of injured players Bill Walton, Danny Ainge and Scott Wedman, the Celtics’ stars, Larry Bird, Kevin McHale, Larry Parish and Dennis Johnson had to play virtually the entire game.

Off slowly, the Celtics, who swept the Bucks in four games in the playoffs, fell behind, 54-38, in the second quarter. They steadily cut into the lead and, on a bank shot by McHale, tied the score at 92-92.

Pressey sank two free throws and Cummings made a layup. The Celtics, despite McHale’s 33 points and Bird’s 24, couldn’t get even again.

Jack Sikma, acquired by the Bucks to help battle Boston’s tremendous front line, had 14 rebounds and 11 points for the Bucks, who are 2-0.

Cleveland 113, Washington 106--Mark West, who averaged 3.4 points in his first three NBA seasons, is now the 6-10 veteran of the Cavaliers’ all-new frontline.

West scored 27 points in the opener at Richfield, Ohio, while rookie John (Hot Rod) Williams had 22. Rookie center Brad Daugherty only had eight points but he had 13 rebounds.

The Bullets (0-2) didn’t get much help for the Malones. Moses had 22 points and 10 assists, while Jeff had 25 points.

Utah 119, Portland 110--Mark Eaton was the take-charge guy at Salt Lake City as the Jazz, held to 77 points in their opener, scored 66 in the first half and breezed to victory.

Eaton scored 15 points, but more important, he blocked 12 shots and grabbed 20 rebounds.

Sam Bowie scored 31 points for Portland (0-2).

Atlanta 131, New Jersey 111--Scoring champion Dominique Wilkins scored 39 points in the season opener at Atlanta but is already 11 points behind Michael Jordan in the scoring race.

Indiana 92, Detroit 89--Former Piston John Long scored nine of his 23 points in the last 68 seconds at Indianapolis to give his new team an exciting win.

San Antonio 108, Dallas 105--Two offensive rebounds and two free throws by Alvin Robertson with four seconds left at San Antonio gave Bob Weiss his first NBA coaching win.

Seattle 114, Sacramento 103--Xavier McDaniel had 27 points and 11 rebounds at Seattle as the SuperSonics, rated by many as the weakest team in the weakest division, won their second game in a row.

Golden State 131, Denver 109--Purvis Short, who made only 4 of 20 shots Friday night at Phoenix in a tough loss for the Warriors, made amends. Short scored 31 points at Oakland as the Warriors gave George Karl his first win as coach of the Warriors.