NBA Roundup : Cavaliers Let Hot Rod Do It and Beat Celtics for Fifth Straight Win

Coach Lenny Wilkens told rookie John (Hot Rod) Williams to get the ball and go right at the Boston Celtics.

Williams did as he was told and was fouled with three seconds left. He made two free throws to give the Cleveland Cavaliers an 88-86 victory over the NBA champions Saturday night at Richfield, Ohio.

“Coach Wilkens made it clear to me and everybody else,” Williams said. “He looked at me and said ‘Get the ball and go to the hoop,’ and that’s what I did.”

Williams and Ron Harper each scored 26 points as the Cavaliers stretched their winning streak to five games before 19,587 fans.

Boston, which suffered its third straight road loss and played without injured Larry Bird, got 31 points from Kevin McHale and 16 from Dennis Johnson.

With the score tied, 84-84, Cleveland’s Mel Turpin made a 15-foot jumper with 1:10 remaining for an 86-84 Cleveland lead. McHale tied the score, 86-86, on a hook shot with 17 seconds left.

That’s when Wilkens called on his rookie star.

“I called the timeout, and told Mel and the others to get the ball to Hot Rod,” Wilkens said. “I felt he could muscle his way inside and either get the basket or get fouled.”

Seattle 136, Houston 80--Tom Chambers scored 29 points in three quarters as the SuperSonics routed the Rockets at Houston.

Houston, playing without star center Akeem Olajuwon, absorbed its worst loss ever in the Summit, which opened in 1975, while losing its fourth straight game and seventh of the last eight, all sub-100 point games.

The Sonics also got 24 points from guard Dale Ellis, 16 from Xavier McDaniel and 15 from Alton Lister, all in only three periods.

Jim Petersen had 13 for Houston.

San Antonio 106, Chicago 97--Alvin Robertson scored 30 points and Johnny Dawkins added 28 as the Spurs rallied from a 21 points down to beat the Bulls at San Antonio.

The Bulls led, 51-30, in the second period before San Antonio reserves Dawkins, Larry Krystkowiak and Kevin Duckworth combined for the final 11 points of the first half to cut Chicago’s advantage to 56-41.

Trailing, 62-47, with 9:35 left in the third period, the Spurs went on a 29-6 scoring spree to pull ahead, 73-71. Robertson had 16 points during the rally.

Chicago’s Michael Jordan, who had a game-high 43 points, his sixth consecutive game with 40 or more. He made 18 of 38 shots.

The Bulls have now lost six of seven games on this trip.

Dallas 109, Golden State 104--Rolando Blackman scored 15 of his 22 points in the third quarter, and the Mavericks knocked off the Warriors at Oakland despite 41 points by Eric (Sleepy) Floyd.

Floyd, who hit 13 of 17 shots and picked up 10 assists, scored 14 points in the fourth quarter but couldn’t keep the Warriors from losing for the first time in seven games.

Golden State’s Joe Barry Carroll had only 13 points, including one field goal in the final quarter, and made 6 of 21 from the field. Chris Mullin was 0 for 9 for the Warriors but made three free throws.

Detroit 128, Denver 113--Adrian Dantley scored 32 points and Isiah Thomas added 24 to lead the Pistons past the Nuggets at Detroit.

Denver, which trailed, 64-36, in the second quarter, outscored the Pistons, 22-9, and drew to within 83-78 on a basket by Alex English with 6:01 left in the third period.

Detroit, which has won five of it last six games, regained control with six straight points and built a 111-98 lead with 5:56 left in the game.

English finished with 36 points, while Lafayette Lever scored 20 and Hanzlik 17 for the Nuggets.

Bill Laimbeer scored 20 points for Detroit and Vinnie Johnson had 18.

Philadelphia 105, New Jersey 100--Charles Barkley’s basket with 20 seconds left and Julius Erving’s two free throws gave the 76ers a victory over the Nets at Philadelphia.

The 76ers were ahead, 101-100, when Barkley scored after he blocked a shot by New Jersey’s Mike Gminski. Erving iced the victory with his free throws.

Utah 114, Sacramento 111--Kelly Tripucka and Darrell Griffith each scored 20 points at Sacramento and the Jazz handed the Kings their sixth straight defeat.