NBA Roundup : Jordan Held to 11, and Bulls Are Left Hanging

It figured that one of these nights, Michael Jordan would play a poor game.

When he did Saturday night, his teammates’ ineptness was glaringly apparent.

The Milwaukee Bucks held the talented 6-6 guard to a season-low 11 points and breezed to a 113-90 victory at Chicago.

Friday night at Milwaukee, Jordan scored 40 or more points for the ninth consecutive outing as the Bulls ended the Bucks’ nine-game, home-court winning streak.

When Jordan, averaging 39 points per game, sank only 3 of 17 field goal attempts Saturday, the Bulls were pitiful. The Bulls, with their leader unable to find the range, managed only 7 field goals and 29 points in the first half to fall behind, 52-29.

Jordan hurt his knee in a second-quarter spill and played only eight minutes of the second half before calling it a night.

Coach Don Nelson made one strategic move that contributed to Jordan’s problems. He moved Paul Pressey from forward to guard. Pressey, one of the league’s strongest and best defensive players, frustrated the Bulls’ star, and there was no teammate to pick up the slack.

Take away Jordan’s 3 for 17 and the Bulls still shot only 35% from the field.

Ricky Pierce, relegated to the bench in the switch, came on in the second period and almost outscored the futile Bulls by himself. He had 10 points as the Bucks outscored the Hawks, 27-12, in 12 minutes.

Houston 119, Sacramento 106--An 18-day layoff did not dull the shooting eye of Akeem Olajuwon. The Rocket center returned from a knee injury in this game at Houston and made his first six shots to get his team off to a blazing start.

Olajuwon scored 28 points, sinking 11 of 14 shots. Ralph Sampson, the other half of the Twin Towers, had 20 points and 14 rebounds as the Rockets improved to 9-11.

It was the third loss in a row for the Kings, who trailed, 63-44, at halftime.

Atlanta 122, New York 110--Patrick Ewing scored a career-high 43 points, and Gerald Wilkins outscored his more illustrious brother at New York, but the undermanned Knicks couldn’t stop the Hawks.

Kevin Willis, who finished with 21 points and 11 rebounds, scored 15 points in the first quarter to help build a 13-point lead, and the Hawks coasted to their fourth in a row. The Hawks’ 18-4 record is the best in the NBA.

The Knicks were without Bill Cartwright, who has the flu, and Gerald Henderson and Kenny Walker.

In their absence, Ewing, 16 for 20 from the field and Wilkins, 30 points, were the Knicks’ offense. Wilkins also had a career-high 12 assists. Dominique Wilkins led Atlanta with 24 points.

Boston 105, Washington 98--As he does so often these days when it’s crunch time, Kevin McHale came through at Landover, Md.

After Moses Malone made a free throw to give the Bullets a 91-90 lead midway through the last quarter, McHale scored the next seven points, making two layups and a three-point play. The Celtics breezed from there.

McHale, who made his first eight shots of the game, finished with 34 points. He also had 13 rebounds.

Although Moses Malone scored 24 points and had 10 rebounds, the veteran center, who seems to tire playing back-to-back games, was 4 for 18 from the field.

Cleveland 123, Philadelphia 120--The 76ers were without injured regular Julius Erving at Richfield, Ohio, and they couldn’t stop slick guard Ron Harper (34 points), but they gave the Cavaliers a scare.

With Charles Barkley scoring 19 of his 41 points in the last quarter, the 76ers wiped out all but three points of a 24-point deficit in eight minutes.

Indiana 95, New Jersey 91--John Long scored 20 points, including two free throws with 10 seconds left at Indianapolis that nailed down the victory. The free throws extended Long’s consecutive string to 19.

The Pacers, who were 6-16 a year ago, are 11-11 under new Coach Jack Ramsay. It is now the injury-ravaged Nets (4-18) with the worst record.

Phoenix 123, Denver 110--Walter Davis scored 16 of his 24 points in the second half at Phoenix after teammate Larry Nance scored 17 in the first half for the Suns. Nance aggravated a muscle injury and sat out the second half.

Golden State 117, San Antonio 102--Chris Mullin and Joe Barry Carroll each scored 32 points at San Antonio, and the Warriors, trailing by two at halftime, made only two turnovers in the second half.

They made seven in the first quarter and trailed, 30-17.

Dallas 126, Seattle 109--Rolando Blackman sank 11 of 15 shots and scored 32 points at Seattle to lead the Mavericks to a wire-to-wire victory. The Mavericks, who lead the Midwest Division, have won 9 of their last 11.