NBA Roundup : Bucks Beat Pacers in 2nd Overtime

Ricky Pierce sank two clutch baskets in the last two minutes of the second overtime Tuesday night at Milwaukee, and the Bucks finally wore down the stubborn Indiana Pacers, 120-114.

The Pacers, who had won four in a row and are having their best season in five years, forced the game into overtime when Wayman Tisdale made a dunk with two seconds left in regulation. But, with a chance to win it in the last seconds of the first overtime, the Pacers failed to score as time ran out.

The Bucks, returning home after a tough trip, won for the eighth time in the last nine games to remain 2 1/2 games behind the Detroit Pistons in the Central Division.

It was one of the Bucks’ toughest games at home. They didn’t grab the lead for good until Paul Pressey sank two free throws midway through the second overtime. Then Pierce sank two baskets in a row and the Bucks had the victory.

Chuck Person, who had 23 points for the Pacers, and Vern Fleming both missed shots in the first overtime with the score tied, 110-110. Person’s was a three-pointer, but Fleming missed a short jumper as the gun sounded.

Herb Williams had a big game for the improved Pacers. He scored 28 points, making 10 of 15 shots from the field and led all rebounders with 15 to give Indiana the edge on the boards, 50-40.

Terry Cummings had 24 points for the Bucks.

Chicago 113, Atlanta 103--The last time Dominique Wilkins and Michael Jordan hooked up on the court, Wilkins scored 57 points, Jordan 41.

Neither posted those kinds of figures in their meeting at Chicago. But Jordan, scoring 34 points and 12 rebounds, had a big edge.

Wilkins, sinking only 6 of 18 field-goal attempts, finished with only 22 points and 7 rebounds.

The scoring and rebounding were only part of Jordan’s contributions. He also had five steals and blocked five shots to key the Bulls’ drive to victory.

Detroit 120, New Jersey 112--Early in the season, Adrian Dantley wasn’t too sure his trade to the Pistons was such a great thing. He didn’t seem to fit in, and he wasn’t getting much playing time.

All that has changed. The high-scoring forward has become an integral part of the Pistons, and the team is winning.

Dantley scored 32 points at East Rutherford, N.J., 11 of them early in the third quarter to help the Pistons, who have won 10 of their last 12, build an 83-71 lead.

Portland 122, New York 109--Kiki Vandeweghe scored 34 points and Clyde Drexler 30 at New York to lead the Trail Blazers to an easy victory.

The Blazers were ahead almost the entire game. They led, 63-45, at halftime and stretched the lead to 27 points in the third quarter.

Portland had only nine players able to play. Terry Porter, playmaking guard, was the latest casualty with a severely bruised thigh.

Denver 134, Houston 105--Lafayette Lever continued his fabulous season for the Nuggets. The 6-3 guard had his 12th triple-double of the season, getting 18 points, 12 rebounds and 13 assists at Denver to help the Nuggets end a four-game losing streak.

Monday night at Houston, Akeem Olajuwon scored 31 points and had 14 rebounds to lead the Rockets to an easy win over the Nuggets.

He had only 15 points in this game and, with Alex English scoring 29 points and Darrell Walker 23, the Nuggets gained an easy win.

Sacramento 112, San Antonio 106--Eddie Johnson scored 31 points at San Antonio and the Kings, taking the lead for good four minutes into the second quarter, ended a three-game losing streak.

The Spurs trailed, 80-62, midway through the third quarter, but when former Laker Frank Brickowski scored eight points in a row, they made the Kings a little nervous before it was over.

Utah 133, Seattle 103--Karl Malone tied his career high with 38 points and had 13 rebounds at Salt Lake City to lead the Jazz to an easy victory.

Malone scored nine points in the last 4 1/2 minutes of the second quarter when the Jazz turned a 40-39 deficit into a 48-41 lead.

The Jazz turned it into a rout in the third quarter.