NBA Roundup : Jordan Scores 58 Points as Bulls Trounce Nets

Michael Jordan saved his classiest move for last.

After scoring 58 points, Jordan asked Coach Doug Collins to take him out when the Chicago Bulls had a comfortable lead with 2:44 left in a 128-113 victory over the New Jersey Nets Thursday night at Chicago.

“Michael took a lot of pressure off me by asking to sit down,” Collins said. “I wanted him to get as many points as possible, but by that point I asked myself, did we have a big enough lead, and the answer was yes.”

With more than 14,000 fans chanting for Jordan to go for 60 points, he took a seat on the bench.

“I knew the fans wanted me to get 60, then 63, and maybe 70,” Jordan said. “But the bottom line is that by scoring more points I’ll always have to shoot for more and more, and there’s a lot more to the game.

“Yes, I wanted to break Chet Walker’s record, but for me that was enough.”

Jordan broke Walker’s club record of 56 points and set another Bull record by making 26 of 27 free throws.

Jordan’s 58 points are the most scored in the NBA this season, surpassing the 57 by Dominique Wilkins of Atlanta.

The Bulls’ guard scored 34 points in the first half, taking Chicago to a 70-49 halftime lead.

Jordan has scored 135 points in his last three games, a 45.0 average.

Buck Williams scored 25 points for the Nets, who were dealt their 14th straight road defeat.

Washington 100, Indiana 94--Manute Bol, filling in for the injured Moses Malone, tied his career high with 15 blocked shots, grabbed a career-high 19 rebounds and scored 10 points to carry the Bullets past the Pacers at Landover, Md.

Malone missed his first game this season because of a sprained left ankle.

Chuck Person scored 21 points for the Pacers.

San Antonio 96, Philadelphia 94--Alvin Robertson hit a three-point shot with no time left to give the Spurs the victory over the 76ers at San Antonio.

Robertson and Walter Berry had 23 points each for the Spurs. Maurice Cheeks scored 28 for Philadelphia, while Roy Hinson scored 23.

Houston 85, Utah 84--Robert Reid hit a basket with 11 seconds remaining and added a free throw seconds later as the Rockets edged the Jazz at Salt Lake City.

Karl Malone had 22 points and 12 rebounds for Utah and Reid scored 19 for the Rockets.

Seattle 106, Denver 100--Dale Ellis scored 18 of his 24 points in the second half to rally the SuperSonics to victory over the Nuggets at Seattle.

Xavier McDaniel scored 30 points for Seattle, and Alex English had 22 for Denver.