NBA Roundup : A Fighting Jordan and Bulls Defeat Pistons, 116-86

The Detroit Pistons’ attempt to rough up Michael Jordan Tuesday night at Chicago resulted in the Pistons’ worst defeat of the season.

Despite two near fights with Piston players, Jordan scored 39 points in just 26 minutes to lead the Bulls to a 116-86 victory. The loss was costly to the Piston title hopes.

With only six games remaining, the Pistons trail Atlanta by 2 1/2 games in the Central Division. Unless the Pistons win at Atlanta Friday night, the Hawks are practically assured the title.

In the first quarter, Bill Laimbeer hammered Jordan, who was going for a dunk, to the floor. Jordan had to be restrained.

Jordan wanted to take on Adrian Dantley in the third quarter after Dantley flattened the scoring leader as he drove to the basket.

Actually, the Bulls broke the game open in the second quarter when Jordan was getting a rest. The Bulls were leading, 27-20, and, after a 16-4 burst, were in command, 43-24. When Jordan returned late in the second quarter, he scored 25 points in 14 minutes and the lead soared to 90-62.

“It’s the first time I ever felt like fighting,” Jordan said, “but you could see it coming. In my mind, Laimbeer was out to get me, something he likes to do.”

Cleveland 107, Boston 83--The Celtics’ lack of bench strength was never more evident than in this game at Richfield, Ohio. With Robert Parish absent because of a sore elbow, the Celtics had their lowest output of the season, including only 15 points from the bench.

The Celtics took a 69-68 lead on a driving layup by Larry Bird with two minutes left in the third quarter.

But Brad Daugherty and Ron Harper led a 21-4 spurt, and the Cavaliers won easily before a crowd of 19,007.

Bird, who scored 26 points, expressed concern about the Celtics’ lackadaisical approach in recent games. “We’ve talked about it,” Bird said. “We let them push us around. We used to do the pushing around.”

Milwaukee 95, Washington 94--John Lucas played the entire game for the Bucks at Landover, Md., and scored 26 points, but it was two free throws with six seconds left that gave the Bucks the victory.

The win ended the Bucks’ six-game road losing streak and kept their faint hopes of winning a seventh consecutive division title alive.

Atlanta would have to lose every game and the Bucks would have to win their last five to win the division.

Indiana 128, New Jersey 114--Ron Anderson scored 23 of his 27 points in the fourth quarter at Indianapolis to lead a 42-point rally that enabled the Pacers to win their eighth in a row at home.

The teams were tied, 86-86, after three quarters, but Anderson’s three-point play in the second minute of the fourth quarter put Indiana in front to stay.

Denver 129, Golden State 126--Bill Hanzlik sank two free throws with six seconds left in overtime at Oakland to give the Nuggets a victory.

The Nuggets led by three before Ben McDonald sank a 30-foot three-pointer with one second left in regulation.

Phoenix 127, Seattle 125--Walter Davis, who sank a three-pointer in the closing seconds of regulation, made a 15-footer with four seconds left in overtime at Seattle to give the Suns the victory.