NBA Roundup : Rookie Battle a Standoff; Cavaliers Win

Rookie Ron Harper, matching the output of Indiana rookie Chuck Person, scored 26 points Thursday night to lead the Cleveland Cavaliers to a 111-99 victory over the Indiana Pacers at Richfield, Ohio.

Person has said that he deserves the NBA’s Rookie of the Year award over Harper, but Harper said after the game that he’s not going to let that bother him.

“Talk is cheap,” he said. “I let my game do the talking. He says he deserves the award. Fine. If I get the award, I live. If I don’t, I live.”

Person, who is averaging 18.7 points and 8.5 rebounds a game, said he is having “a tremendous year for a rookie.”

Harper is averaging 23.2 points.

He scored 12 as Cleveland built a 36-29 lead after one quarter. Indiana led at halftime, 58-56, but Cleveland regained the lead midway through the third quarter and never trailed again.

Houston 112, Sacramento 102--Robert Reid scored 26 points, including 14 in the third quarter, to lead the Rockets at Houston.

Houston’s Akeem Olajuwon added 20 points, and Rodney McCray had a triple double with 20 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists.

Dallas 125, Golden State 100--Rolando Blackman scored 21 points, and the Mavericks never trailed in the rout at Oakland.

Blackman hit 8 of 12 shots and 5 of 7 free throws for the Mavericks, who shot 61.9%.

Phoenix 128, Portland 122--Larry Nance scored 34 points at Phoenix to lead the Suns to their sixth straight victory.

The Suns outscored Portland, 7-0, late in the game after the Trail Blazers had tied the score at 111-111 with 3:43 left.

Kiki Vandeweghe led Portland with 27 points.