NBA Roundup : Jordan Scores 50 Points as Bulls Win, 114-107

Chicago Bulls Coach Doug Collins says there’s not a whole lot left to say about Michael Jordan in a season where spectacular 40- and 50-point performances by the NBA’s leading scorer are expected.

“That’s why, in my estimation, he’s the greatest player in the NBA right now,” Collins said Monday night after Jordan’s 50 points spurred a 114-107 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks at Milwaukee.

“He came back at the end of the game and got the big rebound, stepped in and made the free throws and dished for a dunk,” Collins said. “There’s not much more I can say. His performance speaks for itself.”

Jordan had 16 fourth-quarter points, made 16 of 31 field goals and 18 of 22 free throws and had 9 rebounds, and the Bulls climbed into the Eastern Conference’s seventh playoff position as Indiana lost.

It was the second straight game and seventh time this season that Jordan has scored 50 points or more. He pulled within 37 points of the 3,000-point mark for the season. The only player in NBA history to reach the 3,000-point mark in a season was Wilt Chamberlain, who did it three times.

Atlanta 102, Indiana 101--Dominique Wilkins scored 28 of his 34 points in the second half at Indianapolis as the Hawks came back from a nine-point deficit to snap the Pacers’ eight-game home winning streak.

It was the Central Division-leading Hawks’ seventh straight victory and pulled them within one game of the Celtics for the best record in the East and the homecourt advantage in the Eastern Conference playoffs.

Boston is 56-23 and Atlanta is 55-24. Each team has three games left in the regular season, with the two teams meeting each other Sunday in Boston in their season finale.

Sacramento 123, San Antonio 118--Rookie forward Harold Pressley scored on a slam dunk with nine seconds left at Sacramento as the Kings extending the Spurs’ club-record losing streak to 10 games.

The Spurs tied the game, 116-116, with 1:16 left when Anthony Jones hit a three-point basket. The Kings scored twice in the next 52 seconds on baskets by LaSalle Thompson and Reggie Theus.

Thompson rebounded a missed shot with 12 seconds left and hit Pressley with a long pass that ended in a slam dunk and a 122-116 Sacramento lead with nine seconds left.

Theus led the Kings with 28 points, while forward Otis Thorpe added 22.

Walter Berry paced San Antonio with 27 points and 13 rebounds. Jones added 24 points, while David Greenwood had 23.

Detroit 120, New York 100--Adrian Dantley scored 30 points and Isiah Thomas added 21 as the Pistons snapped a three-game losing streak by beating the Knicks in New York.

Detroit has won 50 games, two short of the team record set in 1973-74.

Bernard King, making his first start and third appearance since March 23, 1985, finished with 19 points, while Gerald Wilkins led the Knicks with 27. Vinnie Johnson came off the bench to score 20 points for the Pistons.

Philadelphia 113, Washington 105--Cliff Robinson scored 22 points and David Wingate added 18 at Philadelphia to lead the 76ers over the Bullets.

Philadelphia clinched second place in the Atlantic Division and the fifth spot in the Eastern Division playoffs with the victory.

Julius Erving added 17 points for Philadelphia. He needs to score 62 points in the 76ers’ last three games to join Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Wilt Chamberlain as the only players to score 30,000 in a career.