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The NBA : Bird, Ainge Help Celtics Defeat Jazz

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From Times Wire Services

Larry Bird scored 28 points and Danny Ainge added 20, including six three-point goals, Monday night to lead the Boston Celtics past the Utah Jazz, 107-99.

Kevin McHale had 24 points for the Celtics, who had to come from behind in the fourth quarter at Salt Lake City.

One minute into the final quarter, Utah held an 85-79 lead. But the Celtics went on a 19-5 run and held a 98-90 advantage with 4:53 remaining.

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Karl Malone led Utah with 25 points, and Mel Turpin came off the bench to score 22.

Boston led, 32-23, after one quarter, but Turpin sparked a second-quarter Jazz rally, scoring 12 in the period as the Jazz shot 63% and pulled within 53-52 at halftime.

Bird scored the first nine Celtic points of the third period, but Utah came back to take an 82-77 lead with four seconds remaining in the quarter.

Boston’s Fred Roberts scored at the buzzer to make it 82-79 for Utah going into the final period.

The Jazz scored the first three points of the fourth quarter to gain their biggest margin, but Boston dominated from then on.

Cleveland 122, Denver 101--Brad Daugherty scored 25 points, and Mark Price added 23, pacing the Cavaliers to a win over the Nuggets at Cleveland.

Price had 10 points, and Daugherty 7 as Cleveland went on a 28-4 spurt over a 6:17 span to take a 40-24 lead after the first quarter.

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After the Nuggets closed to 50-47 with 6:01 remaining in the second period, Price, Craig Ehlo and Mark West scored four points apiece to fuel a 19-6 burst that gave Cleveland a 69-53 halftime advantage.

Philadelphia 122, Phoenix 114--Cliff Robinson scored 31 points, and Charles Barkley added 28, helping the 76ers break a five-game losing streak with a victory at home over the Suns.

Eddie Johnson led Phoenix with 27 points, including three three-pointers in the last two minutes, and Jay Humphries added 21 points. Maurice Cheeks scored 21 for Philadelphia, and Albert King had 16.

A Johnson three-pointer brought the Suns to 114-107 with 1:10 to go, but Barkley hit two free throws with 49 seconds to play and the Suns never got closer than seven points again.

Houston 117, Dallas 107--Akeem Olajuwon matched his season-high with 31 points, Purvis Short finished with 25 and Eric Floyd added 23 points and 11 assists to lead the Rockets to their fourth straight victory.

Jim Petersen and Joe Barry Carroll each scored 10 points, and Olajuwon grabbed 11 rebounds as Houston, playing at home, snapped the Mavericks’ five-game winning streak, their longest of their season. Houston’s four-game win streak matched its season high.

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