NBA Roundup : Short, Rockets Defeat Warriors

Purvis Short came back to haunt his old team, scoring 13 points in the final quarter as the Houston Rockets defeated the Golden State Warriors, 120-113, Thursday night at Oakland.

Akeem Olajuwon led the Rockets with 30 points, 20 rebounds and 6 blocked shots. Short finished with 27 points in the first meeting of the two teams since the Dec. 12 trade that sent Ralph Sampson to Golden State in exchange for Sleepy Floyd and Joe Barry Carroll.

Floyd scored 15 points, Sampson 14 and Carroll 2.

Dallas 105, Phoenix 91--Derek Harper scored 27 points to lead the Mavericks to victory, making Dallas Coach John MacLeod’s return to Phoenix a triumphant one.

MacLeod, who coached the Suns for nearly 14 seasons before he was fired last February, was making his first appearance in Phoenix since leaving the team. He was greeted with applause by a crowd of 11,473 as he walked onto the court.

The Mavericks also received 23 points from Sam Perkins.

Chicago 100, Denver 96--Michael Jordan, held scoreless in the first quarter, finished with 28 points to lead the Bulls over the Nuggets at Chicago.

Jordan sank a basket with one minute left to snap a 96-96 tie and give the Bulls the lead for good. The Nuggets missed their next three shots before Chicago’s Rory Sparrow hit the final basket.

Denver guard Lafayette Lever recorded a triple-double with 31 points, 16 rebounds and 12 assists.

Indiana 114, Milwaukee 108--Steve Stipanovich scored 25 points, including the free throws that gave the Pacers the lead for good at Indianapolis.

San Antonio 124, Sacramento 119--Johnny Dawkins scored a season-high 30 points for the Spurs, as they snapped a three-game losing streak at Sacramento.