NBA Roundup : Wilkins Scores 41 as Hawks Defeat Bulls

Just about every few days, they have an old-fashioned shootout in the National Basketball Assn. It usually features Michael Jordan, the scoring champion.

Last week, Jordan shot it out with the Boston Celtics’ Larry Bird. Though Jordan outscored Bird, 42-38, the Celtics beat Jordan’s Chicago Bulls.

It was Dominique Wilkins turn to take on the champ Tuesday night at Atlanta. Wilkins came out firing.

Wilkins set an Omni record with 24 first-quarter points. He went on to score 41 and lead the Hawks to a 106-94 victory over the Bulls. Jordan had 38 points.

It was the Hawks’ 14th straight victory at home and a 16-1 record at the Omni. It also avenged the only loss at home this season.

The teams have met four times and each has won twice.

Although Jordan has a solid lead in his bid for a second consecutive scoring title, when he and Wilkins go head-to-head, it’s a standstill. In the four games, Jordan has scored 139 points, Wilkins has scored 138.

Wilkins, who scored 45 points in a loss at New York Monday, outscored the Bulls in the first quarter and led the Hawks to a 37-22 lead.

Jordan brought the Bulls battling back. With 8:12 to play, he sank a jumper to cut the deficit to 83-82. But Doc Rivers, who scored the second triple-double of his career, paced the Hawks to a closing 23-12 run. Rivers finished with 19 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists.

The Hawks improved their record to 27-10, second best to the Lakers and increased their lead to 3 1/2 games over Detroit in the Central Division. The Bulls (21-15) trail the Hawks by 5 1/2 games.

“I’m glad I had that first quarter,” said Wilkins, who was 11 for 14 from the field on his record spree. “It made up for the way I played the rest of the game.”

In the last three quarters, Wilkins made only 6 of 20 shots.

“Playing against Dominique is great, “ Jordan said after going 14 for 22 from the field and 10 for 10 from the line. “He’s so unpredictable. We hoped he’d wear himself out and come down to earth. He did, but we didn’t take advantage of it.”

The Hawks controlled the boards, outrebounding the Bulls, 55-40.

San Antonio 110, Milwaukee 104--Frank Brickowski took charge in the closing minutes at San Antonio as the Spurs wiped out a 13-point fourth-quarter deficit.

The Bucks, who led, 91-78, with 9:50 remaining, were ahead, 101-92, with just under four minutes to play.

That’s when Brickowski went to work. The Spurs outscored the Bucks, 18-3, the rest of the way. Brickowski scored 8 of his game-high 26 points in the last two minutes, including 4 in the final 29 seconds.

The Bucks’ problems began shortly after 7-footer Randy Breuer, who scored 17 points, suffered a rib injury and never returned in the fourth quarter.

Brickowski’s three-point play, tied the score, 102-102, then he blocked a shot. Mike Mitchell put the Spurs, who had lost four in a row, in front to stay.

Sacramento 107, Houston 104--LaSalle Thompson sank a 16-foot jumper with 17 seconds to go at Sacramento to give the Kings the lead, and Reggie Theus sank two free throws with eight seconds left to clinch it.

Akeem Olajuwon scored 23 points, had 11 rebounds and blocked 8 shots, but the Rockets lost their third in a row.

Mike McGee came off the bench to score 28 points for the Kings.

Dallas 120, Portland 116--Sam Perkins scored 13 of his 25 points in the fourth quarter at Portland as the Mavericks came from behind to win for the 10th time in the last 13 games.

Mark Aguirre, who led the Mavericks with 34 points, made three of four free throws in the last 10 seconds to assure the victory.

Clyde Drexler had 27 points and Jerome Kersey had 20 for the Trail Blazers, who made just 26 of 39 free throws.