NBA Roundup : Jordan’s 32 Helps Bulls Whip Hawks, 126-107

Michael Jordan had 32 points to lead six Chicago players scoring in double figures and added 13 rebounds, 8 assists and 5 steals as the Bulls handed the Central Division-leading Atlanta Hawks their sixth loss in nine games with a 126-107 victory Monday afternoon at Chicago.

“I was not worried a week ago,” Atlanta’s Glenn Rivers said, “but now that we’ve lost two big games and barely beat Washington at home, I’m starting to get plenty nervous.”

In winning for the 18th time in 25 games at home, the third-place Bulls, 3 1/2 games behind the Hawks, broke the game open with a 25-15 run in the first 9:06 of the second half to go up, 94-70. Charles Oakley had 9 of his 19 points and Brad Sellers scored 7 of his 17 during the run.

Sellers also held Atlanta’s Dominique Wilkins to 15 points in the first three quarters. Wilkins, the second-leading scorer in the National Basketball Assn., finished with 25.

The Bulls scored their most points in a regulation game this season, after tallying 74, 84, 95 and 73 points in their last four games. It was also the 34th time this season Jordan has scored 30 points or more in a game.

Cleveland 104, Sacramento 95--Brad Daugherty scored 30 points at Richfield, Ohio, the most by a Cleveland player this season, and Mark Price added 19 and Ron Harper 16 as the Cavaliers won for the eighth time in their last 10 games.

The Kings, who have lost 17 of 20 road games this season and three straight overall to the Cavaliers, were led by Reggie Theus’ 29 points. Derek Smith added 18 points.

Price scored six of his points during a 14-4 run in the fourth quarter that gave Cleveland a 91-84 lead. Sacramento pulled to within six, 93-87, with 3:19 remaining on an Otis Thorpe layup, but Daugherty responded with two straight jumpers, and the Kings never got closer than five points again.

Milwaukee 114, Washington 110--Jack Sikma scored 27 points and the Bucks held off a fourth-quarter rally by the Bullets to win at Landover, Md.

After falling behind, 84-54, Washington moved within 90-76 at the end of three quarters and got to within 91-87 with 8:44 left in the game. Milwaukee went 8:04 without a field goal before Ricky Pierce hit a jumper with 7:04 left.

Then, the Bullets closed the gap to two points, 99-97, with 4:20 remaining. But a three-point play by John Lucas with 4:04 left put the Bucks ahead, 102-97, and the Bullets got no closer than three the rest of the way.

John Williams scored a career-high 28 points for the Bullets, 22 in the second half.

Washington’s Moses Malone returned to action for the first time since suffering a chipped bone in his left wrist during the All-Star game. He made it through only five minutes, though, before being ejected with 1:18 left in the first quarter after picking up two technical fouls for throwing an elbow at and fighting with Sikma.

Boston 107, Phoenix 106--Larry Bird scored 49 points, including 14 in the fourth quarter, and Danny Ainge hit two free throws with three seconds remaining to give the Celtics the win at Phoenix in a game that was tied seven times in the fourth quarter.

Bird also had 12 rebounds. Kevin McHale added 24 points for Boston.

Eddie Johnson, who scored 25 points for Phoenix, had a chance to give the Suns the win, but his long jumper at the buzzer bounced off the side of the rim, giving the Celtics their 14th win in the last 16 meetings between the teams.

Detroit 102, Philadelphia 95--Dennis Rodman scored 15 of his 19 points in the second half to push the Pistons within a half-game of Atlanta in the Central Division and hand Philadelphia its 13th straight road defeat, the 76ers’ longest road losing streak since 1973, when they dropped 15 straight.

Detroit is 5-0 since the All-Star break and has not allowed more than 100 points in a game during that stretch.

Charles Barkley scored 32 points for Philadelphia.

New York 97, New Jersey 96--The Nets dropped to 1-23 on the road as Mark Jackson scored 12 of his 19 points in the fourth quarter to lead the Knicks at New York.

Gerald Wilkins scored 19 points and Patrick Ewing had 18 points and 17 rebounds to lead the Knicks, who have won eight straight at Madison Square Garden. Jackson also had 10 assists.

Golden State 126, San Antonio 122--Chris Mullin scored 27 points and Rod Higgins added 26 as the Warriors rallied from a 25-point deficit to win at San Antonio.

San Antonio, which lost its fifth consecutive game, led 108-94 with 10:34 to play, but the Warriors scored 14 straight points, tying the game with 6:40 left.

Golden State won for the fourth time in five game, raising its record to 13-33.

Utah 112, Portland 94--Thurl Bailey had 32 points and a career-high 17 rebounds as the Jazz won at Salt Lake City, spoiling a fine performance by Portland’s Kevin Duckworth.

Duckworth, a second-year player from Eastern Illinois, scored a career-high 31 points, including 18 in the third quarter as the Trail Blazers came back from a 16-point halftime deficit.

Karl Malone scored 20 for Utah, Darrell Griffith added 18.

Dallas 128, Seattle 122--Rolando Blackman scored nine of his team-high 28 points in overtime to lead the Mavericks at Seattle.

The SuperSonics, who got 29 points from Tom Chambers, lost for the seventh time in eight games.