NBA Roundup : Bird Misses Last-Second Shot, and Bucks Beat Celtics

A last-second shot by Larry Bird bounced off the front of the rim and into Sidney Moncrief’s hands to end a late Boston rally as the Milwaukee Bucks defeated the Celtics, 117-116, Tuesday night at Milwaukee.

“I had a good open shot and missed it,” Bird said. “I have no complaints.”

The Bucks’ Moncrief, who scored 12 of his 20 points in the fourth quarter, said: “I think the key was the shot. If he makes it, it’s over. My rebound was just a two-second deal.”

The Celtics, who trailed by 18 early in third quarter, pulled within a point on Danny Ainge’s pair of free throws with 33 seconds left.

Paul Pressey missed a layup with 18 seconds remaining, and Boston got the rebound. But Bird’s off-balance eight-foot jumper inside the lane fell short as the buzzer sounded.

Jack Sikma also scored 20 points for Milwaukee. John Lucas had 17 and Randy Breuer 15.

Bird scored 31 points and Robert Parish had 19, all in the first half, to lead Boston, which lost its second straight.

Detroit 117, Atlanta 104--Five Detroit players scored in double figures, led by Joe Dumars’ 25 points, as the Pistons defeated the Hawks at Atlanta despite a 50-point performance by Dominique Wilkins.

“We’re getting great balance,” Piston Coach Chuck Daly said. “We’re spreading our scoring around. We’re playing with a lot of confidence, and I think we have a chance to be a very good ballclub.”

Wilkins said his 50-point game, his second this year, meant little because the Hawks are not playing well.

“Right now, we’re just not concentrating or executing,” Wilkins said. “I was disgusted tonight. It’s personally disgusting to me to come out and play like we did tonight. We didn’t play like a team.”

Wilkins’ points came on 18-of-35 shooting from the field and 13 of 14 free throws. But the Hawks shot only 45% in losing their second straight game.

It was Wilkins’ 12th straight game scoring 30 or more.

Atlanta Coach Mike Fratello praised the Pistons and said they are in the same elite group as the Lakers and the Celtics.

“There aren’t many facets of their game right now that are missing, they are doing everything well,” Fratello said. “When we all show up and contribute at once, then we’ll be playing our game again.”

New York 98, Indiana 96--Mark Jackson’s 10-foot jumper at the buzzer climaxed a Knick comeback from a 20-point deficit at New York.

Patrick Ewing had 28 points and 16 rebounds for the Knicks.

The Knicks held the Pacers to 12 points in the fourth quarter as they won their 11th straight at Madison Square Garden.

San Antonio 114, Phoenix 109--Walter Berry scored 29 points to lead the Spurs over the Suns at San Antonio.

San Antonio trailed, 87-85, after three quarters, but the Spurs rallied behind Alvin Robertson, who scored 10 points in the fourth quarter, and David Greenwood, who scored 9. Robertson finished with 20 and Greenwood 16.

Utah 113, Houston 112--Karl Malone had 34 points and 17 rebounds, and John Stockton matched his career-high with 26 points, including Utah’s last basket with 1:48 remaining, as the Jazz beat the Rockets at Salt Lake City.

Utah’s Mel Turpin, who moments earlier lost a ball out of bounds, blocked a shot by Houston’s Cedric Maxwell, grabbed the ball and held on as the clock ran out.

Akeem Olajuwon led Houston with 27 points.