NBA Roundup : 76ers End Rocky Road With 105-100 Victory

The Philadelphia 76ers finally found a port in the storm.

Charles Barkley scored 29 points and grabbed 16 rebounds Sunday to lead the 76ers past the Indiana Pacers, 105-100, Sunday at Indianapolis, ending a 20-game road losing streak.

“I don’t worry too much about how many games in a row we lose on the road,” Barkley said. “I don’t think about that. Reporters think about that.”

The score was tied 11 times and there were 14 lead changes before Mike Gminski’s 18-footer put Philadelphia ahead to stay, 86-85, with 8:03 left. Indiana, which missed its first seven shots in the final period and was 5 of 19 for the quarter, fell behind by as many as eight points with 4:35 left.

But the 76ers needed four free throws by Albert King in the final 13 seconds to clinch the victory, their first on the road since Dec. 23.

Cliff Robinson, who scored 18 points for Philadelphia, missed two free throws with 22 seconds left and the 76ers holding a 100-96 lead. Reggie Miller grabbed the rebound for Indiana and was fouled by Philadelphia’s Gerald Henderson.

Miller made both free throws to bring Indiana within two points, but Henderson made one free throw with 20 seconds left, giving Philadelphia a 101-98 lead.

Indiana’s John Long hit what he thought was a three-point shot, but his foot was inside the line and the Pacers trailed, 101-100, with 17 seconds left.

King, who had 10 of his 14 points in the second half, sank two free throws with 13 seconds left and two more with three seconds to go.

Chuck Person scored 23 points and Long added 20 for the Pacers. Gminski contributed 15 points for Philadelphia.

Boston 127, Cleveland 98--Larry Bird had 31 points and the Celtics beat the Cavaliers for the 24th straight time at Boston Garden.

Cleveland finished a six-game road trip without a victory, the club’s longest losing streak of the season. The Cavaliers last won at Boston Garden on Oct. 13, 1978.

Boston center Robert Parish injured his back in the first quarter and did not return.

Danny Ainge added 21 points for the Celtics and Kevin McHale had 20.

Ron Harper scored 25 points for the Cavaliers, 19 in the first half.

Detroit 109, Milwaukee 99--Bill Laimbeer scored 22 points and Dennis Rodman added 20 as the Pistons turned back the Bucks at Pontiac, Mich., for their seventh victory in eight games.

The Pistons led, 80-76, after three quarters but Milwaukee got even, 85-85, with 8:31 left on a three-pointer by John Lucas.

Detroit snapped an 87-87 tie on a basket by Laimbeer and a three-point play by Adrian Dantley for a 92-87 lead with 6:48 left and the Bucks couldn’t catch up.

Isiah Thomas added 19 points and 10 assists for Detroit. Ricky Pierce had 21 points and Jack Sikma scored 18 for Milwaukee.

Milwaukee’s Sidney Moncrief injured his left shoulder when he collided with Detroit’s John Salley with 3:33 left in the game. Moncrief said he didn’t know if he can play Tuesday against San Antonio.