NBA Roundup : Celtics Keep Jordan in Line, Rout Bulls, 137-107

Michael Jordan embarrassed the Boston Celtics with his 50 points Friday night at Chicago, but doing it in Boston Garden is something else.

The Celtics limited Jordan to 26 points and trounced the Chicago Bulls, 137-107, Sunday at Boston.

“We just tried to attack him when he had the ball and make it as difficult as we could,” Boston Coach K.C. Jones said. “We had to double-team, triple-team or whatever it takes to make him give the ball up.”

Jordan seemed headed for another big game when he scored 11 points in the first quarter, but the Celtics kept him under control the rest of the way. Jordan scored six points to help the Bulls to a 75-73 lead in the third quarter, but went to the bench after committing his fourth foul with 5:54 left.

The Celtics regained the lead for good with six straight points and made it 95-85 after three quarters.

“We were down by two and Michael picked up his fourth foul and they whipped us on the post real bad,” Bulls Coach Doug Collins said. “I thought when he got into foul trouble, he never got back into sync. It was a 10-point game after three, but Michael never seemed to get back into it.”

Boston blew away from the Bulls with a 42-point final quarter.

Larry Bird scored 33 points for the Celtics, while Kevin McHale added 29 points and 10 rebounds.

Indiana 102, New Jersey 96--Steve Stipanovich scored 10 of his 24 points in the fourth quarter and grabbed 10 rebounds as the Pacers held off the Nets at East Rutherford, N.J.

New Jersey lost for the fifth time in six games under new Coach Willis Reed.

Indiana took the lead for good midway through the first quarter but couldn’t shake the Nets until the final minute.

The Pacers led by as many as 11 points midway through the fourth period, but the Nets cut the deficit to 91-86 with 2:21 remaining on a basket by Roy Hinson.

But Stipanovich, who hit 10 of 12 shots from the field, made two baskets and after Hinson scored on a rebound, Stipanovich’s basket made it 97-88 with 1:08 left.

Hinson had 22 points and 10 rebounds for the Nets.

Denver 108, Seattle 95--Michael Adams scored 27 points and Alex English added 22 as the Nuggets clinched a playoff spot by downing the SuperSonics at Denver.

The Nuggets, 27-6 at home this season, trailed, 83-82, when Seattle’s Tom Chambers scored with 7:41 to play. But Denver took the lead for good on a three-point play by T.R. Dunn at the 7:15 mark.

Adams hit a key three-point basket with 4:09 left to give Denver a 94-89 lead and started a 12-1 surge that put Seattle away. Adams, who has had a three-pointer in 26 consecutive games, extending his NBA record, hit another one to make it 103-90.

Lafayette Lever added 20 points for Denver. Dale Ellis scored 23 points for Seattle, and Xavier McDaniel had 21.

Detroit 118, Washington 110--Joe Dumars scored 25 points and the Pistons extend their club-record home-winning streak to 17 games by downing the Bullets at Pontiac, Mich.

The Pistons (44-20) won their sixth straight game and stayed one game behind Boston (46-20) for the Eastern Conference’s best record. Detroit stretched its Central Division lead to 4 1/2 games over Atlanta.

Washington dropped its third straight and fell a game behind Philadelphia in its quest for the East’s final playoff spot.

The Bullets came from 11 points down to get within 94-90, but the Pistons broke away with a 17-7 surge. Adrian Dantley scored 10 of his 23 points in the run.

Jeff Malone scored 39 points for Washington.

Portland 105, Dallas 99--Clyde Drexler scored 21 points, including a pair of game-clinching free throws with 13 seconds left, and the Trail Blazers won for the 11th time in 12 games by beating the Mavericks at Portland.

Dallas trailed by 16 points early in the third quarter, but Rolando Blackman scored 16 of his 31 points in the quarter and got the Mavericks back into the game.

The score was tied three times before Portland’s 12-4 run made it 87-79 with 8:20 left. Jerry Sichting had three long jumpers and Maurice Lucas scored four points during Portland’s surge.