NBA Roundup : Paxson, Celtics Cut Down Nets at the Finish, 106-105

The Boston Celtics kept coming and so did Jim Paxson.

Paxson, thinking he was out of the play, kept moving anyway and took a pass from Danny Ainge to score a three-point play with 32 seconds left that rallied the Boston Celtics to a 106-105 victory over the New Jersey Nets Monday night at East Rutherford, N.J.

“When we reversed the ball, I thought Danny had the open shot, so I drifted inside,” Paxson said. “Instead, he penetrated and dropped the ball off to me. I just took it in, collected myself, tried to make contact and get the shot off.”

Boston, which trailed by 17 points in the third quarter, tied the score, 101-101, on two free throws by Ainge with 2:50 left. After New Jersey’s Tim McCormick sank two free throws, Larry Bird tied it with a drive from the left side. McCormick made a turn-around jumper to give New Jersey a 105-103 edge with 54 seconds left.

Bird scored 27 points for Boston, and Kevin McHale added 20 and 10 rebounds. Roy Hinson had 20 points for the Nets, and Otis Birdsong scored 16 of his 19 in the first half.

Philadelphia 108, Houston 98--Charles Barkley and Cliff Robinson had 22 points each and led a third-quarter outburst as the 76ers beat the Rockets at Philadelphia.

Houston center Akeem Olajuwon sat out the game with a bruised right knee, ending a streak of 129 starts. Joe Barry Carroll, starting in place of Olajuwon, scored 22 points.

New York 114, Dallas 106--Trent Tucker scored 12 of his 16 points in the fourth quarter, and the Knicks snapped a three-game losing by beating the Mavericks at New York.

The Knicks are one-half game behind Washington and one game behind Cleveland and Philadelphia in the race for the final two Eastern Conference playoff spots.

Mark Aguirre scored 36 points for the Mavericks and Derek Harper had 20. Patrick Ewing added 25 for the Knicks.