NBA Playoffs : Price Is Right as Cavaliers Defeat Bulls

When he wasn’t busy helping defend Michael Jordan, Mark Price was scoring the points that enabled the Cleveland Cavaliers to stay alive in the playoffs Tuesday night at Richfield, Ohio.

The Cavaliers, holding Jordan under 50 for the first time in the series, fought off a late rally by the Chicago Bulls to score a 110-102 victory. The Cavaliers, trailing 2-1 in the best-of-five series, can knot it up with a win at home Thursday night.

Jordan scored 50 and 55 in the two games at Chicago, and each time the Bulls won closely fought contests.

With Price lending a hand to Craig Ehlo, the Cavaliers held Jordan to two baskets in the fourth quarter and 38 points for the game.

Price was 11 for 14 from the field for 31 points, including 9 from long range, to help the Cavaliers, who faced elimination with a loss, build a 9-point lead at halftime.

The Cavaliers were off fast because Jordan was off slowly. He made two early fouls and left with only six points in the first quarter. He began to pick up his game, to the dismay of 20,068 partisan fans, in the second quarter.

He didn’t slow down until the Cavaliers doubled up on him. Then, when he found open teammates, they failed to put the ball into the basket.

“It was a combination of Mark and a real tough defense on Jordan,” Cleveland Coach Lenny Wilkens said. “We outrebounded them (54-33), but Mark proved why he’s such a gutsy player. He’s a soft-spoken quiet guy off the court, but his game is tough.”

Dallas 93, Houston 92--Roy Tarpley lived up to his reputation as the best sixth man in the National Basketball Assn. in this game at Houston to give the Mavericks a 2-1 series lead.

Tarpley, in 38 minutes, scored 17 points and had 13 rebounds. It was his short baseline jumper with 48 seconds left that proved decisive. That gave the Mavericks a 93-90 lead.

Akeem Olajuwon, who had 35 points and 12 rebounds, hit a jumper with 35 seconds left to get Houston close, but he missed a 15-footer at the buzzer.

The Mavericks led throughout the first half, once by as many as 11, but Olajuwon brought the Rockets close in the opening minutes of the second half. It was a bitter battle the rest of the way.

It was an off night for Eric (Sleepy) Floyd. After scoring 42 points in the Rockets’ 119-108 victory Sunday, he was 4 for 13 shooting and had only 10 points.

Denver 125, Seattle 114--Jay Vincent came off the bench to score 24 points, 4 of them in the last 80 seconds, at Seattle to give the Nuggets the upper hand in the series once again.

The Nuggets, who lost at home Sunday, built a 50-38 lead in the second quarter and never relinquished it.

Once, the SuperSonics pulled to within 2 points, but Alex English and Vincent made baskets to turn back the threat.

It may have been a costly win. Fat Lever, star Nugget guard, injured his knee in the first half and did not return.