NBA Roundup : Aguirre Makes an Inauspicious Debut as Detroit Loses, 121-119

Mark Aguirre went from hero to goat in just half a minute in his debut with the Detroit Pistons Saturday night at Oakland.

With 56 seconds left in overtime, Aguirre made a three-point basket to give the Pistons a 116-115 lead over the Golden State Warriors.

After the Warriors missed a basket, the Pistons were running down the clock when Rod Higgins stole the ball and went in on a breakaway.

Aguirre, in hot pursuit, cut down Higgins before he could score. It was ruled a breakaway foul, which gives a team two free throws and the ball.

With 27 seconds remaining, Higgins made both foul shots to put the Warriors in front. Steve Alford was fouled with 10 seconds left and made two free throws. The four-point play enabled the Warriors to gain a 121-119 victory.

The mistake by Aguirre ended Detroit’s eight-game winning streak and allowed the Warriors to stretch their string to three. Aguirre fouled out on the play.

Aguirre made just three of 11 shots and scored 8 points.

The Warriors led, 104-102, with 19 seconds left in regulation, but Isiah Thomas tossed up a high-arching shot over the leaping 7-foot 7-inch Manute Bol to send the game into overtime.

In overtime, Otis Smith and Mitch Richmond, two of the Warrior standouts during the game, fouled out.

Cleveland 118, Philadelphia 100--The Cavaliers were in no mood to fool around after their loss to Atlanta Friday night.

Back home, where they are almost invincible, the Cavaliers raced to a 64-40 halftime lead, used reserves liberally in the second half and won their 17th in a row at home, where they are 23-2.

The Cavaliers, in improving the best record in the NBA to 38-12, clamped down on 76er star Charles Barkley. Barkley was only 3 for 13 from the field and finished with 10 points and four rebounds. A year ago after 50 games, the Cavaliers were 26-24.

The Cleveland starters sat out much of the second half, but Brad Daugherty had 24 points in 30 minutes, and Mark Price had 22 in 29 minutes.

“This was our fourth game in five nights, and we didn’t want to have to play the whole game,” Price said. “We felt it was a good idea to get out in front early. Everything worked out right.”

Barkley told it like it was. “They just hammered us,” he said. “I didn’t get good shots, not the shots I wanted. It’s tough to get good shots when guys are running and jumping at you and hammering you.”

New York 125, New Jersey 115--The Knicks are even better at home than the Cavaliers. Gerald Wilkins came off the bench with 5:40 left in the first quarter and scored 10 points before the period ended.

It was the 18th consecutive victory for the Knicks at Madison Square Garden, just two short of the club record. The Knicks are 21-1 at home, best in the league. The only loss was to the Lakers.

Although they trailed throughout, the Nets were tough to beat. With youngsters Chris Morris and Dennis Hopson leading the way, they pulled within four points in the third quarter after trailing by 17.

Charlotte 119, Indiana 114--Kurt Rambis, who had one of his poorest games in the Hornets’ loss Friday night at Miami, made amends at Charlotte.

The former Laker had 20 rebounds and 13 points. Another star was Rex Chapman, who scored a season-high 27 points and led a 17-7 burst in the third quarter that put Charlotte ahead to stay.

Reggie Miller was 11 for 15 and had 32 points for the Pacers.

Houston 105, Dallas 94--Adrian Dantley remained a no-show, and the Mavericks could not handle the hot Rockets at Dallas. With Akeem Olajuwon and Mike Woodson leading the way, the Rockets took charge with a 23-10 spurt to open the third quarter after leading by three at halftime.

The 16-point lead proved more than enough to give the Rockets their fourth victory in a row, and they retained their one-game lead in the Midwest Division.

Olajuwon finished with 29 points and 13 rebounds. Woodson, who had eight points in the 23-10 burst, wound up with 19.

Utah 107, San Antonio 93--The Mailman was late, but once Karl Malone got going at Salt Lake City, the Jazz breezed.

Malone picked up two quick fouls and the woeful Spurs, losers of their sixth in a row, built a quick 15-point lead.

Then Malone and Mark Eaton took charge. Malone finished with 32 points and the 7-4 center blocked 14 San Antonio shots.

Phoenix 120, Sacramento 101--Kevin Johnson had a triple-double at Sacramento to lead the Suns to their fifth victory in a row and move them within a game of the Lakers in the Pacific Division.

Johnson had 24 points, 10 rebounds and 12 assists. Tom Chambers had another big game, scoring 28 points.

Seattle 116, Portland 115--The SuperSonics spoiled the debut of Rick Adelman as interim coach of the Trail Blazers when they held off a late Blazer rally at Portland.

The Blazers fired Coach Mike Shuler earlier in the day.