NBA Roundup : Phoenix Manages to Hold Off Atlanta, 114-112

The Phoenix Suns have almost no chance to catch the Lakers and win the Pacific Division, but they have proved that they are not a fluke.

It was just tough luck that while the Lakers were on their best roll of the season, the Suns were merely trying to survive their longest, toughest trip.

With Tom Chambers scoring 38 points, the Suns concluded a six-game, nine-day trip East by outlasting the Hawks, 114-112, Tuesday night at Atlanta. The Suns ended the trip with a 3-3 record by winning the last two games.

They began the trip 2 1/2 games behind the Lakers, and ended it five back. The Suns have come a long way from the club that won only 28 games in the troubled 1987-88 season.

This was their 39th victory, and they still have 20 games to play. After 62 games last season, they were 18-44.

The Suns tightened their grip on second place in the Pacific Division, extending their advantage to three games over Seattle.

It was a battle all the way. A 25-foot bomb by Dominique Wilkins, which would have won the game, hit the rim and bounced off at the buzzer.

Although he scored 30 points, Wilkins didn’t figure to make a three-pointer. He had attempted 31 two-pointers and made only 12 of them. The Hawks, as a team, shot only 40.2%.

Detroit 129, Indiana 117--The Pistons are the National Basketball Assn.’s hottest team, but they are not making many friends along the way.

They won their eighth in a row in this game at Indianapolis, and they have averaged just about one fight per victory.

In the closing seconds of the first quarter, two centers, James Edwards of Detroit and Stuart Gray of Indiana were ejected for fighting.

The two players got into a shoving match, and when 6-foot-1 Scott Skiles of the Pacers jumped on Edwards and put a headlock on him, both benches cleared. Order was restored before anyone was hurt.

Portland 139, Golden State 110--The Warriors built a 14-point lead early at Portland, but Adrian Branch came off the bench to score 13 points in the second quarter and get the Trail Blazers going.

The Trail Blazers’ most impressive victory in a long time enabled them to slip past the Dallas Mavericks and into the final playoff spot in the West.

Portland is 31-29, Dallas 31-30.

New York 116, Seattle 110--Patrick Ewing had 31 points and 12 rebounds to lead the Knicks to their 26th consecutive victory at home. Ewing made his first nine shots.

Johnny Newman, who was supposed to lose his shooting forward job to recently acquired Kiki Vandeweghe, had 26 points for the Knicks. He has averaged 22.2 since Vandeweghe joined the club.

Denver 125, Charlotte 102--Danny Schayes scored 10 of his 19 points in the first quarter at Denver to help the Nuggets build a 17-point lead.

They steadily increased the lead to 39 points in the third quarter and coasted to the victory.

Sacramento 95, Houston 90--After the Rockets’ tough loss to the Lakers Monday night, only Akeem Olajuwon seemed ready to play at Sacramento.

Olajuwon had 40 points, but the Kings, led by Danny Ainge with 26, came from behind to win their second in a row.