NBA Roundup : Trail Blazers Power Way Past Mavericks, 112-91

Clyde Drexler and Kevin Duckworth combined for 27 third-quarter points in the Portland Trail Blazers’ best period of the season, leading the team to a 112-91 victory over the Dallas Mavericks Monday night at Portland, Ore.

Jerome Kersey had 23 points and 16 rebounds as Portland snapped a three-game losing streak and moved 1 1/2 games ahead of the Mavericks in the battle for the final Western Conference playoff berth.

The Mavericks, who play the Clippers Wednesday in the Sports Arena, lost their seventh straight despite 24 points from Adrian Dantley and 20 from Rolando Blackman.

Drexler scored 16 of his 29 points and Duckworth 11 of his 25 as the Trail Blazers rallied from a 46-41 halftime deficit, and outscored Dallas, 38-14, in the third quarter. It was Portland’s biggest margin in any period this season.

The Trail Blazers (32-32), took the lead with a 13-5 run, six by Drexler, to start the third quarter. Consecutive layups by Drexler gave the Blazers a 54-51 lead with 8:48 left in the period.

Portland added a 12-0 run later in the quarter, with Drexler scoring eight. The Trail Blazers made 16 of 27 shots in the period.

Phoenix 115, Miami 97--Tom Chambers scored 26 points and Kevin Johnson had 12 of his 21 points in the decisive third quarter as the Suns won their 11th straight at home.

Jeff Hornacek and Eddie Johnson added 20 points each for Phoenix, which is 30-4 in Veterans Memorial Coliseum this season, including 26 of the last 28 there.

New York 129, Philadelphia 109--Patrick Ewing had 31 points and 14 rebounds and Rod Strickland added 22 points and 10 assists at Philadelphia as the Knicks won for the seventh time in nine games and broke a four-game road losing streak.

Leading, 83-70, with 6:53 left in the third quarter, the Knicks outscored Philadelphia, 17-2, and took their biggest lead of the game, 100-72, on a layup by Kiki Vandeweghe with 2:13 left in the quarter. Philadelphia never got closer than 20 points thereafter.

Cleveland 103, Washington 97--John Williams scored six points during a key 12-3 run early in the fourth quarter and the Cavaliers tied a team record with seven three-point baskets at Richfield, Ohio.

Ron Harper scored 23 points and Craig Ehlo 21 for Cleveland, whose 48-17 record is the best in the National Basketball Assn., 1 1/2 games better than idle Detroit (45-17) in the Central Division. The Cavaliers, who missed only one of their eight attempts from the three-point line, have won 24 of their last 25 at home.

Washington led, 55-51, at halftime and maintained a narrow margin for most of the third quarter. But Darnell Valentine’s three-pointer with one second left in the period--only his third of the season--gave the Cavaliers a 79-77 lead.

Boston 119, San Antonio 108--Ed Pinckney scored nine of his 22 points in a 15-4 third-quarter run at Boston that carried the Celtics to their 20th consecutive victory over the Spurs.

Led by Reggie Lewis’ 24 points, Boston won for the fifth time in six games. The Spurs, whose club record for consecutive road losses reached 12, last beat Boston Jan. 5, 1980.

Frank Brickowski had 20 for San Antonio. Vernon Maxwell added 19 and Willie Anderson 18 for the Spurs, who played without guard Johnny Dawkins. He went on the injured list Monday with nerve trouble in his left leg and is expected to miss the rest of the season.

Charlotte 117, Sacramento 110--Tyrone Bogues scored five points in the final 49 seconds as the Hornets, who scored 12 of their final 14 points at the free-throw line, including eight of 10 in the last 49 seconds, won at Sacramento.