NBA ROUNDUP : Jordan Leads Revamped Chicago Attack Past Pistons

The deliberate, patterned offense of the Chicago Bulls left with Coach Doug Collins, and Michael Jordan is happy about it.

The Detroit Pistons aren’t. The attack helped the Pistons to more or less keep Jordan and the Bulls under control a year ago. The NBA champions were 6-0 over the Bulls during the regular season, then beat them, 4-2, to advance to the final round of the playoffs. In postseason play, the Bulls did not score 100 points in any game.

Jordan, who won his third consecutive scoring title, was below normal in points and shooting percentage against the Pistons.

In the first meeting this season Tuesday night at Chicago, Jordan scored 40 points and the Bulls, a running club under new Coach Phil Jackson, won, 117-114.

The Bulls, who trailed by 12 points late in the third quarter, rallied to win on Jordan’s dunk after a steal by Scottie Pippen with a minute to play.

The Pistons pulled out close victories in their first two games, but in this one, two errors down the stretch beat them. Jordan’s jumper made it 113-109, and a Detroit turnover ruined its chance to pull even.

Jordan, who was 13 for 24 from the field, also had five rebounds, seven assists and three steals.

The Pistons had said if they stop Jordan, they beat the Bulls. They did neither Tuesday.

“I happen to like the way we’re playing now. We’re moving the ball in a hurry,” Jordan said. “PJ (Jackson) has a relaxed attitude and it helps.”

In his third NBA game, Stacey King, the highly rated Bulls’ rookie from Oklahoma had another unhappy experience. In his first two games, he missed all nine shots. He was three for five in this one, but in the third quarter he took a punch at Detroit’s Scott Hastings. King missed, but he was ejected.

Milwaukee 106, Boston 100--Once upon a time, Fred Roberts was Larry Bird’s caddie in Boston, but with Bird healthy, Roberts wasn’t needed. He’s a Milwaukee Buck now.

And it came as something of a surprise that former teammate Roberts played a major role in the Celtics’ defeat at Milwaukee.

Roberts, sinking 11 of 17 shots, had 26 points, and Bird, only seven for 20, had 18 as the Celtics dropped to 2-1. Bird missed a three-point shot with 12 seconds left that would have tied the score.

Although he had a poor shooting night in his third game back, Bird played well again. He had 11 rebounds and seven assists in 39 minutes.

Houston 109, Portland 86--Mitchell Wiggins, making a comeback after a drug suspension, scored eight points in the third quarter at Houston. The powerful Trail Blazers scored only 10 points in the same 12 minutes and were blown out.

The Blazers, expected to challenge the Lakers for the title in the Pacific Division, led, 52-50, at halftime before being outscored, 28-10, and losing for the first time after two victories.

“In the third quarter we were rushing our shots and forcing them,” Buck Williams, the newest Trail Blazer, said.

Washington 118, Atlanta 114--Much of the blame for the Hawks’ failure to live up to expectations was placed on Reggie Theus. With Theus now playing for Orlando, they will have to find another scapegoat.

Bernard King scored 15 of his 19 points in the third quarter to bring the Bullets from behind at Atlanta, then made a key rebound in the closing seconds to preserve the victory.

The Hawks are 0-2 and both games were at home.

Miami 83, New Jersey 77--The Heat, which lost its first 17 games last season and first two this year, held off a late charge at East Rutherford, N.J. to win its first.

Kevin Edwards sparked a fourth-quarter run that ended the Nets’ two-game winning streak.

Seattle 128, Charlotte 88--Michael Cage scored seven points in a 13-0 spurt in the first quarter by the SuperSonics that quickly made a rout of this game at Seattle.

With the score tied, 6-6, the Sonics held the Hornets scoreless for four minutes and built their big lead.

Sacramento 96, Dallas 94--Rodney McCray scored 20 points to lead the Kings to their second win in a row at home after an opening loss on the road.

The Mavericks lost their second in a row.