NBA ROUNDUP : Bird Finds Shooting Touch and Scores 50

Somewhere between Landover, Md., and Boston in a span of 48 hours, Larry Bird discovered the cure for a shooting slump.

Bird, who has complained of being rusty for weeks, may never have been sharper than Friday night when he scored 50 points as the Celtics rallied for a 117-106 victory over the Atlanta Hawks at the Boston Garden.

Playing for all but nine minutes in his fifth game since undergoing surgery on both ankles last Nov. 19, Bird saved his best for last, scoring 17 points in the fourth quarter.

After hitting only nine of 26 from the field, including only one of nine in the fourth quarter in a loss to Washington at Landover, Md., Wednesday night, Bird took out his frustration on the Hawks.

He made 19 of 25 field-goal attempts, including his only three-point try down the stretch. He also had 13 rebounds.

Utah 106, San Antonio 92--John Stockton scored a career-high 31 points and had 16 assists to lead the unbeaten Jazz at Salt Lake City.

Stockton scored 11 points in the fourth quarter, four of them as the Jazz (3-0) broke open a tight game with a 13-0 run early in the period. Karl Malone added 21 points for Utah.

San Antonio was led by center David Robinson, who had 27 points and 11 rebounds.

Washington 100, Cleveland 92--Ledell Eackles scored nine points in the first four minutes of the fourth quarter at Baltimore, sparking the Bullets to their third consecutive victory while keeping the Cavaliers winless.

Eackles ignited a 13-4 run at the start of the quarter that gave Washington an 83-77 lead. In addition to his four field goals and a free throw, Eackles also assisted on the other Washington basket during the run.

Indiana 102, Miami 98--Vern Fleming scored 23 points and Reggie Miller added 22 to help the Pacers rally from a 17-point deficit at Indianapolis.

The Pacers, with the best record in the NBA at 4-0, trailed, 54-37, late in the second quarter before Fleming and Miller started the comeback.

Detroit 125, Orlando 121--Guards Isiah Thomas and Joe Dumars combined for 55 points and led a third-quarter rally that helped the Pistons beat the Magic at Orlando, Fla.

The victory ended a two-game losing streak for the defending NBA champions and ruined the expansion Magic’s bid for a third consecutive win.

Thomas scored 29 points and Dumars added 26 to pace the Pistons, who trailed, 82-72, with 6:55 left in the third quarter, but outscored Orlando, 19-5, in the next four minutes.

New Jersey 117, Chicago 107--The Nets used accurate free-throw shooting down the stretch to hold off a rally by the Bulls at East Rutherford, N.J.

Michael Jordan was held to four points in the first half, but scored 22 in the second half to lead the Bulls’ rally from a 55-45 halftime deficit.

Portland 99, Dallas 91--Kevin Duckworth scored 24 points, including 12 as the Trail Blazers outscored the Mavericks, 32-21, in the third quarter at Dallas.

The Blazers (4-1) used Duckworth’s big third quarter to take a 79-68 lead into the fourth quarter. Dallas closed the deficit to 91-88 with 2:19 to play on Roy Tarpley’s layup, but two free throws by Jerome Kersey and Duckworth’s eight-foot turnaround jumper with 1:27 remaining clinched the win.

Phoenix 130, Sacramento 109--Tom Chambers scored 24 points to pass the 13,000 mark in his nine-year NBA career and Eddie Johnson added 22 points as the Suns won at Phoenix.

Mark West finished with 17 rebounds. Jeff Hornacek had 19 points, Kevin Johnson 18 points and 15 assists and Armon Gilliam had 16 points.