NBA ROUNDUP : Celtics Turn It Around, 104-97

In less than 24 hours, the Boston Celtics went from miserable to sensational.

The team that scored only six points in the second quarter of a loss at New Jersey Tuesday night, closed with a rush Wednesday night at Boston and beat the Detroit Pistons, 104-97.

It was the Celtics’ second victory in three games since Larry Bird went out with a sprained ankle. Tuesday’s loss, especially Boston’s two-for-15 shooting and seven turnovers in the worst quarter in Celtic history, will not soon be forgotten.

Wednesday, Coach Jimmy Rodgers made a single lineup change for the Pistons, who had won six in a row, three of them on the road. He shelved the idea of Kevin McHale coming off the bench and gave the 6-foot-10 forward his first start of the season.

McHale responded with 30 points and Reggie Lewis had 32.

The Celtics led most of the game, but a short bank shot by Bill Laimbeer put Detroit ahead, 78-76, with 9:27 remaining.

Lewis and McHale took charge, Lewis scoring seven points in the stretch drive and McHale keeping the Celtics in front in the closing seconds with two key rebounds and four free throws.

“When we play a team like Detroit, the intensity increases,” Rodgers said. “We have to find the formula for doing it every game.”

Coach Chuck Daly gave Lewis the credit for beating his team. “We couldn’t contain him,” he said. “He just made shot after shot.”

The Celtics won despite poor shooting (41.1% from the field) because they dominated the boards, 53-40.

Indiana 120, Chicago 113--Former UCLA star Reggie Miller was pretty sure he couldn’t stop Michael Jordan, but there was a chance he could outscore him.

The Pacer guard scored 15 of his 44 points in the fourth quarter at Indianapolis to hold off the Bulls and end Indiana’s five-game losing streak. Although he was only 13 of 30 from the field, Jordan had 35 points, 12 of them in the last quarter.

“I love playing Michael,” Miller said. “This is something to tell my kids. If you can’t get psyched up to play Chicago and Michael Jordan, don’t bother to lace up your shoes.”

Philadelphia 113, New York 111--Charles Barkley made a 14-foot jump shot with 2.7 seconds left at Philadelphia to give the 76ers the victory.

The Knicks trailed, 109-102, with 1:58 remaining, then scored six points in a row. They tied it, 111-111, on Mark Jackson’s three-point shot with 15 seconds to play.

The Knicks tried to double-team Barkley on the last play, but the powerful forward made the shot, finishing with 24 points on nine-of-10 shooting.

Utah 130, Denver 99--Karl Malone made his first nine shots as the Jazz coasted to victory at Salt Lake City.

Malone took seven shots in the first quarter and the Jazz built a 38-17 lead on the way to its 15th victory in 18 home games.

The score was 46-17 before Denver scored in the second quarter. The Nuggets played without Alex English, who has a hamstring injury.

Milwaukee 116, Cleveland 100--Ricky Pierce had 31 points at Richfield, Ohio, and the Bucks broke open the game with a 22-8 burst early in the second half.

The Bucks have won nine of their last 10 and five of their last six on the road. They are three games behind Detroit in the Central Division.

Golden State 123, Dallas 119--Terry Teagle scored 28 points, including four free throws in the closing seconds, at Oakland to lead the Warriors to their fifth victory in a row.

In a game in which neither team led by more than six points, it was tied, 117-117, before Teagle made two free throws. After Rolando Blackman’s shot was blocked by 7-6 Manute Bol, Teagle made two more to put it out of reach.

Blackman had made the Mavericks’ last seven points to get them even.