NBA ROUNDUP : 76ers Work Own Magic in Romp Over Orlando

The Philadelphia 76ers, who had lost to the Orlando Magic in November, wasted little time erasing that memory with first-half scoring spurts that led to a 125-103 victory over the Magic Wednesday at Philadelphia.

The victory was the 76ers’ sixth in a row and left them two games behind the New York Knicks in the Atlantic Division.

The Magic managed to take an 8-7 lead before the 76ers took control with a 25-8 run that gave them a 32-16 lead late in the first quarter. A 16-4 run midway through the second quarter increased the lead to 61-34, and despite a career-best performance from Otis Smith, the Magic got no closer than 17 after that.

Smith finished with 33 points and 16 rebounds, both career highs.

The Magic defeated the 76ers, 116-103, Nov. 18 at Orlando.

The 76ers’ Ron Anderson, returning from a knee injury to score 10 points, said there was no comparing this game with the loss to the Magic.

“We’re a different team than the last time we played them,” he said. “I think we’re really getting to know each other on the floor.”

Charles Barkley led the 76ers with 27 points and 16 rebounds.

Mike Gminski and Johnny Dawkins each had 18 points for Philadelphia. Michael Ansley had 14, and Sam Vincent, Reggie Theus and Nick Anderson 13 each for the Magic.

Boston 116, Miami 95--Robert Parish and Kevin McHale scored nine points each in the second quarter as the Celtics rolled over the Heat at Boston.

Miami took a 27-26 lead early in the second quarter, but was outscored, 34-18, as the Celtics took a 60-45 halftime lead.

Parish scored 23 points, Larry Bird 20, Reggie Lewis 16 and McHale 15 as the Celtics won for the fourth time in the last five games.

Glen Rice scored 22 points and Sherman Douglas 18 for the Heat, who lost for the fourth consecutive time.

Boston outrebounded Miami, 68-42.

Atlanta 103, Cleveland 86--John Long helped the Hawks open a 19-point lead by scoring 10 of his 19 points in the first quarter, and the Hawks coasted at Atlanta, extending the Cavaliers’ losing streak to five games.

The Hawks, winning their second in a row after a six-game losing streak, never trailed.

The Cavaliers never got closer than 10 after the first seven minutes of the second half, cutting the lead to 57-47 on a dunk by John Williams early in the third quarter and to 59-49 moments later on a layup by Mark Price, who led Cleveland with 20 points.

Spud Webb and Moses Malone countered with baskets for the Hawks, who went on to build 24-point leads twice in the final 4:26, the last with 3:22 to play.

Dominique Wilkins, coming off the bench to play despite a sprained ankle, scored 15 points for Atlanta.

Milwaukee 119, Seattle 112--The Bucks’ Ricky Pierce scored 10 of his 27 points in the fourth quarter, including a clinching basket with 27 seconds left, for the victory at Seattle.

The SuperSonics trailed, 115-112, on Sedale Threatt’s three-pointer with 49.4 seconds left. Pierce’s basket and two free throws by Jay Humphries put the SuperSonics back in control.

Sacramento 129, Golden State 99--Vinny Del Negro scored a season-high 27 points at Sacramento as the Kings got their second consecutive victory by 30 or more points.

On Monday, Sacramento beat Utah, 136-104.