NBA ROUNDUP : Streaking Suns Beat Hornets for 10th in a Row

Forget the cliche about midseason form. The Phoenix Suns are playing the midseason in late-season form, and have thrust themselves in the middle of the Western Conference playoff picture.

Phoenix set a franchise record and an NBA season high with its 10th consecutive victory, 124-97, Thursday night in Charlotte, behind 25 points by Kevin Johnson and 24 by Jeff Hornacek.

Tom Chambers added 21 points and nine rebounds for the Suns, who have won 15 of their last 17 games, climbing to third place in the Pacific Division, 5 1/2 games behind the first-place Lakers.

“They’re on a good roll for them where they are ripping apart everybody,” Charlotte Coach Dick Harter said of the Suns.

The Phoenix backcourt, led by Johnson and Hornacek, outscored Charlotte’s guards, 57-16.

Kelly Tripucka had 21 points for the Hornets, and Armon Gilliam added 17 and grabbed 15 rebounds against the team that traded him to Charlotte earlier in the season.

Gilliam was impressed by his former team.

“Phoenix is starting to play at the level they played at late last year around playoff time,” he said.

Washington 99, Boston 98--Mark Alarie five points in the last 36 seconds as the Bullets overcame a four-point deficit in Landover, Md. The victory broke a seven-game losing streak for Washington.

Washington was led by Jeff Malone, who scored 27 points.

Boston, which had won seven of its last eight road games and is the only Eastern Conference team with a winning road record, was led by Kevin McHale, who had 25 points and 14 rebounds.

Orlando 117, New Jersey 112--Despite an NBA-season-high 17 blocked shots by the Nets, Orlando snapped a 15-game road losing streak with Reggie Theus scoring 12 of his season-high 36 points in the fourth quarter.

The expansion Magic, 4-18 as a visitor, last won on the road Nov. 22 in Utah.

Utah 115, New York 89--Karl Malone, snubbed by fans in All-Star balloting, scored 36 points as the Jazz won its eighth consecutive game and the Knicks suffered their worst defeat of the season.

John Stockton had 10 points, 19 assists and six steals for the Jazz, which broke open the game by outscoring the Knicks in the second quarter, 26-13.

Blue Edwards added 22 points and Thurl Bailey 17 for Utah, which has won 10 in a row at home.

Patrick Ewing led the Knicks, losers of five in a row, with 25 points.

The Knicks’ worst previous loss this season was 118-97 Tuesday night at home against the Lakers.