NBA ROUNDUP : Pistons Win; Daly, Thomas Ejected

It may be no coincidence that the Detroit Pistons and Coach Chuck Daly have started fighting back together.

While the two-time NBA champions were in their slump and being pushed around by their opponents, Daly seemed to be merely a spectator.

As the Pistons emerge from the doldrums, Daly is back fighting their battles.

Daly was ejected shortly before halftime Friday night at Auburn Hills, Mich., in a close battle with the Atlanta Hawks. Protesting a call, Daly succeeded in firing up his team, and it ended the Hawks’ six-game winning streak with a resounding 113-87 victory.

Isiah Thomas was also ejected for punching Hawk rookie Rumeal Robinson. Thomas left in the fourth quarter after the Pistons had already clinched their second victory in a row.

James Edwards helped secure the victory in the third quarter when he scored eight of his 24 points to help build an 84-67 lead.

The two victories in a row have come after the Pistons lost seven of eight.

Dallas 103, Milwaukee 89--The Bucks are the latest team to learn that though the Mavericks are missing their best player, Roy Tarpley, they are not pushovers.

The Mavericks snapped a three-game home losing streak by trouncing the Central Division leaders.

Rolando Blackman scored 11 of his 27 points in the fourth quarter.

Washington 87, New York 85--Bernard King, averaging almost 30 points, was eight for 23 and had only 16 points, but rookie Haywoode Workman scored a career-high 21 at Landover, Md.

The Knicks, who had beaten Washington seven times in a row, pulled to within a point, 84-83, with 1:36 to play. King made one of his infrequent baskets on a reverse layup.

A tip-in by Patrick Ewing, who had 20 points, again cut the lead to one. But Gerald Wilkins missed two shots and Workman, fouled with five seconds left, made one free throw to make it 87-85.

Kiki Vandeweghe drove the lane, but his layup spun out at the buzzer.

“I thought, ‘sure we were going another five (minutes),’ ” Bullet Coach Wes Unseld said. “It must be Christmas.”

San Antonio 132, Phoenix 128--At Phoenix, David Robinson had 34 points and 15 rebounds and Terry Cummings scored six of his 27 points in overtime to help the Spurs stretch their winning streak to eight.

The Suns’ winning streak ended at seven.

Phoenix led by 14 points with eight minutes left in regulation. Cummings’ jump shot with 29 seconds left tied it.

Philadelphia 126, Miami 102--The 76ers made 39 of 43 free throws and improved their record against the Heat to 9-0.

It was Miami’s 10th consecutive loss, the longest string of futility in the NBA this season.

New Jersey 111, Cleveland 103--Derrick Coleman was saddled with five fouls, his shots weren’t falling and he was angry to be on the bench midway through the final quarter at East Rutherford, N.J.

Coleman merely sat there when Coach Bill Fitch called on him with 4:45 left. He finally entered the game and scored six of the last 13 points that included a 9-0 run in the final 1:46.

Indiana 137, Charlotte 114--It was a good night at Indianapolis for Bob Hill to make his coaching debut and Rik Smits to sit out his suspension. Vern Fleming had 26 points and Chuck Person had 34.

Smits and Pervis Ellison of Washington were fined $7,500 and suspended for one game after getting into a fight Wednesday night.

Fleming was nine for nine from the field and eight for eight at the line to lead the Pacers to a 60.9% shooting night from the field.

Hill replaced Dick Versace, who was fired after the Pacers got off to a 9-16 start.