NBA ROUNDUP : Laimbeer’s Shot in Overtime Carries Pistons Past Trail Blazers

When the Detroit Pistons played at Portland early this season, they were winding up a tough trip West. They were routed by the Trail Blazers.

The Trail Blazers went into Auburn Hills, Mich., Friday night, and they were in the middle of a tough trip East.

The Trail Blazers lost, but it took an eight-foot jump shot by Bill Laimbeer with three-tenths of a second left in overtime to give Detroit a 100-98 victory.

Danny Ainge tied the score, 98-98, with 12 seconds remaining with a jump shot. Laimbeer took a pass from Isiah Thomas and got off his shot in time.

When the Trail Blazers won, 113-101, at Portland, Coach Chuck Daly said, “The Blazers are too good, too early.”

He may be right. It was the Blazers’ fourth loss in their last seven games after a 27-3 start.

It was a big night for Laimbeer. In addition to the winning basket, he became the Pistons’ all-time leading rebounder. The fourth of his 11 enabled him to break Bob Lanier’s mark of 8,063.

“Oh, man! This is what you live for,” Clyde Drexler of the Trail Blazers said of the game’s ferocity. “Only, it’s better if you win.

“I think we’ve proved we’re a better team than we were last year. Laimbeer had to hit that lucky-dog shot to win it.”

Jerome Kersey, who missed the previous six games with a hamstring injury, tried a desperate shot at the buzzer, but it didn’t come close.

“Their whole team turned their heads to look at Isiah, and Isiah has such great vision, he saw me.”

“It was the kind of game that maybe should have been played as the final game of the playoffs,” Daly said. “It was definitely playoff intensity. I know it was their third game on the trip, but they didn’t look tired to me.”

Philadelphia 120, Milwaukee 105--After losing two in a row, the 76ers were happy to hit the road, even if it was to Milwaukee.

With Charles Barkley scoring eight of his 37 points in a 19-0 first- quarter burst, the 76ers ended the Bucks’ unbeaten streak at home at 18 games. The Bucks were the last team to lose at home. The defeat cut their lead in the Central Division over Chicago to one-half game.

And, lurking behind Chicago is Detroit.

The Bucks, who trounced the 76ers at Milwaukee, 141-108, Nov. 9, rushed in front, 20-6. Then Barkley led the surge that gave the 76ers a five-point lead. They built the lead to 11 by halftime and kept things under control in the second half.

Barkley, who was 14 for 25 from the field, also had 12 rebounds.

Chicago 99, Atlanta 96--Michael Jordan had his usual game, but it took a superlative effort by Bill Cartwright to cool off the Hawks at Chicago.

Cartwright’s jump shot with three seconds left gave the Bulls, who have won four in a row and their last 11 at home, a three-point lead. Sidney Moncrief’s desperate 35-foot hook shot at the buzzer didn’t come close.

Jordan, No. 2 scorer in the league behind Bernard King of Washington, had 31 points, six rebounds and six assists.

Utah 110, Dallas 99--Karl Malone had 38 points and 16 rebounds to lead the Jazz to their seventh victory in the last eight games.

Phoenix 114, Houston 110--Xavier McDaniel had 33 points, but it took four free throws in the last five seconds by Jeff Hornacek to extend the Suns’ home winning streak to five games.

With five seconds left the Rockets trailed, 110-109. But Hornacek made two free throws and two more in the final second.

Minnesota 108, Miami 107--Tyrone Corbin scored five of his 22 points in the last 24 seconds at Miami to give the Timberwolves their second consecutive road victory.

The Timberwolves scored more than 100 points for the seventh consecutive game, four of which they have won. In their first 26 games, Minnesota reached 100 only six times.