NBA ROUNDUP : Kevin Johnson Has Big Game for Suns

Kevin Johnson, the outstanding playmaker for the Phoenix Suns, is one of the hardest-working players in the NBA.

The 6-foot-2 guard drives to the basket, dishes off to teammates for easy baskets, steals the ball, sinks jump shots and doesn’t know what slowdown means.

Johnson lifted his game just a trifle Sunday at Auburn Hills, Mich., and led the Suns to a surprisingly easy 112-97 victory over the Detroit Pistons.

It was only the second loss in 22 home games for the two-time NBA champions, who fell behind early, trailed by 15 points in the second quarter and never were closer than six points thereafter.

The Suns were playing their fourth game in a six-day trip. They had seemed to be weary Friday night in a loss at Philadelphia.

The answer, in Johnson’s opinion, was step up the pace. And when he did, the Pistons, the best defensive team in the league, couldn’t keep up.

The Piston plan was to force Johnson to beat them from outside. He was nine for 15, mostly from outside, in the first half to help build a 61-50 lead. When they tightened up on him, he went around them. He finished with 28 points, four steals and 14 assists.

The Pistons had won five in a row since Isiah Thomas had wrist surgery. But this time, when they needed somebody to get them going, they could have used their leader.

“I haven’t always done that well against the Pistons when Thomas plays,” Johnson said. “We knew they would drop off and force me to shoot 20-foot jumpers. When I hit some early, it gave us confidence.

“For the first time in recent years, we played against them at our tempo. We beat them earlier (103-102), but that was at their tempo.”

The Pistons have lost only three of their last 20 games and two of the losses have been to the Suns, who have the fifth-best record in the West.

Johnson had help from just about everyone. Xavier McDaniel and Tom Chambers both had 20 points. Dan Majerle came off the bench in the second quarter to make his first five shots, and that’s when the Suns took command.

The Pistons slowly cut into the lead in the third quarter, dropping the margin to 72-65 with 4:40 left.

But Ed Nealy, with a rebound basket, triggered a 9-2 run that built the lead back to 12. The Pistons never mounted another real threat.

Maybe one of the reasons the Pistons have the best defensive record (95.4 points) is because they have to play the best offensive teams only twice each season. All are in the West.

The Suns, who average 117 points, are only fourth best. Ahead of them are Denver, Golden State and Portland.

Detroit’s Chuck Daly blamed the loss on nine first-half turnovers. “Six of them,” Daly said, “were flat-out direct passes to them.”

Bill Laimbeer, who missed all six of his shots, had another idea. “Everybody has to play well for us to win these days,” he said. “They were more aggressive, quicker and wanted it more. That happens now and then.”

Minnesota 110, Philadelphia 102--The Timberwolves, who lost in overtime at Cleveland on Saturday night, came through in the second overtime at Minneapolis.

Sam Mitchell had 37 points, including the first three in the second overtime in which the 76ers missed their first 10 shots.

Charles Barkley had 30 points for the 76ers but missed a shot at the end of regulation and was called for a charge with the game tied and five seconds left in the first overtime.

Tony Campbell was on four for 24 for the Timberwolves.

Houston 143, Golden State 135--Without Akjeem Olajuwon, the Rockets have had to get tough. With Sleepy Floyd getting seven of his 30 points in the second overtime at Houston, the Rockets have won back-to-back overtime games.

The Warriors, who led by 12 points in the second quarter, were barely hanging on at the finish. Mitch Richmond’s three-pointer sent the game into overtime, and Tom Tolbert scored in the last seconds of the first overtime.

Milwaukee 120, Charlotte 111--Ricky Pierce is taking his unhappiness out on his opponents.

The Bucks’ key man off the bench is upset because backcourt starters Jay Humphries and Alvin Robertson had their contracts renegotiated and he didn’t.

But he is still playing a major role in Milwaukee’s victories. Pierce scored 11 of his 25 points in a 24-14 third-quarter spurt that broke open a tight game at Milwaukee.

The Bucks were without center Jack Sikma, who will be sidelined two weeks because of a neck injury.