NBA ROUNDUP : Pippen, Jordan, Bulls Overpower Celtics

It isn’t so much that the Chicago Bulls finally have the best record in the East, it’s the way they went flying past the Boston Celtics that’s so impressive.

From the opening tipoff, the Bulls dominated play Tuesday night. With Scottie Pippen scoring 13 of his 33 points in the first quarter, they took a 33-12 lead.

The Bulls never let up in winning a laugher, 129-99. Chicago, which is 40-14 to 40-15 for the Celtics, has won 10 in a row and its last 19 at home.

The Bulls’ chief rivals in the East, Detroit and Boston, seem to be fading. Chicago stretched its lead in the Central Division to 4 1/2 games over the two-time NBA champion Pistons.

Michael Jordan and Pippen provided a terrific one-two punch. Pippen scored his 33 points in 32 minutes and Jordan had 39 in 35 minutes. They also had 15 rebounds between them.

Pippen ignited a 21-2 spurt that broke it open in the first quarter. His driving layup gave Chicago a 14-10 lead. He scored three more baskets in the 11-0 run that was followed one of 9-2.

Boston’s Kevin McHale missed his sixth game with a sprained ankle, and Robert Parish departed early in the third quarter after being hit in the stomach with the ball.

Larry Bird played but for the fourth game in a row lacked a shooting touch. He was six for 14 and is 24 for 73 in the four games.

Bird was held to four first-half points and 12 for the game, and Parish finished with four points.

The Celtics were led by Dee Brown and Kevin Gamble, each with 16 points.

“I’m not surprised we’ve passed the Celtics,” Pippen said. “We have a lot of good players. They all know their roles. The proof was we stopped Larry Bird. We won’t do that too often, but then, we have a very talented team.

“In my opinion, we have a championship team. Sure, there will be nights I won’t have a good game. But, somebody else will step in. That’s the way it’s been.”

San Antonio 102, Portland 101--The Trail Blazers finished erasing a 17-point halftime deficit at San Antonio when Buck Williams made a rebound basket at the buzzer ending regulation.

While putting in the miss by Danny Ainge, Williams was fouled. He missed the free throw and the game went into overtime.

San Antonio, which stunned the Trail Blazers Sunday in Portland, got the franchise’s 1,000th victory when David Robinson made one of two free throws with two seconds left in the extra session.

Robinson, who had just pulled down his career-high 21st rebound, was fouled by Jerome Kersey and made the first free throw.

Robinson and Sean Elliott each had 25 points, and the Spurs moved one-half game in front of Utah in the Midwest Division.

New York 112, Washington 109--In a game at New York, the Knicks had to go two overtimes and overcome a 44-point performance by former teammate Bernard King before improving their record in overtime to 5-0.

It was an important game in the battle for playoff spots in the East. The Knicks, in the eighth and final spot, pulled three games ahead of the Bullets.

Cleveland 106, Detroit 103--Joe Dumars, bothered by a hamstring injury, joined Isiah Thomas on the sidelines, James Edwards fouled out and Coach Chuck Daly was thrown out for the Pistons at Richfield, Ohio.

Larry Nance scored seven points in two minutes late in the game, and the Cavaliers overcame three consecutive three-pointers by Dennis Rodman. Until his last minute flurry, Rodman was one for 12 this season from long range.

Gerald Henderson, playing only his second game of the season, started at guard in place of Dumars and led the Pistons with 24 points.

“They won’t get any sympathy from us,” said Nance, who had 25 points. “They’re finding out what we’ve been going through the last two years.”

New Jersey 129, Indiana 104--Derrick Coleman had 21 points, 13 rebounds and seven assists at East Rutherford, N.J., and the Nets ended Indiana’s six-game winning streak.

Reggie Theus, playing in his 1,000th NBA game, and Sam Bowie had 20 points for the Nets, who went in front early and built a 42-25 lead.

Milwaukee 119, Miami 106--Dan Schayes, who has a career average of 9.4 points, scored 29 points to lead the rout at Miami. In his previous game he scored 31.

Minnesota 100, Dallas 94--Tyrone Corbin had 31 points and 11 rebounds at Minneapolis to lead the Timberwolves to only their second victory in the last 10 games.

Houston 129, Denver 99--Sleepy Floyd outscored the Nuggets, 22-19, in the third quarter at Denver and wound up with 40 in the Rockets’ rout.

Houston has won 12 of its last 15 games without Akeem Olajuwon, who is expected to return Thursday night in Los Angeles against the Clippers.

Orlando 131, Golden State 119--Rookie Dennis Scott scored 35 points at Oakland as the Magic won for only the fourth time in 26 road games.