NBA ROUNDUP : Suns Run Out of Home Magic

The Orlando Magic had won only four road games entering Wednesday night’s game against the Phoenix Suns, and there didn’t seem to be a great chance for improvement against a team that was riding a 13-game home winning streak.

The Magic, however, got outstanding performances from Scott Skiles and Jerry Reynolds and beat the Suns, 124-116, for its fourth consecutive victory.

“We’re playing very hard and very well,” said Skiles, who scored 22 points, including three three-point baskets in the fourth quarter. “We got a good mix of players. The guys are passing the ball and playing good defense. Ever since Dec. 1, we’ve got markedly better. Late in the game, we’re able to turn it up and pull some wins out.”

It was the Magic’s first victory at Phoenix in the team’s two-year history.

Kevin Johnson scored 27 points and Tom Chambers had 25 for the Suns, who last lost at home on Dec. 21.

The Suns, who trailed, 59-57, at halftime and 93-88 after the third quarter, took a 96-95 lead on two free throws by Johnson with 8:57 left.

Reynolds, who scored nine of his 15 points in the fourth quarter, put Orlando ahead to stay with a shot off a drive that made it 97-96 with 8:36 left.

Skiles made a jump shot and a free throw and Reynolds made five free throws for a 117-110 lead with 57 seconds left.

The Suns closed to 118-116 with 37 seconds left on three-point baskets by Johnson and Jeff Hornacek. But Reynolds made a free throw with 31 seconds remaining and his stuff with 15 seconds left made it 123-116.

Dennis Scott added 17 points and Greg Kite had 15 rebounds for the Magic.

Back-up center Andrew Lang set a Suns and arena record with seven blocked shots in the first half. Lang broke the previous Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum record of six blocked shots in a half--set by Milwaukee’s Kareem Abdul-Jabbar on Dec. 12, 1973. The Suns’ record of six blocks in a half was set by Mark West at San Antonio on March 1, 1988.

Boston 116, Minnesota 111--Boston Garden proved a perfect antidote for Larry Bird and his recent shooting woes.

Bird made 12 of 21 shots and scored 35 points. He also had nine rebounds and nine assists.

In his previous two games, losses at Indiana and Chicago, Bird made only 12 of 32 shots and scored 26 points. Over the previous four games before Wednesday night, he had 51 points and was shooting 32.9%.

Tony Campbell scored 33 points for the Timberwolves, who lost their 10th consecutive road game.

Robert Parish had 23 points and Kevin Gamble had 18 for the Celtics.

Philadelphia 107, Atlanta 103--Hersey Hawkins made an 18-foot jump shot with 33 seconds left and Rickey Green added two free throws with 8.4 seconds remaining at Philadelphia to secure the 76ers’ sixth consecutive victory.

Armon Gilliam scored 26 points and had 12 rebounds for the 76ers. Hawkins had 22 points and Charles Barkley added 20.

Dominique Wilkins had 26 points for the Hawks.

Dallas 108, Indiana 104--Alex English and Rolando Blackman each scored 21 points to lead the Mavericks at Indianapolis.

Chuck Person scored 24 points and had seven rebounds for Indiana, and Detlef Schrempf added 20 points and eight rebounds.

Randy White made two free throws with 44 seconds left to give Dallas a 104-100 lead, then made two more to increase the margin to 106-100 with 34 seconds left.

Utah 118, Golden State 103--Karl Malone scored 15 of his 38 points in the fourth quarter at Salt Lake City as the Jazz turned a one-point game into a rout and moved into a tie for the Midwest Division lead with San Antonio.

John Stockton scored 21 points and had 16 assists, and Thurl Bailey added 18 points for the Jazz, who dealt the Warriors their fourth consecutive defeat and ninth in 13 games.

Chris Mullin had 28 points for the Warriors.

Charlotte 96, Sacramento 90--J.R. Reid and Johnny Newman each scored 18 points at Sacramento as the Hornets rallied for a victory that ended a nine-game road losing streak.

Kelly Tripucka added 16 points and Dell Curry had 15 points for the Hornets, who won for only the fifth time in 27 road games.

Lionel Simmons scored a game-high 30 points and grabbed a team-high 12 rebounds for the Kings.