NBA ROUNDUP : Portland’s Lead Goes Up in Smoke

The Portland Trail Blazers encountered some terrifying smoke twice Tuesday. First, an engine on their private plane, Blazer One, started smoking, they had to abandon ship and take two smaller planes to Oakland for their game with the Golden State Warriors.

The other smoke was provided by the Warriors. Mitch Richmond and his teammates came out smoking and never let up.

They built a 72-48 lead in the first half and wound up knocking the Trail Blazers out of first place with a 136-126 victory.

Richmond, who made his first 13 shots, had 28 points in the first half and finished with 40.

The Trail Blazers, who are one-half game behind the Lakers, had led the division from the start, winning their first 11 games. But they have lost eight of their last 11.

The Trail Blazers, who trailed by 24 points with two minutes left in the third quarter, rallied, but it was too little, too late.

With three minutes remaining, they cut the Warrior lead to eight. But Tim Hardaway made two big baskets and a steal and the Blazers were beaten.

In their previous game, the Trail Blazers were beaten by the lowly Clippers in Portland.

The Blazers play at Los Angeles against the Clippers tonight.

San Antonio 104, Sacramento 101--It took four free throws in the last 17 seconds to do it, but the Spurs handed the Kings a record-breaking loss.

Willie Anderson and David Robinson made the clutch points and the Kings lost their 29th consecutive road game. Three teams held the old record.

That’s the record in one season, but the record in two is 34 by New Jersey from Dec. 1989 to Dec. 1990.

The Kings battled the Spurs throughout the second half, leading several times. A three-point shot by Rory Sparrow cut the lead to a point. But Anderson was fouled and, after the Kings missed a three-pointer, so was Robinson.

“I don’t want to talk about the record,” Coach Dick Motta of the Kings said. “You all perpetuate this thing.”

Houston 98, Minnesota 85--Hakeem Olajuwon is back in top form and the Rockets are zeroing in on first place in the Midwest Division.

Olajuwon had 25 points, 11 rebounds and eight blocked shots at Minneapolis to lead the Rockets to their ninth victory in a row.

The Rockets trail Utah and San Antonio by 1 1/2 games in the tight race. The only negative is that the Rockets play 11 of their last 17 games on the road.

Atlanta 104, Boston 92--Dominique Wilkins and Larry Bird couldn’t hit the proverbial side of a barn at Atlanta, but the Hawks’ guards could in the clutch.

Spud Webb had six points and Glenn Rivers five in a 19-6 fourth-quarter run that broke it open.

Wilkins was eight for 21 and Bird was worse--seven for 21--from the field.

“I don’t care about the scoring, I just enjoyed the win,” Wilkins said.

New York 97, Charlotte 79--Patrick Ewing picked up three fouls in the first half at Charlotte. In the second half he picked up the Knicks and carried them to their 10th win in the last 12 games.

Ewing had 25 of his 41 points in the second half and the Knicks won going away.

Milwaukee 101, Miami 88--Dale Ellis scored 17 of his 29 points in the first half at Milwaukee. But it was in the third quarter that the Bucks took control and handed the Heat its fifth loss in a row.