NBA ROUNDUP : Drexler Hangs 10 on Celtics

The Portland Trail Blazers haven’t exactly been blazing, so Clyde Drexler decided to do something about it.

Drexler scored 26 points, including Portland’s first 10 in a decisive third quarter, as the Trail Blazers rolled past the Boston Celtics, 116-90, Sunday night at Portland.

“Our team has not been playing as well we had hoped to,” Drexler said, “but tonight’s game was very good. The defense is what did it for us. Hopefully we’ll play this kind of defense the rest of the season.”

Drexler had a three-point basket, a three-point play, a layup and a 14-foot jumper as Portland outscored the cold-shooting Celtics, 16-6, to start the second half and take a 17-point lead.

“(Drexler is) just going to bust loose sometimes,” Portland Coach Rick Adelman said. “He did that in the third quarter and they couldn’t handle him.”

Boston’s Larry Bird missed 12 of his first 15 shots and wound up five for 18 with 12 points. Kevin McHale was five for 15 and scored 10 points.

Detroit 85, Washington 79--Joe Dumars scored 12 of his 24 points in the fourth quarter, including the go-ahead jumper with 2:45 left, and the Pistons rallied to beat the Bullets at Auburn Hills, Mich.

Albert King hit a three-pointer at the buzzer to give Washington a 66-57 lead entering the final period, but the Pistons gave up only 13 points to Bullets in the last 12 minutes--just one in the last 3:43.

Isiah Thomas added 21 points for the Pistons. Michael Adams had 23 for the Bullets.

Darrell Walker’s four points, two steals and an assist helped the Pistons shrink a 68-60 deficit to 70-68 with 7:25 to play. Detroit tied the game with 4:14 remaining on Bill Laimbeer’s two free throws before taking the lead for good, 80-78, on Dumars’ jumper.