NBA ROUNDUP : Pooh Sinks Pistons on 3-Pointer

Pooh Richardson wasn’t supposed to shoot, but he had no choice.

Richardson sank a three-pointer over Darrell Walker’s tight defense at the buzzer to give the Minnesota Timberwolves a 96-93 victory over the Detroit Pistons Thursday night at Auburn Hills, Mich.

“The shot wasn’t easy,” Richardson said. “Walker was right on me. In fact, he was totally on me.

“We were trying to work the ball in to Tony (Campbell). Tony was doubled with about three seconds left. So the ball came to me and I took the shot. That was all there was. When you play hard, good things happen. We deserved that win tonight.”

Richardson finished with 19 points and 13 assists for the Timberwolves, who lost the five previous games against Detroit since the expansion team was formed. The Chicago Bulls and Phoenix Suns are the only two teams the Timberwolves have never defeated.

It was the ninth victory in 48 games this season for Minnesota, the only NBA team that hasn’t reached double figures.

A basket by Richardson tied the score, 90-90, with 2:22 remaining. Campbell, who finished with 28 points, made three free throws for the Timberwolves while Orlando Woolridge had a basket and Isiah Thomas sank a free throw for Detroit, leaving the game tied, 93-93, with 14 seconds left.

Joe Dumars had 25 points for Detroit, Woolridge added 19 and Thomas scored 14.

Chicago 106, New York 85--Horace Grant scored 13 points in the first quarter and finished with 18 points, 11 rebounds and seven blocked shots at New York as the Bulls beat the Knicks for the 12th consecutive time.

The Bulls never trailed after scoring the first eight points of the game. They led, 31-22, at the end of the quarter behind Grant’s six-for-seven shooting.

Michael Jordan and B.J. Armstrong scored 17 points each for the Bulls, who are 22-0 this season when holding the opposition under 100 points.

Patrick Ewing and Anthony Mason scored 14 points each for the Knicks, who won eight of their previous nine games.

Despite Mason’s 13 second-period points, the Bulls led, 61-49, at halftime on John Paxson’s three-pointer at the buzzer.

Two baskets by Gerald Wilkins got the Knicks to within 63-55 early in the third quarter, but Chicago responded with an 8-1 spurt and the Knicks never got close again.

Golden State 109, San Antonio 94--Chris Mullin scored 25 points and Sarunas Marciulionis added 21 as the Warriors shut down David Robinson and beat the Spurs at Oakland.

Robinson had 14 points and 16 rebounds, but took only nine shots. Tyrone Hill, getting plenty of help from his teammates, held Robinson to two free throws in the second half--when he tried and missed only one shot.

Willie Anderson and Terry Cummings each scored 18 points for the Spurs, who scored only 40 points in the second half.

Hill had 17 points and Tim Hardaway and Billy Owens added 16 each for the Warriors.

Milwaukee 127, Charlotte 118--Dale Ellis scored 19 of his 30 points in the fourth quarter as the Bucks won for the fifth time in six games by downing the Hornets at Milwaukee.

Ellis hit his second three-pointer of the fourth quarter to give the Bucks the lead for good, 108-105, with 4:57 left.

Kenny Gattison’s put-back made it 108-107, but Frank Brickowski scored the next seven points for the Bucks as Milwaukee built the lead to 115-110 lead with 2:18 left and pulled away.

Kendall Gill scored 30 points for the Hornets.

Miami 121, Atlanta 119--John Morton sank two free throws with 3.3 seconds left to give the Heat a victory over the Hawks at Miami.

Glen Rice and Grant Long each scored 26 points and Rony Seikaly added 24 points and 15 rebounds, for the four-year-old Heat, which equaled its franchise high of 24 victories set last season.

Rumeal Robinson scored 25 points for the Hawks and Kevin Willis had 17 points and 20 rebounds.