NBA ROUNDUP : Pistons Finally Throw Bulls for Loss, 108-106

The Detroit Pistons dominated the Chicago Bulls and their star, Michael Jordan, for the first half dozen seasons Jordan was in the NBA.

They did it with the Jordan Rule, a system in which they double- and triple-teamed Jordan and took their chances leaving his teammates open.

The system worked until the Bulls built a championship team around their brilliant guard. Including a sweep in the playoffs last season, the Bulls had beaten the Pistons eight consecutive times.

But Tuesday night at Auburn Hills, Mich., the Pistons went back to the Jordan Rule and it worked--until the end, when they abandoned it for the victory.

Joe Dumars scored 28 points and made the key defensive play against Jordan, and the Pistons beat the Bulls, 108-106.

The Pistons held Jordan to 23 points and, despite 33 for Scottie Pippen, won against the Bulls for the first time since April 12, 1991.

With 15 seconds left and the Pistons leading, 108-106, Horace Grant intercepted Dennis Rodman’s inbounds pass to give the Bulls one more chance at a tie or win.

Following a timeout, the Bulls worked the ball to Jordan. With time running out, Dumars played Jordan so tight he threw up an airball as the final gun sounded. In the three previous meetings this season, the Pistons averaged only 90.3 points.

“We were going for the victory, a three-pointer by Craig Hodges,” Jordan said. “But Darrell Walker never left Hodges. So, I had no choice. I had to take the shot.”

Walker explained why Hodges wasn’t free.

“There was no way I was going to leave him,” he said. “He had already made a three-pointer on me a few seconds earlier. Michael could have walked in for a layup, I wasn’t leaving Hodges.”

It was a typically physical battle between the two bitter rivals. In the third quarter, John Paxson went out with a wrist injury after a collision with Dumars.

In the fourth quarter, Bill Laimbeer was called for a flagrant foul against Pippen.

Dennis Rodman played a major role in the victory, getting 20 rebounds and 15 points.

With the loss, the Pistons, third in the Central Division, trail the Bulls (45-11) by 13 games.

New Jersey 109, Boston 95--The Celtics are looking forward to returning home after winning only two of their last nine games.

The Celtics, who play Indiana tonight, have not played a game in Boston since Feb. 5.

Coach Chris Ford isn’t so sure that returning to the Garden is the answer. He was upset about the way his team, still without injured Larry Bird, “surrendered” at East Rutherford, N.J.

“You get paid to play 82 games, and you have got to come to play every night,” Ford said. “You can shoot poorly, but there are a lot of other things you can work at. We had no enthusiasm.

“They outworked us and intimidated us under the basket. It looked like we caved in rather than digging down. We have to do some major regrouping. We have to begin believing in ourselves again.”

Drazen Petrovic scored 26 points for the Nets. Chris Morris made the first basket and the last in an early 11-0 run that put New Jersey ahead to stay.

San Antonio 123, Miami 101--David Robinson wiped out any hopes the Heat had of winning its seventh road game.

Robinson had 26 points, nine rebounds and blocked five shots as the Spurs broke the game open with 66 points in the first half.

The Heat, with a chance to become the first of the four expansion teams to make the playoffs, is 6-21 on the road.

Miami’s 26-29 record leaves it tied with Philadelphia for the last two playoff spots in the Eastern Conference.

Charlotte 94, Milwaukee 82--The Hornets have started their move too late for postseason play, but they are emerging as a tough team to beat at Charlotte.

Kenny Gattison had 23 points and Larry Johnson 21 to help the Hornets to a club-record sixth consecutive victory at home.

The Hornets handed the Bucks their 12th consecutive loss on the road. The Bucks are 20-7 at home and 5-22 on the road.