NBA ROUNDUP : Knicks Win Despite Off Night

Many more offensive performances such as this, and the New York Knicks will not be on anyone’s list as a challenger for the NBA title.

The Celtics, at Madison Square Garden for the first time since edging New York in a tiebreaker for the Atlantic Division title and signing free agent Xavier McDaniel away from the Knicks, held New York to 31.5% shooting Saturday night.

And they still lost.

John Starks scored 21 points and the Knicks overcame a 10-point fourth-quarter deficit to beat the Celtics, 85-80.

“It was relentless and remorseless,” Knick Coach Pat Riley said. “We couldn’t make a layup or a jump shot. We played so hard, we couldn’t play well.”

Starks was bad as any of his teammates, missing 13 of 20 shots. Reggie Lewis scored 12 of his 22 points during the third quarter, giving the Celtics a 67-61 lead.

Boston looked as if it would win easily when the Knicks started the fourth quarter by missing 10 of their first 12 shots, and falling behind 73-63 with 8:16 to play.

But Anthony Mason then scored six points during a 16-5 run, and his jumper with 2:41 remaining gave the Knicks a 79-78 lead.

Seattle 133, Sacramento 117--Shawn Kemp scored 11 of his 21 points during the fourth quarter, and the SuperSonics remained unbeaten in handing the Kings their second defeat.

The SuperSonics (4-0) are off to their best start since the 1982-83 season, when they started 12-0.

A 12-4 run, keyed by Kemp’s six points and a three-point basket by Ricky Pierce, gave Seattle a 120-103 lead with 3:56 to play at Seattle. Pierce led the SuperSonics with 27 points. Walt Williams led the Kings with 24 points and Lionel Simmons had 23.

Portland 130, Golden State 116--Terry Porter scored 40 points and Clyde Drexler 31 at Oakland as the Trail Blazers (4-0) kept pace with the SuperSonics.

Clyde Drexler had 31 points and 10 rebounds and Jerome Kersey scored 20 points as the Trail Blazers sent the Warriors to their third consecutive loss, all at home.

Porter’s shooting included 25 fourth-quarter points.

Miami 104, Charlotte 95--Rony Seikaly had 27 points and 13 rebounds as the Heat overcame a 13-point halftime deficit at Charlotte.

Glen Rice scored 16 points for Miami, which outrebounded Charlotte, 47-30, and overcame a 19-point first-quarter deficit. Kendall Gill scored 23 points for the Hornets and Kenny Gattison had 14.

Alonzo Mourning, a 6-foot-10 rookie in his home debut and second NBA game, fouled out with 10:44 to play. He scored 10 points, had four rebounds and blocked three shots.

Indiana 104, Detroit 100--Detlef Schrempf scored 15 of his 26 points during the fourth quarter, including all of the Pacers’ points during a 7-0 run at Auburn Hills, Mich.

Detroit tied the score, 80-80, less than a minute into the fourth quarter. The score was tied five times during the quarter, but the Pistons never went ahead.

Schrempf also had 11 rebounds. Sam Mitchell scored 17 points for Indiana, and Joe Dumars scored 23 for the Pistons.

New Jersey 124, Orlando 113--Chris Morris scored a season-high 32 points and had 13 rebounds at East Rutherford, N.J., as the Nets ended a three-game losing streak.

The Magic, which had won three of its first four games, ran into first half problems when 7-foot-1 rookie Shaquille O’Neal got into foul trouble.

O’Neal drew his third foul after playing 24 seconds of the second quarter. With O’Neal on the bench, the Nets put together two first-half rallies that allowed them to take control.

Derrick Coleman finished with 30 points for the Nets. Nick Anderson led Orlando with 34 points, and O’Neal had 29 points and 15 rebounds.

Houston 93, San Antonio 87--Hakeem Olajuwon scored 17 points and Kennard Winchester scored six points during a nine-point fourth-quarter run by the Rockets at San Antonio.

The Spurs trailed by two entering the fourth quarter but tied the score on a basket by David Robinson, who had 26 points and 19 rebounds. Winchester then led Houston on the run for a 74-65 lead and San Antonio never got closer than four points.

Chicago 117, Denver 84--Michael Jordan scored 18 points although playing only 22 minutes at Chicago.

The defeat was the Nuggets’ ninth in a row in Chicago, where they last won in January of 1984.

Phoenix 108, Minnesota 101--Tom Chambers, a former All-Star who had been playing sparingly this season, came off the bench for 28 points, nine rebounds and five assists to lead the Suns at Minneapolis.

The Timberwolves are 0-13 against Phoenix, one of two clubs Minnesota has not defeated since joining the NBA in 1989-90. Chicago, their next opponent, is the other.

Though he made only eight of 24 shots, Charles Barkley had 20 points and 13 rebounds for the Suns, who are playing without injured point guard Kevin Johnson. Doug West scored 23 points and Christian Laettner added 21 for the Timberwolves.

Dallas 113, Atlanta 105--Terry Davis scored a personal-best 35 points and had 17 rebounds at Dallas as the Mavericks became the last NBA team to win their first game.