NBA ROUNDUP : Elliott’s 41 Points Pace Spurs, 122-101

What will be remembered as one of the most bizarre days in the San Antonio Spurs’ history will go down as a personal best for Sean Elliott.

Elliott scored a career-high 41 points and the Spurs defeated the Dallas Mavericks, 122-101, Friday night at San Antonio, only hours after the firing of Coach Jerry Tarkanian.

The former UNLV coach was fired after guiding the Spurs to a 9-11 record. Assistant Rex Hughes coached against the Mavericks, and owner Red McCombs named John Lucas as Tarkanian’s replacement.

Despite the confusion, Elliott managed to make 16 of 22 shots, surpassing his previous high of 32 points, set 10 days earlier against Utah.

“I felt normal once I got in the game,” Elliott said.

Leading 85-79 after three quarters, the Spurs started the fourth with an 18-4 run for a 103-85 lead. David Robinson had eight points and Elliott four during the run.

Robinson said Friday’s performance was how the Spurs should have been playing all along.

“We’ve got too many good athletes not to be making easy baskets,” he said. “There have only been two games that I can say we haven’t had a chance to win. Our record could be 14-8 or 15-7.

“I don’t blame Tark for that. We just need to step it up a little more.”

What better time than against a 2-16 team?

The Mavericks were led by Derek Harper with 23 points.

Dale Ellis scored 24 for San Antonio and Robinson added 18.

New York 113, Boston 87--The Knicks ended years of frustration against the Celtics, winning a regular-season game at Boston Garden for the first time since 1984.

Patrick Ewing had 30 points and 14 rebounds for the Knicks, whose previous victory in Boston Garden--on Feb. 29, 1984--was two seasons before Ewing joined the Knicks.

Boston point guard Sherman Douglas missed his second consecutive game because of what team officials describe as emotional problems. There has been no indication when he will return.

Seattle 126, Portland 109--Ricky Pierce scored 13 of his 19 points in the fourth quarter, and the SuperSonics defeated the Trail Blazers at the Kingdome.

Shawn Kemp scored 11 of his 25 points in the fourth quarter for the SuperSonics, who led, 86-77, after three quarters.

Rod Strickland scored 23 points for Portland.

Detroit 122, Indiana 106--Terry Mills scored a season-high 20 points and the Pistons had their highest total of the season in a victory at Auburn Hills, Mich.

Detroit, 7-1 in December, have won their last six games at home and eight of their last nine overall to get to .500 after a seven-game losing streak in November.

Detlef Schrempf had 18 points for the Pacers, who won four of their previous five on the road. Sean Green scored eight of his career-high 17 points in the fourth quarter for Indiana.

Isiah Thomas had 19 points and 10 assists for Detroit.

Utah 112, Philadelphia 98--Karl Malone scored 23 points and John Stockton had 17 points and a season-high 22 assists as the Jazz used a 36-12 second-half run to defeat the 76ers at Philadelphia.

It was Utah’s fourth consecutive victory and eighth in 11 games. The loss was the 76ers’ third in a row and dropped their home record to 2-10.

The teams were tied, 45-45, at halftime and Utah led only 63-62 with 3:37 left in the third quarter before the Jazz took a 79-68 lead with a 16-6 run capped by Stockton’s three-pointer with 34 seconds remaining in the period.

Utah then scored the first 10 points of the fourth quarter, and took a 99-74 advantage on a dunk by David Benoit with 6:08 to play.

Cleveland 119, Sacramento 108--Larry Nance and Mark Price scored 22 points apiece to lead the Cavaliers at Richfield, Ohio.

The victory was the fourth in a row for Cleveland, while the Kings lost their seventh consecutive game. Sacramento, which won at home against the Cavaliers last month, has not won at Richfield Coliseum since 1984.

Nance and Price each made nine of 13 shots (69%). In his last three games, Nance has shot 71% from the field, despite suffering from a stomach virus in the first of those games and twisting his ankle in the second.

Reserve Gerald Wilkins scored 19 points for Cleveland. Price had 11 assists, and Nance had 13 rebounds.

Atlanta 108, Miami 100--Jon Koncak’s effort down the stretch proved instrumental in the Hawks’ ending their three-game losing streak with a victory at Miami.

The Hawks led, 95-93, before a three-point play by Koncak, who scored 13 points, and Kevin Willis’ basket extended their advantage to 100-93 with 3:57 to play.

Leading 102-96, Atlanta committed two 24-second violations, but Miami was unable to capitalize. A miss by Kevin Edwards was rebounded by Koncak after the first violation and Atlanta’s Mookie Blaylock, who scored 20 points, stole the ball from Rony Seikaly after the second.

After a basket by Atlanta’s Paul Graham, the Heat’s Brian Shaw made two free throws and a basket to cut the deficit to 104-100, but Koncak connected on one of two free throws with 43 seconds remaining to seal the victory.

Heat Coach Kevin Loughery was ejected with 2:54 left in the second quarter after two technical fouls for arguing an offensive foul called on Shaw.