NBA ROUNDUP : Gugliotta Leads Bullets

Tom Gugliotta, making only his second NBA start at center, scored 21 points Saturday to lift the Washington Bullets past the weary Portland Trail Blazers, 114-102, at Landover, Md.

Gugliotta, a 6-foot-10 forward, was moved to the pivot because of injuries to Pervis Ellison and Charles Jones. Gugliotta spent much of the game matched against Buck Williams, who grabbed 19 rebounds but scored only nine points.

“I gave up a lot of size and strength in there, pushing up against stronger players,” Gugliotta said. “I needed all my energy to stop them--it was very difficult pounding up against those guys. I definitely got worn down.”

Portland played the final three quarters without Clyde Drexler, who left because of a strained left hamstring. It’s the same injury that forced him to miss 13 games in March.

The game ended the Trail Blazers’ longest trip of the season, five games in seven days. Portland went 2-3.

Washington’s victory was its first in seven games against the Trail Blazers since November of 1989.

Houston 118, Golden State 111--Hakeem Olajuwon scored 38 points, making 14 of 15 free throws, to equal a season high, and grabbed 19 rebounds at Houston.

“So what’s the big deal about it, he does that every night,” teammate Carl Herrera said of Olajuwon. “He’s playing well in all areas--rebounding, defense and shooting. But that’s not strange. He does it all the time.”

The Rockets made 35 of 39 foul shots and also were hot from three-point range, making seven of 19.

“Every 15 days we have a contest on our free-throw shooting,” Houston Coach Rudy Tomjanovich said. “Guys used to stand around and talk during free throws. Now it’s serious business.”

Vernon Maxwell made four of nine three-pointers to become the 13th player in NBA history to reach 500 in a career.

“I’m glad to get it behind me,” Maxwell said. “The last game I was pressing and pressing, trying to get it over with. I was lucky tonight, and hit my first two shots and I just kept stroking and stroking.”

Billy Owens led Golden State with 20 points and Victor Alexander added 19.

“We had some guys mentally tired,” Warrior Coach Don Nelson said. “We’ve had back-to-backs and the season is getting old. We had three or four guys who needed some pushing.”

Tim Hardaway came off the injury list for Golden State and played in his first game since suffering a knee injury on March 17. He scored 15 points.

Seattle 129, Atlanta 105--Ricky Pierce scored 29 points, and Derrick McKey and Sam Perkins led a decisive third-quarter spurt at Seattle.

The Hawks’ loss was their second in a row after they had won 12 of 13.

Duane Ferrell scored 20 points and Dominique Wilkins, weakened by flu, finished with 18 for Atlanta.