NBA PLAYOFF ROUNDUP : Hornets Work Doubly Hard to Beat Celtics

The Charlotte Hornets’ first playoff victory was one to remember--a double-overtime drama decided by Larry Johnson’s jump shot, the only basket in 14 shots in the final period.

Johnson connected from the top of the key on the first shot of the second overtime with 4:49 left, and Charlotte evened the series, 1-1, against the Boston Celtics with a 99-98 victory Saturday at Boston Garden.

The victory in the first playoff series in Charlotte’s five-year history overshadowed a big day for Boston’s Big Two.

Kevin McHale, expected to retire after the playoffs at age 35, had 30 points, his high for at least the past two seasons, and 10 rebounds. Robert Parish, at 39 the league’s oldest player, had 19 points and 16 rebounds.

The next two games of the best-of-five series will be Monday and Wednesday at Charlotte.

“We got tired,” said Johnson, who led the Hornets with 23 points, the last two giving them a 99-97 lead. “But we were saying, ‘If we’re tired, they are, too.’ ”

“You can’t make excuses,” said McHale, who finished four points short of his career high for 167 playoff games. “You’ve got to give them credit for stopping us when they needed to.”

It was McHale, though, who stopped himself when he missed the first of two free throws with 1:38 to play. It was Boston’s only miss in 17 attempts.

“It wasn’t a good shot,” he said. “I shot it too quick. I didn’t settle down and shoot it.”

He made the second shot, but Boston still trailed, 99-98. It turned out to be the Celtics’ only point of the second overtime.

Charlotte, which missed all seven of its shots after Johnson scored, missed its last two shots, by Johnson and Kendall Gill. Boston called timeout with two seconds left, but Dee Brown’s three-pointer at the buzzer bounced off the front of the rim.

Brown started in place of Reggie Lewis, who collapsed on the court during Thursday night’s 112-101 Boston win in the opener. Lewis was sidelined Saturday, although extensive medical tests were negative. No decision was announced about his availability Monday night.

Portland 105, San Antonio 96--Clyde Drexler scored 21 points in his first extensive playing time in a month and the Trail Blazers came from behind in the final quarter at Portland to even the series at one game apiece.

Drexler, who missed virtually all of the final 12 regular-season games with a strained left hamstring, put Portland ahead for good, 94-92, with a tip-in with 2:09 to go. The Trail Blazers, who outscored San Antonio, 27-13, in the final quarter, went on to score seven consecutive points in a 29-second stretch of the final minute to put the game away.

“It felt great first of all to be out there among the guys,” Drexler said. “Playoff basketball kind of makes your blood boil. I’m just happy my body held up.”

Cliff Robinson, suffering through a three-for-27 performance from the field in the series, scored three points in the final minute and made several crucial defensive plays in the fourth quarter for the Trail Blazers.

He had a steal and three of his six blocked shots in the final quarter, which began with San Antonio ahead, 83-78.

David Robinson and Terry Cummings led six Spurs in double figures with 15 points apiece, but Robinson had only three points in the second half and none in the final quarter. Robinson had 14 rebounds.

New Jersey 101, Cleveland 99--Derrick Coleman scored a game-high 27 points, including six in the final three minutes, as the Nets held off the Cavaliers at Cleveland to even their first-round Eastern Conference series at one game apiece.

Coleman had a dunk and two free throws that gave the Nets a 98-92 lead with 1:51 left. A basket by Larry Nance cut the lead to 98-94, but Coleman’s follow slam with 1:20 remaining restored New Jersey’s six-point advantage.

Chris Morris, who finished with 20 points, made one of two free throws with .6 seconds remaining to seal the victory.

Larry Nance and Mark Price each had 17 points to lead the Cavaliers, who lost for only the second time in 14 games.