NBA ROUNDUP : Hornets Get Best of Magic

Every time people ask Alonzo Mourning about a classic matchup with Shaquille O’Neal, he reminds them that it’s the Charlotte Hornets against the Orlando Magic.

Thursday night at Charlotte, it was the Hornets from start to finish.

They took a 120-87 victory as Mourning took advantage of O’Neal’s foul trouble and scored 18 points and grabbed 10 rebounds.

“It’s just like having any other good game,” Mourning said. “The media makes a big deal of it. I really don’t look at it as that.”

Mourning made 10 of 14 free throws as he battled O’Neal inside. But it wasn’t much of a fight after O’Neal was assessed three fouls in a four-minute span of the third quarter and went to the bench with five.

O’Neal finished with 19 points and didn’t play the fourth quarter. He made only three of 10 shots in the first half and finished six of 15.

“The whole team was off tonight,” O’Neal said.

Indiana 108, New Jersey 105--The Pacers won for the first time this season, after the Nets said farewell to the late Drazen Petrovic, who was killed in an automobile accident in Germany on June 7.

Petrovic’s family and former teammates joined NBA and Net officials in the ceremony at East Rutherford, N.J. The Nets retired Petrovic’s No. 3 jersey.

Rik Smits and Pooh Richardson each made two key baskets in overtime after Reggie Miller saved Indiana with 17 points in the fourth quarter.

Kevin Edwards, who replaced Petrovic in the starting lineup, had 23 points for New Jersey.

Miami 116, Milwaukee 103--Rony Seikaly scored 33 points and helped spark two third-quarter rallies at Miami as the Heat dealt the Bucks their fourth consecutive defeat.

Seikaly, who added 13 rebounds, and Harold Miner, who scored 18 points, scored six points each during a 14-3 run that gave Miami a 70-65 lead with seven minutes to play in the third quarter.

Houston 107, Minnesota 99--Hakeem Olajuwon made 15 of 17 shots from the field, scored 36 points and carried the Rockets through a rugged fourth quarter at Houston as the Rockets won their fourth in a row.

Olajuwon made seven of eight shots in the first half and didn’t miss a basket in the second half until 2:42 remained in the game. He finished with 17 rebounds and made six of nine free throws.

Houston’s 4-0 start is the second best in franchise history behind an 8-0 start in 1984-85. Christian Laettner scored 22 for the Timberwolves (0-4).

Seattle 115, Cleveland 102--Ricky Pierce and Detlef Schrempf scored 22 points each and led a key 11-0 run late in the third quarter as the SuperSonics won at Seattle.

Cleveland trailed, 81-66, but used a nine-point run to close within six points with 1:20 to play in the third.

Pierce made a baseline jumper and four free throws for an 87-75 lead after three quarters. Then Schrempf added a layup, free throw and tip-in for a 92-75 lead with 10:20 to play.

Mark Price led Cleveland with 20 points.