NBA ROUNDUP : SuperSonics Barely Edge Bulls, 95-94

The Seattle SuperSonics found out Tuesday night that it won’t be easy to succeed the Chicago Bulls as the best team in the NBA.

The undefeated SuperSonics, hyped as a possible successor to the Bulls, had to battle down to the final second before escaping with a 95-94 victory over Chicago at Seattle.

And these Bulls were playing without the injured Scottie Pippen, John Paxson and Scott Williams, all key players behind the retired Michael Jordan for Chicago in its three consecutive championship years.

Ricky Pierce scored 19 points, and his two free throws with 2:55 to play capped a decisive 8-0 run as Seattle improved to 6-0. The margin of Seattle’s latest victory left their players questioning themselves.

“It’s hard to say how good we really are,” Pierce said. “We have to realize that when you’re unbeaten that teams really want to knock you off.”

Toni Kukoc scored a career-high 20 points in his sixth NBA game on nine-for-12 shooting.

Houston 90, New Jersey 84--Hakeem Olajuwon sank two free throws to break a tie with 1:31 left, and the Rockets’ league-leading defense allowed the unbeaten Rockets to overcome 40% shooting at East Rutherford, N.J.

The Rockets (7-0) have not given up more than 99 points this season, and the 84 points scored by the Nets matched Houston’s season-low Monday night against Philadelphia, a game in which the 76ers scored 11 fourth-quarter points.

Olajuwon finished with 20 points and 19 rebounds.

Atlanta 118, Sacramento 95--Mookie Blaylock scored seven of his 16 points during a 19-8 run in the third quarter, breaking a halftime tie at Atlanta.

The Hawks halted a four-game losing streak--all on the road--after winning their home opener against Indiana.

Blaylock keyed the 19-8 run in the first six minutes of the third quarter to break a 54-54 halftime tie. He finished with nine points, three steals and three assists in the quarter.

Orlando 114, Utah 96--Dennis Scott’s three three-pointers keyed a 22-1 fourth-quarter run that broke open a close game at Orlando.

Scott, who had made only two of 15 shots from the field in Orlando’s previous two games, finished with five three-pointers in 10 attempts and scored 19 points as the Magic ended a two-game losing streak.

Scott Skiles led Orlando with 25 points and 13 assists, and Shaquille O’Neal overcame a slow start to finish with 23 points, 10 rebounds and four blocked shots.

Karl Malone led Utah with 30 points and 10 rebounds. Jeff Malone and John Stockton scored 17 apiece for the Jazz.

Charlotte 102, Indiana 93--Alonzo Mourning scored 21 points and Dell Curry finished with 19 after making three three-pointers in a fourth-quarter flurry at Indianapolis.

The Pacers played the final 11 minutes without guard Reggie Miller, who injured his right ankle driving for a score. Miller, who finished with 16 points, fell hard to the floor and did not run down to the defensive end, where Curry hit a three-pointer to cut the Hornets’ deficit to 73-72.

Pooh Richardson led Indiana with 18 points, and Rik Smits added 14.

New York 103, Dallas 90--John Starks scored five consecutive points during a 14-2 run that put the undefeated New York Knicks in control in the first quarter at Dallas.

The 14-2 run over a span of 5:51 turned an 13-11 deficit into a 25-15 lead. Starks’ three-point play gave New York (7-0) a 16-13 advantage, and he followed with a layup.

Starks led the Knicks with 18 points, while Charles Oakley had 16 points and 11 rebounds. Patrick Ewing, hampered by a sprained neck, grabbed 12 rebounds, but was held to seven points.

Jim Jackson scored 21 points and Jamal Mashburn 19 for the Mavericks, who fell to 1-5.

San Antonio 86, Denver 74--David Robinson and Dale Ellis each scored 17 points, Dennis Rodman pulled down 23 rebounds and the San Antonio Spurs overcame poor shooting at Dallas.

The Spurs, breaking a three-game losing streak in defeating Denver for the fifth consecutive time, shot 72% (13 of 18) in the first quarter to open a 34-20 lead, but after that matched the Nuggets miss for miss.

Willie Anderson added 16 points and Antoine Carr 13 for the Spurs.

Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf led Denver with 16 points and Brian Williams had 12.

Dikembe Mutombo had 11 rebounds but scored just four points as the Nuggets had difficulty scoring inside.

Minnesota 102, Milwaukee 98--Christian Laettner scored 13 of his season-high 29 points in the fourth quarter at Milwaukee to lead the Timberwolves got their first victory of the season.

Laettner made two free throws with 6.4 seconds to play and had three three-point plays in the final quarter.

The Timberwolves, who have six losses, are the last NBA team to crack the victory column.

The Bucks, meanwhile, lost their sixth in a row, and the 1-6 start matches their worst through seven games games in club history, a record set 19 years ago.

Doug West added 25 points for the Timberwolves.

Cleveland 101, Portland 96-- Gerald Wilkins scored 23 points, four of them in the crucial final 1:49 at Portland for the Cavaliers’ first victory over the Trail Blazers in eight tries.

Brad Daugherty had 22 points and 12 rebounds as all five Cleveland starters scored in double figures. Mark Price scored 20 points, while Chris Mills added 14 and John Williams 13.

Portland’s Clyde Drexler had 25 points and nine assists, but didn’t score in the fourth quarter. Clifford Robinson added 24 points for the Blazers, who lost to the Cavaliers for the first time since Feb. 21, 1990.

Phoenix 116, Golden State 104--Charles Barkley scored 24 of his 36 points in the first half at Oakland.

The closest Golden State got in the fourth quarter was 108-103 on a basket by Avery Johnson with 2:49 to play. But the Suns didn’t let up, getting a basket from Barkley, who also had 12 rebounds, and a three-pointer from Dan Majerle to stretch their lead to 10 with 1:19 to play.

After Johnson’s basket, the Warriors scored only one more point.

Danny Ainge scored 21 points and Majerle and Kevin Johnson each had 18 as Phoenix, the best road team in the league last season, evened its road record at 2-2.

Latrell Sprewell had 23 points and Billy Owens 22 points and 11 rebounds for the Warriors. Rookie Chris Webber scored a season-high 21 points.