NBA ROUNDUP : SuperSonics Still Super After Defeating Bullets

After a six-game trip, the Seattle SuperSonics are not heading home with a perfect record.

Still, 12-1 isn’t so bad.

Seattle finished its trip with a victory Thursday night, using a 14-0 run at the outset of the second quarter to beat the Washington Bullets, 105-95, at Landover, Md. The trip included stops on the West Coast, in the Midwest and the East, and Seattle managed five victories.

Coach George Karl was impressed with how his team didn’t let its only loss--a 101-90 setback in Cleveland on Nov. 27--affect it.

“We didn’t play well back east last year,” Karl said. “We made it our goal at the end of the season to do better when we went back east. Now we have to do the same thing two more times.”

Kendall Gill and Gary Payton had 18 points apiece for the SuperSonics, who have the second-best record in the NBA. Detlef Schrempf added 17 points--13 in the first quarter--Nate McMillan 16 and Shawn Kemp 12.

Don MacLean led the Bullets with 21 points.

Phoenix 102, Detroit 101--A.C. Green scored 10 of his 16 points in the fourth quarter as the Suns held on at Auburn Hills, Mich.

It was the fifth straight loss for the Pistons.

Bill Laimbeer, the 36-year-old Bad Boy who retired from the Pistons Wednesday, was in a seat at courtside. Charles Barkley, his former nemesis, walked over and shook hands with him just before the opening tip.

Utah 103, Indiana 87--The Jazz’s Jeff Malone scored 27 points and Karl Malone added 25 points and 18 rebounds at Salt Lake City.

The Jazz used a 15-0 run in the third quarter to overcome a four-point Indiana lead and go in front 74-63 with 1:01 left. The Pacers never got closer than seven points after that.

Reggie Miller scored 15 points to lead the Pacers, but he was two for 10 from the field. Rik Smits added 14 points.

Minnesota 103, Golden State 91--Micheal Williams made five free throws in the final two minutes and scored 28 points at Oakland to help the Timberwolves end the Warriors’ four-game winning streak.

The Warriors missed four free throws and three field-goal attempts in the final minute.

Christian Laettner had 22 points and 15 rebounds for the Timberwolves, who have won consecutive games for the first time this season. Billy Owens led the Warriors with 20 points.