NBA ROUNDUP : Rodman Bumps, Grinds, Is Ejected

San Antonio’s Dennis Rodman wasn’t around to see Seattle guard Gary Payton make a game-winning 18-foot jump shot with 1.2 seconds to play to give the SuperSonics a 100-99 victory at San Antonio.

By then, Rodman had mixed it up with a Seattle player under the basket, gotten his second technical foul of the game and departed in the fourth quarter in what has become something of a ritual, embellished Friday with a topless performance to a standing ovation as he walked off the court.

It was his second ejection in as many games and fifth of the season.

There was plenty of warning.

“We (Rodman and I) had a little conversation in the first quarter when he and Gary had that little thing,” Seattle Coach George Karl said about two earlier technicals. “He said one of us is going to get thrown (out). I told him it didn’t bother me.”

Karl was around at the end, with a play in mind to get the victory.

The play didn’t work, but Payton did.

“Me and Detlef (Schrempf) were supposed to go on a pick-and-roll, just to try and make something happen,” said Payton, who was falling out of bounds as he took the shot. “Detlef didn’t have a chance, so I saw the alley and I just tried to take it.

“I thought I was going to get to the basket, but the ball went off my foot. When it bounced up, I just picked it up, squared up and shot.”

Payton’s heroics gave Seattle its eighth victory in 10 games.

Charlotte 97, Minnesota 91--Alonzo Mourning, playing alongside Larry Johnson for the first time since December, had 20 points and 14 rebounds at Minneapolis as the Hornets sent the Timberwolves to their seventh consecutive loss.

Johnson, sidelined for 31 games because of a sprained lower back, had 10 points and four rebounds in 17 minutes, all in the first half.

Detroit 98, Cleveland 96--Joe Dumars, averaging 34.5 points in his last four games, had 31 points and 11 assists to lead the Pistons at home, where they ended the Cavaliers’ winning streak at 11 games and won their second in a row for the first time since December.

Orlando 112, Philadephia 105--Shaquille O’Neal scored 28 points and grabbed 21 rebounds at Orlando as the Magic extended the 76ers’ losing streak to 15 games.

Phoenix 122, Miami 107--Cedric Ceballos had 28 points and 12 rebounds and sparked a key second-quarter run at Miami.

New York 90, Boston 83--Patrick Ewing scored 28 points and Hubert Davis had a career-high 25, including five three-pointers, at Boston as the Knicks ran their winning streak to five games.

Washington 100, Denver 93--Brent Price made a three-pointer with 1:18 to play to snap a 91-91 tie, send the Bullets to victory and give the Nuggets a winless three-game trip.

Atlanta 108, Chicago 77--Kevin Willis had 23 points and 15 rebounds at Atlanta as the Hawks ended a two-game losing streak and stretched their Central Division lead to four games over the Bulls.

New Jersey 87, Indiana 73--Benoit Benjamin had 25 points and 12 rebounds and the Nets limited the Pacers to 13 points in the fourth quarter at East Rutherford, N.J.

Sacramento 108, Milwaukee 100--Mitch Richmond scored 23 of his 25 points in the second half, including 12 in the fourth quarter, to lead the Kings at Milwaukee.

Sacramento’s Olden Polynice had 21 rebounds.