NBA ROUNDUP : Blue-Collar Bonner Aids Knicks in No. 15

The victory was their 15th in a row, which tied Houston’s 15-0 start for the season’s longest winning streak, and symbolic of the New York Knicks’ play was that of Anthony Bonner.

He missed eight of nine shots, most from near the basket, in their 110-87 rout of Miami at New York, but he led the Knicks with 13 rebounds.

Coach Pat Riley made certain everybody took notice.

“He is the quintessential role player,” Riley said of Bonner, who has started each of the 15 games during the streak. “He took four or five charges, got three or four loose balls and all those rebounds. It’s incredible what he has given us the last 15 games. If there’s ever a player that epitomizes how we play, it’s Anthony Bonner.”

It’s also Charles Oakley, who had 17 points and 12 rebounds, and Patrick Ewing, who had 15 points, 11 rebounds and six blocks.

The common thread is the Knicks’ defensive play, The Heat is the 11th opponent to be held below 90 points during the streak.

“I think they have the best team and the best defense in the NBA right now,” Miami Coach Kevin Loughery said.

Harold Miner scored 15 points and John Salley 14 for the Heat, which played without leading scorer Glen Rice, who was suffering from flu, leading rebounder Rony Seikaly, who has a sprained right ankle. Miami fell from sixth place to eighth in the Eastern Conference, but the Heat still has a five-game lead over Charlotte for the last playoff spot.

Utah 101, Denver 91--Karl Malone scored 31 points and had 12 rebounds at Salt Lake City as the Jazz won for only the third time in 11 games.

Jeff Hornacek scored 17 points in a reserve role for the Jazz, who gained the lead for good in the second quarter, then held off a handful of Denver rallies. Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf paced Denver with 19 points, and Nugget center Dikembe Mutombo had 14 points and 16 rebounds.

Indiana 128, Orlando 113--Reggie Miller, Haywoode Workman and the Pacers all had season highs in a victory over the Magic at Indianapolis.

Miller made all 15 of his free throws and scored a season-high 38 points. Workman, who played 37 minutes after Vern Fleming suffered a cut on his lower lip after Shaquille O’Neal fell on him, had 15 assists. Indiana’s previous season high for points was 126, scored in victories over New Jersey and the Clippers.

Rik Smits had 26 points as Indiana overcame a 33-point, 15 rebound effort by O’Neal.

Cleveland 95, Dallas 88--John (Hot Rod) Williams led a fourth-quarter rally with six of his 23 points at Dallas, where the Cavaliers handed the Mavericks their 17th consecutive defeat.

Williams, who also had 18 rebounds, scored six consecutive points as the Cavaliers opened the fourth quarter with a 12-4 run, improving a one-point lead after three quarters to 82-73.

Mark Price scored 16 of his 24 points in the first half for the Cavaliers, who have won four of their last five.

Washington 104, Milwaukee 96--The Bullets got 29 points and 10 rebounds from Don MacLean and defeated the Bucks at Landover, Md., for their first winning streak since January.

San Antonio 117, Charlotte 111--David Robinson scored 24 points and Dennis Rodman had 20 rebounds and a career-best eight assists at San Antonio, where the Spurs never trailed en route to their sixth consecutive victory.

Seattle 119, Golden State 109--Sam Perkins led a game-breaking rally with six points and Shawn Kemp scored a season-high 32 points at Seattle as the SuperSonics won their eighth in a row.

Chris Mullin led the Warriors with 21 points.

The SuperSonics had 20 steals and forced the Warriors into a season-high 31 turnovers, which Seattle converted into 36 points.

Sacramento 102, Minnesota 87--Wayman Tisdale scored 15 of his 24 points in the first quarter as the Kings took an early lead and cruised past the Timberwolves at Sacramento.

The Kings snapped their six-game losing streak and won for only the second time in their last nine home games. Minnesota lost its fifth in a row.