NBA ROUNDUP : Knicks Get a Dose of Own Medicine

Sick, sore and sinking in the standings, the Miami Heat ambushed the NBA’s hottest team, beating New York, 100-86, the way the Knicks had beaten 15 opponents in a row--with defense.

The Heat held New York to 36% shooting in Miami, playing without injured center Rony Seikaly, while starters Glen Rice and Grant Long were weakened by flu. The Heat lost seven of their previous eight games, including a 110-87 blowout at New York on Saturday.

“The scars were still fresh from Saturday night,” Long said.

Knick Coach Pat Riley took his team’s first loss since Feb. 27 badly. The New York locker room remained closed for 20 minutes after the game.

“We can’t accept the way we played because we can pick up bad habits quick, even after winning 15 in a row,” he said.

Center Patrick Ewing offered a more cryptic assessment: “We all played like garbage.”

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Chicago 114, Washington 88--Scottie Pippen had 22 points, 10 assists and nine rebounds at Chicago, where the Bulls used a 21-8 run at the outset of the second half to win their fifth consecutive game.

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Golden State 106, San Antonio 101--Latrell Sprewell scored 26 points and had two key steals in the final two minutes, carrying the Warriors to a victory at San Antonio that snapped the Spurs’ six-game winning streak.

The game was delayed for 12 minutes before the third quarter when a heavy rainstorm leaked through the roof at the Alamodome.

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Orlando 104, Milwaukee 97--The Magic, playing without ailing center Shaquille O’Neal, got 22 points and 10 rebounds from Jeff Turner at Orlando.

O’Neal sat out the game because of a stomach virus, the first time in his two-year career that he missed a game because of injury or illness.

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Cleveland 105, Charlotte 99--John Williams scored 23 points and the Cavaliers overcame horrendous early shooting to win at home.

The loss kept the Hornets winless in 13 trips to Richfield and further damaged the Hornets’ hopes of making the playoffs. Charlotte dropped 5 1/2 games behind New Jersey in the race for the last playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.

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New Jersey 120, Boston 94--The Celtics’ 14-year playoff run came to the end as the Nets’ reserves used a 23-6 second-quarter spurt in a victory at East Rutherford, N.J.

The last time the Celtics didn’t make the playoffs was in 1978-79, when they had a 29-53 record.

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Indiana 105, Detroit 89--Antonio Davis, playing in place of ailing Rik Smits, scored 15 points in the first half to start the Pacers on the way to a victory at home.

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Seattle 86, Utah 79--Vincent Askew scored 11 of his 14 points in the fourth quarter, including seven in a row at Seattle, and the SuperSonics won their ninth in a row.

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Dallas 88, Sacramento 80--The Mavericks snapped their 17-game losing streak as Doug Smith scored 10 of his 18 points in the fourth quarter at Sacramento.

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Portland 135, Phoenix 113--Clifford Robinson scored 23 points and Rod Strickland had a team-record 20 assists to lift the Trail Blazers at Portland and end the Suns’ five-game winning streak.