NBA ROUNDUP : Manning Returns in Time to Save Hawks, 111-107

Danny Manning, who had been out for three games because of an infected elbow, scored 13 of his 23 points during a fourth-quarter Atlanta rally as the Hawks beat the Celtics, 111-107, at Atlanta Wednesday night.

“In the fourth quarter I was able to get good position on the block and my teammates did a great job of getting me the ball when I was open,” said Manning, whose fourth-quarter scoring matched his game average as a Hawk.

In just over five minutes, starting with 8:30 remaining, Manning was six for six. Then, with 10 seconds left, he scooped up a loose ball and lofted a pass to Craig Ehlo, who made a layup to put the game out of reach.

Dee Brown scored 22 for the Celtics, Dino Radja 21 and Robert Parish 18.

Phoenix 107, San Antonio 95--Dan Majerle set an NBA record for three-point baskets in a season and Kevin Johnson handed out a career-high and team-record 25 assists as the Suns handed the Spurs their second loss in a row.

Majerle made three three-pointers in a 67-second span midway through the third quarter. The third was his 173rd of the season, breaking Vernon Maxwell’s mark set in 1990-91.

David Robinson led the Spurs with 33 points.

Charlotte 129, Indiana 99--Alonzo Mourning scored 23 points and had 11 rebounds as the Hornets kept their waning playoff hopes alive with a victory over the Pacers at Charlotte, N.C.

The Hornets moved within five games of the New Jersey Nets for the eighth playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.

Reggie Miller led Indiana with 17 points.

Miami 114, Washington 103--Steve Smith scored 10 of his 26 points during a third-period blitz at Landover, Md., as the Heat closed in on the second playoff berth in the franchise’s six-year history.

Smith’s hot hand negated a career-high 26 points by Washington’s Mitchell Butler, the former UCLA swing man.

The victory reduced to three Miami’s magic number for clinching a spot in the Eastern Conference playoffs.

Philadelphia 115, Milwaukee 114--Orlando Woolridge scored 29 points, including a driving layup with six seconds remaining at Philadelphia, to help the 76ers snap a 10-game losing streak.

Jeff Malone’s 32 points led the 76ers, who won their first home game after a franchise-record 11 losses in a row.