NBA ROUNDUP : Suns Keep Road Streak at 76ers’ Expense

Is Danny Ainge the Devil in disguise?

It only seems that way to Philadelphia 76er Coach John Lucas, who was reduced to tears after Ainge made a free throw with 1.7 seconds to play to lead the Suns to a 108-107 victory over the 76ers and a franchise-record ninth consecutive road victory Friday night at Philadelphia.

“Somebody is really punishing us,” said Lucas, whose team has lost 13 of 15 games. “This is the first time since high school I’ve cried after a basketball game. We’re just finding new ways to lose.”

Dan Majerle, who led the Suns with 25 points, made a three-point shot with 10.9 seconds left to tie the game at 107-107, then Ainge stole the ball from Willie Burton before being fouled. Ainge missed the first free throw but made the second as Phoenix won its seventh in a row overall.

The loss came two days after Burton missed two free throws with 1.2 seconds to play to give the Milwaukee Bucks a 98-97 victory.

Dana Barros led Philadelphia with 39 points. Charles Barkley had 22 points and 13 rebounds for the Suns.

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Portland 87, Cleveland 77--Clyde Drexler had 20 points, eight rebounds and six assists as the Trail Blazers overcame a sluggish start to win at Cleveland.

The Cavaliers were without injured point guards Mark Price and Terrell Brandon, and starting forward Chris Mills sprained his left thumb in the second quarter and missed the rest of the game.

Drexler, the subject of a report this week that he is about to be traded to Seattle, helped Portland break it open by combining with Rod Strickland and Clifford Robinson to score 16 points during a decisive 20-2 run in the third quarter.

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Charlotte 105, New York 90--Larry Johnson scored a career-high 39 points and made six three-point baskets to lead the Hornets at Charlotte, N.C.

Charlotte ended the Knicks’ six-game winning streak.

John Starks paced New York with 26 points, and Patrick Ewing added 25.

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Denver 96, New Jersey 90--Dale Ellis came off the bench to score 17 points and Dikembe Mutombo had 14 points, 19 rebounds and six blocked shots, helping the Nuggets end a five-game losing streak and give interim Coach Gene Littles his first victory.

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Miami 96, Milwaukee 87--Bimbo Coles scored 20 of his career-high 25 points in the second half as the Heat won at Milwaukee.

Coles had only five points when Milwaukee’s Eric Murdock was benched with 7:47 to play in the third quarter. Coles, guarded mostly by Lee Mayberry after Murdock went out, then scored nine points in the third period and 11 in the fourth.

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Minnesota 102, Dallas 94--Christian Laettner scored 21 points and Isaiah Rider added 20 at Dallas as the Timberwolves dealt the Mavericks their sixth consecutive loss.

Sean Rooks contributed 18 points and Doug West scored 17 for Minnesota. Jim Jackson’s 24 points paced the Mavericks, who have lost eight of their last nine.

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Boston 117, Golden State 91--Rookie Greg Minor scored a season-high 31 points as the Celtics, shuffling their lineup to try to end a six-game slide, won at Boston.

The Celtics outscored the Warriors, 33-8, in the first 10 minutes of the fourth quarter, turning an 80-80 tie after the third into a 113-88 lead.

Boston Coach Chris Ford stuck with only Eric Montross from the group that started the previous nine games. Dominique Wilkins, playing all six of his minutes in the first half, was used as a reserve for the first time since Jan. 12, 1993, also against Golden State.

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Notes

The Dallas Mavericks placed forward Roy Tarpley on the injured list because of tendinitis in his right knee. NBA rules require a player to miss at least five games from the time he is placed on the injured list. Before Friday night’s game against Minnesota, Tarpley had missed the Mavericks’ past six games because of the injury.

The Mavericks are also concerned because of mood swings by Tarpley, who returned to the NBA this year after serving three years of a ban for violation of the league’s substance abuse rules. Consequently, his aftercare counselors scheduled several tests.

Tarpley’s aftercare counselors want to know why the 7-foot forward has reportedly behaved erratically before and during several games the past month.

When asked about his behavior and feelings lately, Tarpley said, “Who doesn’t have mood swings?