NBA ROUNDUP : O’Neal (41 Points) Returns to Muzzle Knicks

Patrick Ewing guaranteed a victory, but Shaquille O’Neal apparently thought otherwise.

O’Neal, returning from a one-game suspension, scored 41 points and grabbed 10 rebounds Tuesday night in leading the Magic to a 118-106 victory over the New York Knicks at Orlando.

O’Neal, the NBA’s leading scorer, was suspended for an altercation with Boston’s Eric Montross.

“Guys talked about Patrick’s guarantee, took it as a motivation,” Orlando’s Nick Anderson said. “Talk is cheap. Talking never hurt anybody. You have to back it up.”

Ewing led New York with 32 points and 15 rebounds.

Orlando also was helped by the return of Horace Grant, who had sat out two games because of back spasms. He had 12 points, 14 rebounds and four steals.

“They’re a great team--you’ve got to give them credit--but I feel we are a better team,” Ewing said. “We’ve just got to go out there and prove it.”

Dallas 102, Houston 101--Popeye Jones tipped in a shot and made a free throw with 23.9 seconds left and Hakeem Olajuwon missed a short jumper at the buzzer, sending the Mavericks over the Rockets at Dallas.

Jamal Mashburn led Dallas with 22 points. Clyde Drexler scored 24 points for Houston.

Houston’s Vernon Maxwell, returning after a 10-game suspension for punching a fan, scored six points. Roy Tarpley, coming off the injured list, had 13 for Dallas.

San Antonio 100, Cleveland 83--David Robinson’s 18 points at San Antonio helped the Spurs close out an 11-2 month with their sixth consecutive victory.

The Spurs have won 30 of 37 games since Dennis Rodman (21 rebounds) came off the suspended list.

Denver 114, Minnesota 101--Dikembe Mutombo scored a season-high 26 points and had 11 rebounds and six blocks as the Nuggets won at Denver.

Miami 95, Milwaukee 85--Glen Rice scored 24 points, including the last six of the game, and Billy Owens added 17 points and 16 rebounds as the Heat won at Milwaukee.

Philadelphia 106, Washington 102--Clarence Weatherspoon scored 30 points and the 76ers broke a four-game losing streak with a victory over the Bullets at Landover, Md.

NBA Notes

Seattle Coach George Karl was fined $10,000 by the league for saying official Ted Bernhardt “ought to be shot” after a loss to Charlotte on Monday night. . . . Jack McCloskey, 69, general manager of the Minnesota Timberwolves, announced that he will retire after the season. . . . Kevin Loughery, fired as the Miami Heat’s coach two weeks ago, agreed to become the team’s director of player personnel. . . . The Washington Bullets suspended center Kevin Duckworth indefinitely for failing to stay in shape. . . . Minnesota point guard Micheal Williams will have surgery on a tendon in his left foot today and will be sidelined for the season. . . . A blackout that caused Golden State Warrior forward Chris Mullin to fall and injure his head was caused by an abnormal blood vessel condition that cuts the amount of blood flowing to his brain. He took part in limited practice Monday and was scheduled for more tests Tuesday.