NBA ROUNDUP : Charlotte Wins, Then Watches TV

With a vested interest in the outcome and extreme curiosity in one of the participants, the Hornets repaired to a television in their locker room after beating the Utah Jazz, 108-104, Sunday in Charlotte.

Showers could wait until they had seen the end of Michael Jordan’s return to the Chicago Bulls.

After the Pacers had beaten Chicago in overtime, the Hornets were resigned to trailing Indiana by half a game in the Central Division for yet another day.

“Everybody wants to see his first performance back,” said center Alonzo Mourning, who scored 31 points. “Time to take a shower.”

Muggsy Bogues and Hersey Hawkins made sure the Hornets kept pace with Indiana, each making crucial free throws in the final 16 seconds, helping Charlotte snap a three-game losing streak after it had blown most of a 22-point lead.

Three-point baskets by Karl Malone and John Stockton sparked Utah’s last charge, and four consecutive points by Tom Chambers got the Jazz to within 104-102 with 21 seconds to go.

Bogues got his free throws with 16.3 seconds left and Hawkins made his at 7.8 seconds.

OTHER GAMES

Charles Barkley scored five of his 27 points in overtime and grabbed 18 rebounds, carrying the Phoenix Suns to a 121-117 victory over the Heat in Miami. . . . Cleveland drew a technical foul for having six players on the court and that fueled a 10-0 run that took the Washington Bullets to a 96-90 victory in Landover, Md. . . . Glenn Robinson scored 28 points and scored with 12.7 seconds to play to give the Bucks a 95-94 victory over the Boston Celtics in Milwaukee. . . . Hakeem Olajuwon scored 24 points as the Rockets started an all-University of Houston front line in a 114-103 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers in Houston. . . . Chris Gatling had 29 points and 15 rebounds and keyed a fourth-quarter run at Oakland that lifted the Golden State Warriors to a 117-115 victory over the Detroit Pistons, who lost their sixth consecutive game.