NBA ROUNDUP : Jordan Warms to Task With 37-Point Outburst

In the first half, Michael Jordan looked like merely another player. The second half was a different story.

After missing 11-of-13 shots in the first half, Jordan scored 30 of his 37 points in the second to lead the Chicago Bulls to their fifth consecutive win, 108-101, over the New Jersey Nets on Wednesday night at East Rutherford, N.J.

“I think they were waiting for me to make my move, and I just missed a lot of easy shots,” said Jordan, who was 11 of 18 from the field in the second half. “It was more me than anything. It wasn’t anything they were doing.”

The loss was the fifth in a row and ninth in 10 games for the Nets, who played Chicago tough despite being without injured starters Derrick Coleman and Chris Morris.

In his eighth game since returning, Jordan scored 30 of the Bulls’ 54 second-half points, 15 of their 23 points in the final quarter and seven of their final nine. He finished 13 for 31 from the field and had 11 rebounds. The 37 points were his second-highest total since coming out of retirement, and the Bulls are 6-2 with him in the lineup.

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Orlando 128, Detroit 125--Shaquille O’Neal had 40 points and 19 rebounds and Dennis Scott had 30 as the Magic overcame the loss of guard Nick Anderson to beat the Pistons at Orlando, Fla.

The Atlantic Division leaders trailed by 18 when Anderson, who suffered a concussion when he bumped heads with Detroit’s Rafael Addison, was removed from the court on a stretcher early in the second quarter.

But Orlando made six of seven free throws in the last 1:01 to ice the victory.

Detroit guard Joe Dumars made seven three-point shots and scored 41 points. Allan Houston had six three-point baskets and scored 28 points. Grant Hill had 23 points and 11 rebounds.

New York 114, Milwaukee 94-- Patrick Ewing had 34 points and 18 rebounds and Hubert Davis added 20 points at Milwaukee as the Knicks won for the fourth time in five games.

Indiana 102, Washington 90--The Pacers set a club record with their 48th victory of the season at Indianapolis.

Guard Reggie Miller did not have a field goal and finished with six points, including four in the first quarter. However, he tied a season-high with nine assists.

Atlanta 96, Cleveland 87--Andrew Lang, Steve Smith and Grant Long each scored 18 points as the Hawks handed the Cavaliers their fifth consecutive road loss.

Charlotte 84, Philadelphia 66--Alonzo Mourning had 16 points as the Hornets held the 76ers to the lowest point total in Philadelphia history at Charlotte.

The 76ers shot only 32% and scored only eight points in the second quarter. It was the fewest points they have scored in a game since scoring 67 at Cleveland on Jan. 15, 1994.

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NBA Notes

The team doctor for the Houston Rockets has recommended that center Hakeem Olajuwon and guard Vernon Maxwell miss the three games left on the team’s road trip because of their iron-deficiency anemia. . . . The New Jersey Nets placed swingman Chris Morris on the injured list because of a strained left hamstring and activated guard Sleepy Floyd, who had been out because of a degenerative left knee. . . . The Cleveland Cavaliers placed guard Terrell Brandon on the injured list because of a broken leg and activated guard John Battle, who had missed 11 games because of inflammation of both knees.