NBA ROUNDUP : Magic Struggles Again to Win

With Shaquille O’Neal out six to eight weeks because of a broken thumb, the Magic struggled once again, rallying from a 13-point second-half deficit to beat the Washington Bullets, 105-95, Monday night at Orlando.

“Gang, get used to it because every game is going to be like this,” Coach Brian Hill.

The Magic opened the season with a far-from-pretty victory over Cleveland last Friday, then lost by 33 at Atlanta on Saturday.

Anfernee Hardaway and Horace Grant scored 25 points apiece and the Magic held the Bullets to one field goal during a 12-minute stretch of the second half.

Utah 105, Atlanta 96--Karl Malone, who suffered a dislocated finger with 1:03 left in the first half, returned to start the third quarter and finished with 23 points to lead the Jazz over the Hawks at Salt Lake City.

Malone, who had been sidelined for only four games in his 10-year career, scored 13 points in the first half and 10 in the second with the finger taped.

NBA Notes

Rod Strickland of the Portland Trail Blazers, in the New York area for tonight’s game against the New Jersey Nets, was arrested for allegedly giving his former girlfriend, Judith Cruz, a black eye last month at her Bronx home. . . . Chris Mills of the Cleveland Cavaliers and Predrag Danilovic of the Miami Heat were each suspended for one game and fined $10,000 and $3,500, respectively, for fighting. . . . The Dallas Mavericks moved Roy Tarpley from the suspended list to the injured list after tests gave the team more insight into a nagging case of pancreatitis.