NBA ROUNDUP : Hardaway’s Late Shot Lifts Magic

Hakeem vs. Shaq came down to a shot by Penny.

Penny Hardaway’s third game-winner of the season, an 11-foot jump shot over Mario Elie with 3.1 seconds remaining Monday night, gave the Orlando Magic a 92-90 victory over the Houston Rockets at Orlando, Fla., in the first meeting between the teams since last year’s NBA finals.

Hardaway and Shaquille O’Neal had 22 points for Orlando, which blew a 13-point second-half lead and fell behind by eight in the fourth quarter before overtaking the two-time defending champions.

“We hung in there and got a great victory,” Hardaway said.

Hakeem Olajuwon led the Rockets with 30 points, but his basket in the opening minute of the final quarter was his last of the night. Dennis Scott got the rebound of the all-star center’s airball with 24 seconds left, setting the stage for Hardaway.

Orlando’s all-star point guard let the shot clock run down to six seconds before starting from the top of the key and moving toward the right side of the basket, rising above Elie. The ball hit the rim, banged off the glass, rolled around and fell in.

Robert Horry’s three-point shot at the buzzer bounced off the rim for Houston, which led, 80-72, before the Magic came back.

Scott finished with 19, including a three-point basket that tied the score at 90 with 1:25 left. O’Neal had 18 rebounds and Hardaway finished with 10 assists and seven rebounds for Orlando, which was swept by Houston in the finals last June.

Horry and Elie each scored 15 for the Rockets, who played without Clyde Drexler, who is sidelined because of a bruised shin.

San Antonio 105, Phoenix 100--David Robinson and Sean Elliott have become one of the NBA’s most dangerous combinations, and the Phoenix Suns found out why at Phoenix.

Elliott scored 10 of his 28 points in the fourth quarter and Robinson finished with 25 points and 10 rebounds, rallying San Antonio to the victory. The Spurs, who overcame a 12-point deficit in the second half, have won six consecutive games.

Charles Barkley had 29 points and 15 rebounds for the Suns, who were outscored, 14-3, in the final 3:40 and lost for the fifth time in their last eight games.

San Antonio, down 84-72 in the final minute of the third quarter, used a 9-0 run to close to 86-81 with 9:50 to play.

A.C. Green’s three-point basket, the Suns’ ninth in 25 attempts, made it 95-91, and Barkley’s free throws put Phoenix ahead, 97-91, with 3:48 remaining.

But it was all Spurs after that.

Robinson’s layup and Elliott’s three-point basket brought San Antonio within 97-96 with 2:59 left, and Doc Rivers’ 15-footer put the Spurs ahead, 98-97, with 1:40 to go, their first lead since before halftime.

After Elliott Perry’s free throw tied the score for Phoenix with 1:28 left, Robinson made two free throws with 1:15 to go and Avery Johnson’s uncontested layup made the score 102-98 with 43 seconds left.