Without Rodman, Jordan and Pippen Carry Bulls

Michael Jordan scored 35 points and Scottie Pippen 29 as the Chicago Bulls overcame the ejection of Dennis Rodman to defeat the Seattle SuperSonics, 113-87, at home Wednesday night.

Jordan also pulled down 14 rebounds--his high since coming out of retirement last March.

Chicago needed Jordan’s work on the boards to go 18-0 at home and run its NBA-best record to 29-3. Rodman, the Bulls’ top rebounder in 18 of his first 19 games, was assessed two technical fouls in the final minute of the third quarter and finished with a season-low seven rebounds.

The Bulls, who lost at Seattle on Nov. 26, have avenged all three of their defeats and are 13-0 when meeting teams for second time.

Portland 90, Miami 89--Arvydas Sabonis tipped in the tying basket with five seconds to play and Rod Strickland made a free throw with 2.2 seconds remaining to lift the Trail Blazers at home.

The Trail Blazers, the NBA’s worst foul-shooting team at 63.3%, had missed their four previous free throws--two each by Sabonis and Clifford Robinson--and Strickland missed his first. But he made the second to give Portland its fourth victory in the last five games.

Alonzo Mourning had 33 points and 10 rebounds for the Heat.

Denver 91, Vancouver 85--Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf scored 25 points and Dale Ellis added 20 as the Nuggets held off the Grizzlies at Vancouver. The Nuggets led by three points at the start of the fourth quarter and used a 7-0 run early in the period to take command of the game, and the Grizzlies could not catch up down the stretch and lost their third in a row.

San Antonio 92, Cleveland 86--Sean Elliott scored 26 points and made six three-point baskets to lead the Spurs over the Cavaliers at San Antonio. Elliott, who tied a team record with four first-quarter three-point baskets, was one of four Spurs in double figures. David Robinson had 24, Chuck Person 23 and Avery Johnson 11 in San Antonio’s 11th victory in 13 games.

Washington 98, Philadelphia 93--Rookie Rasheed Wallace had a season-high 22 points in his hometown of Philadelphia as the Bullets beat the 76ers.

Wallace, the fourth overall pick in the draft, also collected a season-high 10 rebounds in outperforming 76er rookie Jerry Stackhouse, his former North Carolina teammate and No. 3 overall pick. Stackhouse finished with 12 points and no rebounds.

Mark Price made his Bullet and season debut after returning from an injury to his left foot. He had five points in 20 minutes.

Boston 113, Sacramento 104--Dino Radja scored 25 points as the Celtics rallied in the fourth quarter to hand the Kings their fifth consecutive road loss.

New Jersey 92, New York 79--Chris Childs scored 10 of his career-high 21 points in a 14-6 run to open the fourth quarter as the Nets won at home. The victory ended the Nets’ five-game losing streak against the Knicks and avenged a loss earlier this season when New York beat them with Patrick Ewing sidelined.

NBA Notes

Philadelphia 76er forward Derrick Coleman, hobbled by a sprained right ankle for the last month, will sit out at least another week after his ankle was put in a cast. . . . The Portland Trail Blazers filled out their injury-depleted roster by signing Rumeal Robinson and former Clipper Elmore Spencer. . . . The Dallas Mavericks put already hurt guard Lucious Harris on the injured list and replaced him on the roster with forward Reggie Slater, who was signed to a 10-day contract. Harris broke his left wrist on Dec. 26, but the Mavericks waited to make a move because players signed before Wednesday would have been paid for the rest of the season. Wednesday was the first day to offer 10-day deals.