O’Neal Has Magic Touch for Orlando

Last time, it was Anfernee Hardaway. This time, it was Shaquille O’Neal. Orlando’s 1-2 punch is just too much for Houston.

In a rematch of a Christmas Day game won on Hardaway’s last-second jump shot, the Magic defeated the Rockets, 97-96, Sunday at Houston when O’Neal made a layup with 4.7 seconds left, then blocked Houston’s final shot.

“We have a lot of weapons on this team, and whoever is hot needs to take it over and we need to go to them,” said O’Neal, who finished with 29 points and 16 rebounds.

Hardaway had the hot hand, blunting a Houston rally that had pushed the Rockets to as much as an eight-point advantage midway through the final period. He scored 13 of his 28 points in the final quarter of the matchup of NBA finalists.

Hardaway scored eight of the Magic’s last 14 points, and O’Neal accounted for the other six. The Magic ended their longest road trip of the season--five games over nine days--with a 2-3 mark.

O’Neal’s winning layup came after he snared a rebound after a missed shot by Dennis Scott. Then he blocked Sam Cassell’s layup attempt at the buzzer to seal the victory.

Houston Coach Rudy Tomjanovich thought Cassell was fouled on the play.

“I’m left with an empty, helpless feeling when you battle in a tough game, and you execute something, you gain the advantage, you are fouled and you can’t get that call,” Tomjanovich said. “I can’t comment on anything, but I can state facts and the fact was that he was fouled.”

Cassell took the inbounds pass after a Houston timeout and appeared to be fouled by Hardaway, but there was no call, and O’Neal diverted Cassell’s desperation shot at the buzzer to down the team that swept the Magic in the NBA Finals.

“This is a tough one to lose,” said Clyde Drexler, who had 20 for Houston. “We’ve lost a couple down the stretch and it makes you think that you are not doing something right at the end.”

The Rockets, losing for the fourth time in seven games, had gone ahead, 86-78, with six minutes to go before O’Neal--and especially Hardaway--took over.

Hardaway made a three-point basket with 2:39 left to tie the score at 90. His slam dunk with 1:37 left put the Magic ahead, 93-92.

After Hakeem Olajuwon, who finished with 30 points, made a 17-footer to give Houston a 94-93 advantage, Hardaway rammed through another dunk with 42.6 seconds left to regain the lead for the Magic.

But the Rockets weren’t done. Mark Bryant fought through traffic under the basket to put Houston ahead with 28.1 seconds to go.

The Magic ran down the clock, setting up O’Neal’s final basket.

Indiana 106, Washington 96--Rik Smits scored 24 points and Reggie Miller 23 as the Pacers withstood a pair of second-half comebacks to win their NBA franchise-record 12th consecutive home game.

The Pacers led by 13 points in the first half, when Smits had 16 points, but Chris Webber scored seven of his 23 points in a two-minute stretch of the third quarter, and the Bullets tied the score at 69 on a basket by Rasheed Wallace.

Indiana, which never trailed, rebuilt the lead to 12 before a three-point basket by Mark Price capped a 10-2 Bullets spurt that cut the lead to four with four minutes to go. Washington still had a chance at 101-96 after the Pacers’ Dale Davis was called for traveling, but Derrick McKey stole the inbounds pass and drove in for a layup. He was fouled by Price and made the free throw, then Antonio Davis scored on a rebound basket in the final seconds.

Toronto 97, Boston 95--Rookie sensation Damon Stoudamire scored Toronto’s final eight points, including a game-winning baseline jumper with 11.8 seconds remaining at Toronto.

Stoudamire’s game-winning basket came after Boston’s Dino Radja had tied the score at 95 with two free throws.

Consecutive driving layups by Stoudamire forged a 93-93 tie with 2:42 left. Stoudamire then made two free throws for a 95-93 Raptor lead with 1:16 remaining.

Rick Fox had a shot blocked and Radja missed a short jumper in the final seconds.

Toronto had six players with 10 or more points, led by Stoudamire with 23. Alvin Robertson scored 18, Tony Massenburg 16, Tracy Murray and Zan Tabak 12 each and Willie Anderson 10.

Fox led a balanced Boston attack with 20 points as six Celtics also scored in double figures. Radja had 17, Dana Barros and Todd Day 12 each, and Eric Montross and Dee Brown 10 each.

Chicago 111, Detroit 96--The Bulls extended two streaks, winning their 11th consecutive game and defeating Detroit for the 13th time in a row.

Michael Jordan scored 36 points and Scottie Pippen 22 as the Bulls rolled to the victory at Auburn Hills, Mich.

It was typical of the way Jordan has played lately. In his four previous games before facing Detroit, Jordan had scored 48, 46, 32 and 38 points, an average of 41 points per game. The NBA’s leading scorer is averaging a shade under 32 points for the season.

With the victory, the Bulls improved to 34-3. The NBA record for most wins with three losses is 39-3 set by the 1972 Lakers. The 1967 Philadelphia 76ers were 37-3. Both teams went on to an NBA championship that year.