Rice, Anderson Help Hornets Blitz Knicks

One of these days, the New York Knicks are going to figure out that they can’t run with Charlotte. Until then, the Hornets are taking full advantage of the mismatch.

“It’s fun when you can make the most of what you’ve got,” Glen Rice said after he and Kenny Anderson led a fast-break offense that helped Charlotte to a 120-100 victory over the Knicks on Wednesday night at Charlotte.

Rice had 29 points and Anderson 14 assists for the Hornets, who built a 35-point lead on the way to only their second victory in six games.

New York came in having won six of seven, but Charlotte was able to draw the Knicks out of the deliberate, physical game they are accustomed to playing. The result was a 30-4 advantage in fast-break points for the Hornets and their eighth victory in 10 games against New York.

Patrick Ewing had 26 points to lead the Knicks.

Charlotte played without starting center Matt Geiger, who sat out his second consecutive game because of a lower back strain. That left the task of guarding Ewing to the unlikely pair of 42-year-old Robert Parish and rookie George Zidek.

But the Hornets aided their two centers with double-teams, helping them clog the middle for most of the game and limit Ewing’s effectiveness. Parish finished with 11 points and 12 rebounds, his first double-double as a Hornet, and Zidek had 11 points and five rebounds.

New Jersey 88, Indiana 87--Armon Gilliam had his second clutch fourth quarter in two nights against the Pacers, scoring 15 points in the final period at East Rutherford, N.J.

Gilliam scored 13 of New Jersey’s final 17 points and finished with 25.

The victory was a costly one for the Nets, though, as guard Kendall Gill broke a bone in his hand in the first quarter. He will be sidelined indefinitely.

Reggie Miller had 34 points and seven three-point baskets, but Antonio Davis was the only other Pacer in double figures with 11.

Shawn Bradley scored 19 points and Gilliam had 10 rebounds for the Nets, who are 14-1 when holding their opponent to less than 90 points.

Vancouver 93, Sacramento 86--Greg Anthony scored 21 points and Bryant Reeves had 14 points and 11 rebounds as the Grizzlies snapped a six-game losing streak and won at Vancouver.

Winners of only 10 of 47 games before the All-Star break, the expansion Grizzlies handed the Kings, who had the best start since the team moved to Sacramento, their fifth consecutive defeat.

Sacramento lost despite 30 points from guard Mitch Richmond and 20 by Walt Williams.

Golden State 106, Boston 103--Clifford Rozier’s follow shot with 2:02 left gave the Warriors the lead for good, as they outscored the Celtics, 13-2, in the final five minutes to gain the victory at Oakland.

Trailing, 101-93, after Boston’s Dana Barros made a three-point shot with five minutes to play, the Warriors closed to 101-100 on two baskets by B.J. Armstrong and a three-point shot by Tim Hardaway.

Latrell Sprewell’s 20 points topped Golden State, while Joe Smith had 19 points and 13 rebounds. Greg Minor and Barros led Boston with 15 points each.

Detroit 102, Philadelphia 83--Grant Hill scored 24 points and Joe Dumars had 10 of his 17 during a 22-5 fourth-quarter spurt that carried the Pistons to the victory at Philadelphia.

Hill also had eight rebounds, six assists and two blocked shots. Theo Ratliff scored 17 points and tied a career high with five blocked shots.

Jerry Stackhouse led the 76ers with 25 points, and Vernon Maxwell scored 23.

Seattle 130, Minnesota 93--Ervin Johnson scored a career-high 28 points, including 18 in the fourth quarter, as the SuperSonics won at Seattle.

Johnson, a third-year center, also pulled down a dozen rebounds. He was 10 for 16 from the floor before fouling out with 11.8 seconds to go.

Christian Laettner had 19 points for the Timberwolves.