Muresan No Match for Bradley as Nets Streak Past Tired Bullets

Shawn Bradley scored a season-high 27 points, many of them over 7-foot-7 Gheorghe Muresan, as the New Jersey Nets stretched their winning streak to a season-best four games, beating the Washington Bullets, 99-81, Monday at Landover, Md.

Bradley, 7-6, also had nine rebounds and four blocks in his best game since coming to the Nets from Philadelphia in November. He easily eclipsed his previous season high of 23 points and missed by one point of matching his career best.

The Bullets, playing their second game in less than 24 hours, lost for the seventh time in eight games. Calbert Cheaney scored 27 for Washington, which committed 24 turnovers.

Phoenix 98, Vancouver 94--Michael Finley scored six of his game-high 26 points in overtime and Kevin Johnson scored 17 points as the Suns held off the Grizzlies at Phoenix.

Charles Barkley also scored 17 points for Phoenix and closed out the victory with three free throws in the final 6.8 seconds. He also had 14 rebounds--including the 10,000th of his NBA career in the first quarter--making him one of 10 players with 20,000 points and 10,000 rebounds in the NBA.

Houston 118, Sacramento 111--Hakeem Olajuwon scored 40 points, including the first six points in overtime, as the Rockets held off the Kings in Houston.

The Kings, trying to end a six-game losing streak, forced the overtime when Tyrone Corbin grabbed a wildly careening ball and made a three-point basket at the buzzer of regulation, tying the score, 103-103.

After Olajuwon gave Houston a 109-107 lead, Sam Cassell made eight consecutive free throws to seal the victory.

Mitch Richmond, playing despite a knee injury, scored 31 points for the slumping Kings.

Houston’s Clyde Drexler sat out because of a bruised right knee.

Cleveland 73, Miami 70--Terrell Brandon scored 27 points, including two clinching free throws with 3.4 seconds left at Cleveland, and the Cavaliers won their eighth consecutive game.

With the Heat trailing, 71-70, Bimbo Coles missed two foul shots with 10.2 seconds to play. Brandon then made two free throws before Miami’s Rex Chapman missed a three-point attempt at the buzzer.

Seattle 102, Atlanta 94--Shawn Kemp scored 21 points and Detlef Schrempf added 20 at Seattle as the SuperSonics won their seventh in a row.

The SuperSonics are 5-0 since the All-Star break to improve their best-in-the-West record to 39-12, including 23-2 in Key Arena.

Stacey Augmon scored 24 points for the Hawks, who used a 16-2 run late in the final quarter to pull to 96-90 but got no closer.

Golden State 112, Dallas 100--Latrell Sprewell scored 22 points at Dallas as the Warriors sent the Mavericks to their seventh loss in eight games.

B.J. Armstrong and Joe Smith scored 19 points each, and Rony Seikaly had 18 points and 12 rebounds for the Warriors, who won for the third time in four games.

Dallas got only 12 points each from Jim Jackson and Jason Kidd.

Detroit 113, Minnesota 83--Terry Mills scored 13 of his 17 points during the second quarter at Auburn Hills, Mich., and the Pistons went on to rout the Timberwolves for their largest victory margin this season.

Minnesota lost its fourth in a row and matched its lowest point total this season.