Bulls’ Streak Comes to Sudden Halt, 105-100

The Bulls’ unbeaten start is history, and some of the blame falls on Dennis Rodman.

Chicago lost its first game of the season Saturday, as the Utah Jazz took advantage of some poor late shooting and a costly technical foul on Rodman for a 105-100 victory at Salt Lake City.

Rodman was ejected with 13.9 seconds left after pushing Jeff Hornacek, and Utah finished off the Bulls at the free-throw line before a frenzied crowd of 19,911 at the Delta Center.

“It’s one damn loss, that’s all,” Rodman said after the Bulls lost for the first time in 13 games. “I wasn’t really interested in the game. I didn’t have my game face on. Karl Malone had 37 points--that shows you how interested I was.”

Malone actually scored 36 points to offset 44 from Michael Jordan, who missed several key baskets down the stretch as the Bulls suddenly went cold from the field.

Hornacek had 18 points for Utah and John Stockton had 12 points and 13 assists.

Houston 120, Golden State 115--Clyde Drexler scored 32 points and Charles Barkley got his first triple-double for Houston as the Rockets defeated the Warriors at San Jose.

Barkley had 27 points, 17 rebounds and 12 assists for his 19th career triple-double and his first since joining the Rockets this season in a trade from Phoenix.

Mark Price, who had 12 of the Warriors’ final 15 points and scored all five of Golden State’s points in overtime, had a season-high 32 points.

Houston’s Hakeem Olajuwon missed his second straight game and did not travel with the team. He left Tuesday’s game against Minnesota with an irregular heartbeat and is expected to be sidelined about a week.

Charlotte 93, Detroit 85--Anthony Mason scored eight of his 18 points in the final 4:44 and the Hornets capitalized on the absence of Grant Hill to defeat the Pistons at Charlotte.

Mason added 11 rebounds and Dell Curry had 19 points for Charlotte. The Pistons had come in with a 10-1 record, their best start since 1970.

Detroit played the final three quarters without Hill, who landed on his right wrist after being fouled by Matt Geiger with 38 seconds left in the first quarter. It was the same wrist Hill sprained earlier this month, causing him to sit out one game.

X-rays of the latest injury were negative, but Hill spent the second half on the bench with an ice pack on his wrist and Detroit was unable to overcome the departure of its best player.

Philadelphia 109, New York 92--Allen Iverson scored 26 points and Derrick Coleman and Jerry Stackhouse had 25 each at Philadelphia as the 76ers handed the Knicks their worst loss of the season.

Iverson, who sat out three games because of a separated left shoulder and wasn’t expected to play, also had nine assists, nine rebounds and four steals in 42 minutes.

John Starks had 20 points and Patrick Ewing had 19 for the Knicks.

Orlando 76, Indiana 73--The Magic held the Pacers without a field goal over the final nine minutes and used a late 13-0 run to win at Indianapolis.

The Magic outscored the Pacers, 21-10, in the fourth quarter. Orlando had six players in double figures, led by Horace Grant, Darrell Armstrong and Derek Strong with 12 each. Reggie Miller led Indiana with 24 points.

Portland 105, Denver 65--Gary Trent came off the bench to score a career-high 22 points at Portland as the Trail Blazers held the Nuggets to the lowest point total in franchise history.

Trent shot nine of 12 from the field and grabbed a career-high 13 rebounds. Kenny Anderson added 14 points and eight assists.

Washington 95, Milwaukee 90--Gheorghe Muresan sparked a 15-0 fourth-quarter run that lifted the Bullets to a comeback victory over the Bucks at Milwaukee.

Juwan Howard led the Bullets with 23 points and Chris Webber had 20. Glenn Robinson had a season-high 33 points for Milwaukee.

New Jersey 114, Dallas 91--Robert Pack had a career-high 22 assists and 17 points and the Nets’ three-guard offense gave Coach John Calipari his first blowout by routing the Mavericks at East Rutherford, N.J.

Kendall Gill, playing small forward, added 26 points and rookie Kerry Kittles had 15 for the Nets. George McCloud, starting for the injured Jamal Mashburn, led the Mavericks with 13 points.

Atlanta 91, Toronto 88--Eldridge Recasner, filling in at point guard for Mookie Blaylock, scored 23 points and made two key jumpers in the final 86 seconds to lead the Hawks past the Raptors at Toronto.

Christian Laettner led the Hawks with 29 points. Damon Stoudamire had 22 for the Raptors.