Penny Is Worth a Lot and Shows the Rockets

His coach called it luck, but Penny Hardaway says his 10-foot running jumper with 1.1 seconds left was all skill.

“Penny was terrific. He looked like the great player he is. But on that last shot, it’s better to be lucky than good,” Orlando Coach Richie Adubato said after a 96-95 victory Wednesday over the Rockets at Houston.

“If that was luck, that was sure good,” said Hardaway, who scored 31 points as the Magic ended the Rockets’ six-game winning streak.

Horace Grant and Hakeem Olajuwon missed shots, leaving Orlando with an opportunity to win. After a timeout with seven seconds left, Hardaway dribbled the clock down and scored over Elie. Houston had one last chance, but Eddie Johnson missed a long jumper at the buzzer.

Olajuwon led the Rockets with 32 points and 12 rebounds, while Kevin Willis had 21 points and 14 rebounds. Gerald Wilkins added 19 for Orlando.

Indiana 92, Atlanta 82--Reggie Miller scored 25 points and Atlanta’s Dikembe Mutombo was ejected with his second technical foul in the fourth quarter as the Pacers beat the Hawks at Indianapolis.

Indiana had opened a 74-64 advantage on a three-point play by Miller with 6:21 to play and Mutombo got his second technical with 6:06 remaining after complaining about an offensive foul against him.

Indiana stopped a three-game losing streak, while ending Atlanta’s five-game winning streak.

Steve Smith led Atlanta with 21 points--15 in the final quarter. Christian Laettner scored 20 for the Hawks, who have lost six consecutive regular-season games at Indianapolis.

Utah 117, New Jersey 102--John Stockton had a season-high 31 points and 11 assists, and the Jazz wore down the Nets in the second half at East Rutherford, N.J.

Karl Malone had 20 of his 27 points in the final half, and Greg Ostertag added 10 points and 19 rebounds as the Jazz had all five starters in double figures in winning for the 15th time in 18 games.

Byron Russell hit three three-point shots in the second half and finished with 15 points, while Jeff Hornacek had 14.

Chicago 108, Philadelphia 104--This time, Allen Iverson kept his mouth shut against the Bulls and let his game do the talking at Philadelphia.

Iverson kept the 76ers in the game until the final few seconds, but even his career high-tying 37 points weren’t enough. Scottie Pippen scored 31 points and the Bulls withstood several highlight-film plays by Iverson as they defeated Philadelphia.

“I like him as a player,” Pippen said of Iverson, who was involved in a trash-talking battle with several Bulls the first time he played them and almost got into a scuffle with Dennis Rodman the second time.

It was the sixth 30-point game of the season for Pippen and his first since Feb. 18. It included six points in the final two minutes to help keep Chicago ahead.

Washington 104, Vancouver 82--Chris Webber returned from a three-game absence to score 32 points, including 21 in the decisive first half, as the Bullets handed the visiting Grizzlies their 11th consecutive loss.

Webber made 10 of 14 shots before halftime and the Bullets shot 59% in taking a 59-39 lead. Webber, sidelined since March 4 because of a strained lower back, finished 14 for 21 from the floor and had 10 rebounds despite sitting out the fourth quarter.

Tracy Murray scored 14 points for the Bullets, who were coming off a home loss Sunday against lowly Philadelphia. This time, playing the team with the worst record in the NBA, Washington matched its most lopsided victory of the season.