Suns’ Comeback From 0-13 Is One for Books

Kevin Johnson and Wesley Person scored 23 points apiece at Phoenix Tuesday night as the Suns defeated the Minnesota Timberwolves, 115-107, to qualify for the playoffs for the ninth straight season.

The Suns, who started 0-13, go into the record books as the team that made the postseason after digging itself out of the biggest hole. The 1967-68 Chicago Bulls and 1984-85 Cleveland Cavaliers were 0-9 and still qualified.

The 1976-1977 Bulls had a 13-game losing streak during the season and also made it.

Jason Kidd made five free throws in the last 40 seconds to preserve the Suns’ 10th consecutive win--the first team to have double-digit winning and losing streaks in the same season.

Kidd finished with 15 points, 10 rebounds and 13 assists, Danny Manning scored 20, and Hot Rod Williams had 10 points and 12 rebounds.

Stephon Marbury scored 16 of his 27 points in the first quarter for the Timberwolves, who are still fighting for a playoff berth.

Miami 94, New Jersey 92--Alonzo Mourning had a season-high 35 points and 18 rebounds and the Heat rallied from a 20-point first-half deficit at East Rutherford, N.J.

Tim Hardaway added 26 points as Miami staged its biggest comeback of the season in winning its fifth in a row. The Heat’s previous best comeback was from 15 points behind against Golden State on Mar. 19.

The victory, combined with the New York Knicks’ loss to Cleveland, reduced Miami’s magic number for clinching the Atlantic Division to two.

Kerry Kittles scored 23 points and Kendall Gill 21 as New Jersey tied a season-high by losing its fifth in a row.

Cleveland 93, New York 73--

Terrell Brandon scored 25 points, Chris Mills and Danny Ferry had 21 each at New York and the Cavaliers pulled into a tie with Washington for the eighth playoff spot in the East.

Brandon also had 11 assists and outscored both of New York’s point guards, 25-0.

The Cavaliers, despite playing without two starters, had runs of 13-0, 9-0 and 9-0 in the second half to turn what had been a tight game into a blowout. Ferry did much of the damage during the runs with three of Cleveland’s seven 3-point baskets.

Toronto 100, Washington 94--Damon Stoudamire scored 29 points at Toronto as the Raptors slowed the Bullets’ playoff drive. Stoudamire also had a game-high 13 assists.

Calbert Cheaney and Chris Webber had 21 points each for the Bullets, who scored the first seven points.

However, as the half wore on, the Raptors wore down the Bullets and finished with a flurry, using back-to-back three-point plays by Doug Christie and Popeye Jones to lead 55-46 at the halftime.

Walt Williams had 24 points and nine rebounds for the Raptors.

Orlando 97, Milwaukee 82--Penny Hardaway scored 30 points, including seven in a 13-0 second-half run for the Magic at Milwaukee.

The Magic won for just the second time in seven games and maintained its No. 7 position in the Eastern Conference playoff race, three games ahead of Cleveland and Washington.

Sacramento 109, Vancouver 93--Corliss Williamson and Brian Grant went on a third-quarter scoring spree for the Kings at Sacramento.

Williamson and Grant scored the Kings’ first 17 points of the third period, powering a 19-8 run. Williamson scored 12 points in the third quarter and a season-high 24 for the game. Grant scored 19 points, one shy of his season high.

Dallas 87, Portland 82--Sasha Danilovic scored eight of his 22 points during a key fourth-quarter run at Dallas as the Mavericks ended an 11-game losing streak.

San Antonio 96, Denver 90--Monty Williams scored a career-high 30 points and the Spurs limited the Nuggets to 35 second-half points at Denver. Williams also had a career-high 10 rebounds.