Magic, Minus Hardaway, Finally Beats Bulls

The Orlando Magic won’t have to learn how to play without Penny Hardaway. They’ve already proven they can do that--and did so again Wednesday night.

Rony Seikaly scored 24 of his 26 points in the second half and Orlando improved to 8-1 without their injured guard in a 106-98 victory over Chicago that ended the Magic’s losing streak at 11 games against the Bulls.

The Magic, which hadn’t defeated the Bulls since Nov. 14, 1995, made 21 of 23 free throws in the fourth quarter.

Hardaway had arthroscopic surgery Wednesday on his left knee, which has bothered him the whole season and forced him to miss eight other games. He will be sidelined eight to 10 weeks.

“You have to give them credit,” Michael Jordan said. “They are a scrappy team and they are doing what they have to do to win. They will be a better basketball team when [Hardaway] is back.”

Seikaly missed all three of his shots in the first half, but wound up having a big game because he made 16 of 17 free throws. He made two free throws after Dennis Rodman was called for a flagrant foul in the final minute, then took the ensuing inbounds pass and drove for a layup that put the Magic ahead, 100-93.

“Dennis’ flagrant foul just took us out of the ball game at that time,” said Bull Coach Phil Jackson. “ I thought it was a deserved flagrant.”

Jordan struggled from the field, going six for 17. He made all 13 of his free throws and finished with 25 points. Toni Kukoc had 24 points and Ron Harper 20 for the Bulls.

Horace Grant had 15 points and Bo Outlaw had 16 rebounds and five steals for the Magic.

Boston 96, Milwaukee 91--Travis Knight, who had 13 points and 10 rebounds, made two free throws with 9.7 seconds left at Boston as the Celtics ended losing streak at five games .

Knight also had a tip-in with 46 seconds left after the Bucks, who lost leading scorer Glenn Robinson to an ejection and fell behind by 20, closed to within one.

Milwaukee played most of the game without Robinson, who was given his first technical when he argued that a tip-in by Walter McCarty with 9:54 left in the second quarter should have been goaltending.

As referee Derrick Stafford walked toward the scorer’s table, Robinson followed him and continued complaining. Stafford stopped, and Robinson walked into him, leading to the second technical.

“It was so quick, I was insulted,” Robinson said. “McCarty wouldn’t let me in, so I pushed him and got a tech. That’s fine. Then he gave me one so quick. . . . I’m the spokesperson for this team. I deserve a right to talk to the ref.”

Boston Coach Rick Pitino had another viewpoint.

“First time we got a break like that all year,” he said.

Cleveland 102, Denver 83--Wesley Person scored 18 points and Shawn Kemp had 17 at Cleveland as the Cavaliers won their ninth game in a row.

Rookie point guard Brevin Knight had 10 points, seven assists and three steals as Cleveland tied Houston for the longest current winning streak in the league.

After the Nuggets cut an 18-point Cavalier lead in half, to 77-68 with nine minutes left, Knight, the league leader in steals, put on a dribbling and passing show to the delight of the crowd of 15,353.

“It wasn’t just me,” Knight said. “We’re all having a lot of fun. I mean, we’re winning. That’s fun.”

Eric Washington led the Nuggets with 19 points.

Toronto 104, Philadelphia 97--The Raptors ended a franchise-worst losing streak at 17 games as Walt Williams scored 39 points against the 76ers at Philadelphia.

Williams’ total was a season high for Toronto and set a record for an opponent at the two-year-old CoreStates Center. It was one point shy of his career high.

The Raptors had not won since beating Golden State, 104-86, in their third game of the season Nov. 8.

Philadelphia Coach Larry Brown was ejected by referee Joe Crawford with 7:23 left in third quarter after complaining about a non-goaltending call on a shot by Jim Jackson.

The 76ers got 21 points from Allen Iverson and 19 from Jerry Stackhouse.

Charlotte 104, Washington 101--The Hornets squandered a 17-point lead in the fourth quarter at home but rallied to win, led by Glen Rice’s 29 points.

Anthony Mason had 18 points and 10 rebounds for Charlotte.

“This was a lesson well-learned that we have to play 48 full minutes,” Charlotte Coach Dave Cowens said.

Charlotte’s victory, its eighth time in 10 home games, ended a Wizard win streak at four games. Juwan Howard scored 23 points for Washington.

Portland 93, Indiana 85--The Trail Blazers wasted a 14-point halftime lead then came back in the fourth quarter behind Rasheed Wallace for their third victory in a row.

Wallace, in foul trouble much of the game, scored 10 of his 14 points in the final quarter.