Utah’s Malone Gets 27, Including Game-Winner

With John Stockton still slowed from his recent knee surgery, Karl Malone is forced to carry even more of the load for the Utah Jazz.

Malone scored 27 points Monday night at Atlanta, including a jump shot with 32.6 seconds remaining, and Utah handed the Hawks their third consecutive loss, 101-99.

“Karl hit the big shots, as he has a few thousand times,” Coach Jerry Sloan said. “When he’s putting it in the hoop, you’re never out of it.”

Detroit 96, Philadelphia 92--Grant Hill scored 22 points and the Pistons overcame a 21-point, second-half deficit to defeat the 76ers at Philadelphia.

Jerry Stackhouse, traded from the 76ers to the Pistons last week, scored 17 points and made a key block against Tim Thomas with 6.4 seconds left.

New Jersey 99, Orlando 88--Sam Cassell had 28 points, six assists and five steals to lead the Nets over the Magic at Orlando.

Charlotte 81, Toronto 79--Glen Rice made up for a subpar performance with a tip-in at the buzzer that lifted the Hornets over the Raptors at Charlotte.

Rice missed nine of 15 field-goal attempts before tipping in a miss by Dell Curry.

New York 79, Dallas 67--Larry Johnson had 18 points and eight rebounds, and Allan Houston had a team-high 19 points as the Knicks defeated the Mavericks at New York.

The Mavericks managed only 12 points in the first quarter.

Washington 110, Milwaukee 79--Juwan Howard scored 25 points and Chris Webber added 23 at Milwaukee as the Wizards extended their season-high win streak to five games.

Glenn Robinson paced the Bucks with 22 points.

Phoenix 91, Golden State 76--Cedric Ceballos scored 11 of his 17 points in the fourth quarter as the Suns defeated the Warriors at Phoenix.

Antonio McDyess also scored 17 points for the Suns, who won their third consecutive game.

Sacramento 89, Minnesota 79--Mitch Richmond scored 27 points and the Kings rallied in the second half to defeat the Timberwolves at Sacramento.

Rookie Michael Stewart scored a career-high 13 points and grabbed 13 rebounds for the Kings.

NBA Notes

Arbitrator John Feerick, dean of Fordham University’s Law School, will hear the case of suspended Golden State guard Latrell Sprewell in Portland, Ore., beginning Jan. 27. Sprewell was suspended Dec. 4 by Commissioner David Stern for one year after a Dec. 1 attack on Warrior Coach P.J. Carlesimo.