Malone, Jazz Win on Foul Play

As the final buzzer sounded, Karl Malone smiled at former teammate Chris Morris and held up three fingers. It was all he needed to tell Morris.

Malone scored 31 points and made three free throws with six-tenths of a second left that gave the Utah Jazz a 93-92 win over the Phoenix Suns Friday night at Salt Lake City.

Clifford Robinson hacked Malone across the arms on an awkward three-point attempt, and Malone went to the free-throw line with a chance to steal a win.

His last-second heroics ruined the night for Morris, who scored 17 points against the team that didn’t re-sign him in the off-season. Morris hit a three-pointer with 3.7 seconds left that gave Phoenix a 92-90 lead.

“Chris was trying to say something to me, trying to throw me off,” Malone said. “I just told him, ‘A lot of things can happen.’ ”

Malone was 11 for 18 from the field, nine for 10 from the line and grabbed 10 rebounds as the Jazz won its fifth straight and beat the Suns for the fifth consecutive time.

Detroit 102, Indiana 101--Grant Hill scored 30 points and Lindsey Hunter hit a three-point basket as time expired to give the Pistons the victory at Indianapolis.

Rik Smits, who had a season-high 35 points, made his first 14 free throws before making one of two with five seconds left to give Indiana a 101-99 lead.

Joe Dumars added 25 points, hitting five of the Pistons’ 11 three-pointers, and Hunter had 17.

Philadelphia 83, Boston 67--Allen Iverson scored 23 points at Boston and the 76ers held the Celtics to their lowest point total in 44 years.

The Celtics scored 14 points in the fourth quarter and finished with their lowest point total since scoring 62 against Milwaukee on Feb. 27, 1955.

Celtic guard Kenny Anderson strained his right ankle in the first half and did not return.

Theo Ratliff had 16 points, a season-high 14 rebounds and seven blocks for the 76ers, who won their third in a row. Paul Pierce had 22 points and 13 rebounds for Boston.

Charlotte 90, Washington 88--Bobby Phills hit a jumper with two-tenths of a second remaining to lift the Hornets at Charlotte.

Elden Campbell scored a season-high 32 points for the Hornets, who handed Washington its fifth consecutive loss and third in a row since interim coach Jim Brovelli took over after Bernie Bickerstaff was fired.

New Jersey 106, Toronto 99--Keith Van Horn scored 30 points and Lucious Harris added a season-high 17 for the Nets at East Rutherford, N.J.

Vince Carter led the Raptors with 26 points, including 20 in the first half, but lost his effectiveness after being knocked down by Net center William Cunningham early in the third quarter.

Orlando 95, Milwaukee 83--The Magic extended its winning streak to six games as Penny Hardaway had 26 points and nine rebounds and Darrell Armstrong added 18 points and seven assists at Orlando.

Hardaway and Armstrong combined for seven three-pointers as the Magic won for the eighth time in nine games.

New York 86, Atlanta 78--Latrell Sprewell scored 18 points and Patrick Ewing had 16 at Atlanta as the Knicks snapped a three-game losing streak.

Mookie Blaylock scored a season-high 28 points for the Hawks, who started rookie Jeff Sheppard and second-year forward Chris Crawford.

Vancouver 98, Seattle 93--Shareef Abdur-Rahim scored 28 points at Vancouver, Canada, as the Grizzlies snapped a five-game losing streak.

Around the League

Phoenix Sun center Luc Longley hyperextended his left knee Friday in a first-quarter collision with Utah Jazz forward Karl Malone. . . . The Chicago Bulls took Ron Harper off the injured list and placed Brent Barry on it. Harper had been placed on the injured list March 25 with a dislocated left index finger and a sprained right knee. Barry sprained his right ankle in the second quarter of Wednesday night’s game against Indiana.