Former Lakers Warm Quickly to New Home

Last week’s five-player trade that sent Glen Rice to Los Angeles was widely hailed as a victory for the Lakers. The Charlotte Hornets are pretty content too.

“It was a great trade as far as I’m concerned,” Charlotte Coach Paul Silas said Wednesday after Eddie Jones and Elden Campbell made successful debuts in their new home by powering the Hornets to their highest-scoring game of the season, a 119-111 victory over the Phoenix Suns at Charlotte.

Jones scored a season-high 29 points, making a career-high 15 of 17 free throws, and Campbell had a career-high 19 rebounds and 14 points to help Charlotte win for the first time in three games since the two joined their new team.

“I have to be in an attack mode, and Paul wants me to be in an attack mode by getting to the line and creating things for the other guys,” Jones said. “I’m just loving that role.

“Nothing against Los Angeles. I had that role in Los Angeles for a while, but it quickly disappeared.”

Philadelphia 114, Indiana 110--Allen Iverson scored 39 points at Philadelphia, including several sensational baskets down the stretch.

New Jersey 88, Dallas 87--Stephon Marbury didn’t exactly pack the Meadowlands in his first home game for his new team, but he scored 29 points before a half-empty house at East Rutherford, N.J., to help New Jersey end an eight-game losing streak.

Toronto 103, Detroit 101--Raptor rookie Vince Carter scored six of his 28 points in the final minute, including the winning basket with 14 seconds to play at Auburn Hills, Mich.

Christian Laettner, making his Piston debut after sitting out 22 games because of a ruptured Achilles’ tendon, scored three points in 19 minutes.

Houston 114, Denver 109--Hakeem Olajuwon scored 16 of his 26 points in the fourth quarter at Denver, where the Nuggets’ Nick Van Exel was ejected for arguing in the third quarter.

Miami 86, Atlanta 85--Tim Hardaway scored 24 points to lead the Heat at Atlanta.

Orlando 103, Chicago 94--Darrell Armstrong scored 23 points to lead the Magic at Orlando.

San Antonio 82, Golden State 78--Tim Duncan had 17 points and 17 rebounds at Oakland as the Spurs won their ninth in a row.

Around the League

The Minnesota Timberwolves signed Bill Curley for the rest of the season and Dennis Scott to a 10-day contract. Curley was traded to the New Jersey Nets last Thursday along with Stephon Marbury as part of a nine-player deal, but the Nets then waived Curley on Saturday. . . . The Milwaukee Bucks released guard Adonis Jordan and signed guard Haywoode Workman to a 10-day contract. . . . Jim Lynam and Eddie Jordan, both with experience as NBA head coaches, were hired as assistants on the staff of the New Jersey Nets’ interim coach, Don Casey.