NBA Roundup : Jordan’s 24 Lift Bulls to Victory Over Knicks

Michael Jordan played his best game of the season, scoring 14 of his 24 points in the fourth quarter at New York as the Chicago Bulls kept their playoff hopes alive with a 106-96 victory over the Knicks.

The Bulls snapped a seven-game road losing streak and remained 2 1/2 games behind Cleveland in the battle for the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.

New York, which lost its fourth straight game, scored the last 11 points of the third quarter--six by Darrell Walker--to grab an 83-79 lead.

But Jordan, who has played in eight games since missing virtually the entire season with a foot injury, scored 10 points in the first 5 1/2 minutes of the quarter, and Chicago took an 88-85 lead. The Knicks never caught up.

Ken Bannister scored 24 and Trent Tucker 21 for New York.

Cleveland 123, Atlanta 105--World B. Free scored 43 points as the Cavaliers made 64% of their field-goal attempts while trouncing the Hawks at Atlanta.

After the Hawks pulled within 97-92 midway through the final quarter, Free hit two straight three-point shots to help the Cavaliers pull away.

Dominique Wilkins scored 23 points for Atlanta. Roy Hinson added 26 for Cleveland.

Milwaukee 130, Detroit 121--Sidney Moncrief scored 31 points, and Terry Cummings added 24 as the Bucks overcame the Pistons at Milwaukee.

The victory gave the Bucks a 6 1/2-game lead over second-place Atlanta in the Central Division.

Milwaukee’s Kenny Fields broke a 104-104 tie on a layup with 10:32 left to start a six-point run that put the Bucks ahead to stay.

Kelly Tripucka had 30 points and Bill Laimbeer 26 for Detroit.

Utah 110, San Antonio 102--Adrian Dantley and Carey Scurry each scored two baskets in the final 90 seconds as the Jazz rallied to beat the Spurs at San Antonio.

San Antonio held a 40-18 lead early in the second quarter.

Dantley, who scored 30 points, put the Jazz ahead for good, 98-97, on two free throws with 2:10 left.

Alvin Robertson had five steals for the Spurs to tie the NBA season record of 281 held by Don Buse, now a Spur assistant coach.

Mike Mitchell scored 26 points and Robertson 25 for the Spurs.

Houston 114, Washington 109--Allen Leavell scored 28 points as the Rockets increased their Central Division lead to two games over second-place Denver by beating the Bullets at Landover, Md.

Jeff Malone scored 25 points in the second half and finished with 34 as he kept Washington close.

Washington pulled within 110-109 with 10 seconds remaining on a layup by Dan Roundfield, but Leavell made two free throws with nine seconds left, and the Bullets’ Kevin McKenna missed a three-point shot with four seconds left.

Golden State 130, Portland 129--Lester Conner’s driving layup with two seconds remaining gave the Warriors their seventh victory in the last eight games.

Joe Barry Carroll, Greg Ballard and Sleepy Floyd scored 22 points apiece for the Warriors. Kiki Vandeweghe finished with a game-high 33 points for the Blazers, who lost on the road for the 13th consecutive time.