NBA ROUNDUP : Jordan Finds His Groove in Victory

Michael Jordan seems to be getting the hang of this basketball thing.

There was the smooth jumper rippling through the net. There was the slam dunk. And there was a no-look pass to Scottie Pippen.

Three days after missing 21 of 28 shots in his return to the NBA after a 21-month absence, Jordan made his first six shots and scored 27 points in 26 minutes as the Chicago Bulls cruised past the Boston Celtics, 124-107, Wednesday night at Boston Garden.

“I was a little more relaxed. There wasn’t as much fanfare as the first game,” he said.

Not even three quick fouls that sent Jordan to the bench only 4:38 into the game could ruin his night.

Jordan made nine of 17 shots and all eight of his foul shots. He had three rebounds, three assists and two steals.

Pippen added 18 points and Toni Kukoc 16 for Chicago.

OTHER GAMES

Karl Malone scored 23 points and John Stockton added 12 of his 15 in the fourth period as the Utah Jazz held off the Denver Nuggets, 103-91, at Salt Lake City and gained a share of the Western Conference lead with idle Phoenix at 49-18. . . . Mark Price scored 23 points and made four of the Cavaliers’ 11 three-pointers in a 101-89 victory over the Sacramento Kings at Cleveland, tying a franchise record set in November. . . . David Robinson scored 22 points as the San Antonio Spurs won their fifth in a row, defeating the New Jersey Nets, 102-85, at East Rutherford, N.J. . . . Jeff Malone, playing in his first game since Dec. 22 because of a heel injury, scored 28 points to help the 76ers end an eight-game losing streak with a 119-102 victory over the Golden State Warriors at Philadelphia. . . . Kevin Willis had 24 points and 18 rebounds, leading the Miami Heat past the Hawks, 98-84, for their first regular-season victory at Atlanta. . . . Jamal Mashburn scored 18 of his 25 points in the third quarter as the Dallas Mavericks defeated the Timberwolves, 99-96, at Minneapolis.