Knicks Run Out Of Miracles Vs. Bulls -- Jordan Helps Chicago Avenge Disputed Loss

NEW YORK - Two months ago, the New York Knicks got a three-pointer at the buzzer to beat the Chicago Bulls in controversial fashion.

Last night, the Knicks needed another three-pointer to tie the game in the final seconds, but they couldn't get the ball inbounds, giving the Bulls a 111-108 victory.

``We put the last game out of our minds because we didn't play that well and we still had a chance to get it into overtime,'' Michael Jordan said of the Bulls' 109-106 defeat at Madison Square Garden Jan. 15. ``This time, we caught the Knicks at a time they aren't playing well, and we are.''

The Bulls lost in their previous trip to New York when Trent Tucker hit a three-point basket after he took an inbounds pass with one tenth of a second left. The NBA later ruled that the basket should not have counted.

Since then, the Knicks have not beaten a team that has won more than 55 percent of its games, a string of nine games.

``We haven't beaten an above .500 team in a while, and that's what we were striving for,'' said Gerald Wilkins, who scored 26 points, all in the first three periods. ``It'll come. We'll continue to improve. We didn't get the win, but we improved.''

Jordan scored 34 points and Craig Hodges hit two key three-pointers in the fourth quarter for the Bulls, who have won 12 of 14 games.

The Knicks lost their fourth in six home games after a 22-2 start at Madison Square Garden.

Suns 114

Jazz 106

-- SALT LAKE CITY - Phoenix ended Utah's 19-game home-court winning streak, defeating the Jazz behind Kevin Johnson's 29 points - 14 in the fourth quarter - and 27 by Eddie Johnson.

The streak began when the Jazz beat the Suns 102-95 Dec. 13. Utah's last previous loss at home was 113-110 to Cleveland Dec. 11.

Phoenix trailed through the first three quarters and did not go ahead for the first time until Tom Chambers hit a 20-foot jumper with 9:39 left for an 85-83 lead.

Nuggets 117

Rockets 114

-- DENVER - Michael Adams scored 25 points, including a three-pointer and a bank shot in the final 1:14, as Denver gave Coach Doug Moe his 600th career victory.

The Nuggets won despite strong performances from Houston's Akeem Olajuwon and Vernon Maxwell. Olajuwon had 25 points and 19 rebounds and Maxwell 32 points on 15-for-21 shooting.

With Denver ahead 110-109, Adams hit a three-pointer. The Nuggets led 115-114 but Adams' bank shot with 7.8 seconds left restored Denver's lead to three. A steal by Fat Lever sealed the victory, which gave Moe a 600-481 record in 14 years as an NBA coach, 10 with the Nuggets and four with San Antonio.

Trail Blazers 142

Magic 117

-- PORTLAND - Cliff Robinson scored 22 points and Clyde Drexler had 19 as Portland breezed to its sixth straight win.

Robinson had 13 points in the second period as the Blazers built a 73-52 halftime lead. Kevin Duckworth had 18 points and Buck Williams 16 for Portland.

Reggie Theus scored 25 points and Terry Catledge 19 for Orlando, which lost its seventh straight game and 11th consecutive on the road.

Cavaliers 119

76ers 102

-- RICHFIELD, Ohio - Mark Price scored 30 points, including a pair of fourth-quarter three-point shots that stalled a Philadelphia comeback as Cleveland beat Philadelphia.

The 76ers lost their third straight since they briefly held first place in the Atlantic Division last week but remained 1 1/2 games behind New York, which lost to Chicago.

Cleveland's Larry Nance scored 26 points, John Williams 21 and Brad Daugherty 20. Charles Barkley led the Sixers with 29, and Hersey Hawkins added 23.

Kings 121

Heat 87

-- SACRAMENTO, Calif. - Wayman Tisdale scored 23 points, Antoine Carr 21 and Rodney McCray 20 as Sacramento rolled up its biggest victory margin of the season. The margin was the second largest since the Kings moved to Sacramento from Kansas City five years ago. They crushed Miami 108-69 last April 10.

Celtics 112

Hawks 100

-- ATLANTA - Kevin McHale, playing less than three quarters before injuring his right knee, scored 26 points to lead Boston to the victory over Atlanta.

McHale scored nine points in the third period before leaving with less than five minutes remaining. He said he wouldn't know the extent of the injury until today.

Spurs 103

Pacers 102

-- INDIANAPOLIS - Rod Strickland made two free throws with 2.6 seconds remaining, giving San Antonio the victory as Indiana dropped under the .500 mark for the first time this season.

Slumping Indiana lost for the sixth time in seven games, including three of four at home. San Antonio won its third straight.