NBA ROUNDUP : Suddenly, Bucks’ Roberts Is a Can’t-Miss Sensation

Milwaukee’s Fred Roberts is shooting better than he has in nearly 10 years. He has to go way back to remember the last time the ball went into the basket with such ease.

“I shot well when I played in Italy, but not like that since,” Roberts said Thursday night after his 26 points led the Bucks to a 111-92 victory over the Boston Celtics at Milwaukee. “This is as good as I have played (in the NBA).”

Roberts made 12 of 15 shots and Frank Brickowski added 22 points as the Bucks tied the Detroit Pistons for the Eastern Conference’s No. 3 playoff spot.

Roberts is averaging 23 points over the past six games and has made 60 of 92 shots. With Dale Ellis out because of an injury and Adrian Dantley still learning Milwaukee’s system and getting into shape, the Bucks need Roberts’ scoring.

The Bucks beat the Celtics without Larry Bird, who is out with back spasms.

“There’s no excuse,” Boston Coach Chris Ford said. “Larry’s absence has nothing to do with the way we’re playing right now.”

The Celtics lost to Orlando in their previous game with Bird out and are 8-9 without him.

Dantley moved past Elgin Baylor into ninth place on the NBA’s career scoring list. Dantley scored five points, giving him 23,152 in his 14-year career.

Minnesota 112, Atlanta 98--The unlikely combination of poor shooting by the Hawks’ Dominique Wilkins and remarkable accuracy by the Timberwolves explained the outcome at Minneapolis.

The league’s sixth-leading scorer at 26.4 points a game, Wilkins had only six points in the first three quarters before finishing with 14 on four-for-17 shooting. He missed 10 of his first 12 shots.

Meanwhile, the Timberwolves, one of the league’s worst shooting teams at 44.9%, narrowly missed their best shooting night of the season by making 45 of 82 shots (54.9%), a few baskets away from the team record of 55.4%.

Tony Campbell scored 27 points and Sam Mitchell added 25 as the Timberwolves won a second consecutive game for the first time since Jan. 16-19, when they beat New York and Golden State.

Golden State 111, Houston 99--The Warriors broke open a close game in the fourth quarter at Oakland by intentionally fouling Houston’s Larry Smith, who missed six free throws in a row.

Golden State made a team-record 33 free throws without a miss, the third-best showing in NBA history. The Rockets made only 18 of 34 foul shots, including seven of 17 in the final quarter.

Houston’s Hakeem Olajuwon scored 28 points, 21 in the second half, and added 12 rebounds. Chris Mullin scored 26 points, Tim Hardaway added 24 and Mitch Richmond had 23 for Golden State.

Sacramento 104, Orlando 96--The Kings blocked a franchise-record 15 shots as they continued their strange season with their fifth consecutive home victory. Sacramento is 22-16 at home and 1-37 on the road.