Bulls Keep Rolling Despite an Off Night

There may be no stopping the Chicago Bulls if they can beat the Houston Rockets on a night when Michael Jordan shoots only 27%.

Scottie Pippen picked up the slack with 28 points and 12 rebounds and the Chicago bench helped overcome a slow start as the Bulls held off the Rockets, 98-87, Tuesday night at Houston for their 16th consecutive victory.

The victory improved the Bulls’ record to 39-3, equaling the NBA record for most victories with three losses. The Lakers set the record in the 1971-72 season.

Jordan hit only six of 27 for 22 points. Chicago reserves Steve Kerr (17 points) and Toni Kukoc (16), however, outscored Houston’s bench, 33-8, and Chicago held a 51-27 rebounding edge in ending a seven-game losing streak at The Summit.

Hakeem Olajuwon led Houston with 31 points and nine rebounds.

Orlando 104, Boston 99--Shaquille O’Neal had 30 points and 19 rebounds and Anfernee Hardaway and Dennis Scott made clutch baskets in the final minute as the Magic remained unbeaten (22-0) at home despite sloppy play, poor free-throw shooting (13 of 30) and minor injuries like the sprained left ankle suffered by Nick Anderson.

Orlando also got a lift from Horace Grant (10 points and six rebounds), who returned after missing nine games because of a stress fracture in his lower left leg.

Phoenix 114, Miami 99--Charles Barkley scored a season-high 37 points and grabbed 13 rebounds as the Suns remained unbeaten (9-0) in Miami. Heat center Alonzo Mourning was held to 13 points.

Indiana 107, Atlanta 90--Reggie Miller scored 22 points and Dale Davis had 17 and a season-high 20 rebounds as the Pacers snapped the Hawks’ 10-game winning streak and improved their own run to a season-best seven with their franchise-record 15th consecutive victory at home.

Sacramento 102, Toronto 75--Walt Williams scored a season-high 29 points at Sacramento as the Kings downed the Raptors to end a three-game losing streak.

Seattle 97, New Jersey 88--Detlef Schrempf scored six of his 20 points in a 15-2 fourth-quarter run at Seattle and the SuperSonics won their sixth consecutive game. Jayson Williams had a career-high 25 rebounds for the Nets.

Denver 88, Minnesota 86--Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf scored seven of his 24 points in the final four minutes as the Nuggets won at Minneapolis. Denver center Dikembe Mutumbo narrowly missed a triple-double with 12 points, 17 rebounds and nine blocks.

NBA Notes

New Jersey Coach Butch Beard was fined $7,500 for criticizing the officiating after the Nets’ loss to the Lakers on Saturday, the NBA announced in New York. Beard had said he expected to be fined for his comments. Meanwhile, Orlando center Shaquille O’Neal was fined $5,000 for failing to leave the court appropriately and for his remarks to the referees after being ejected from the Magic’s loss at Indiana on Saturday and Golden State guard Tim Hardaway was fined $5,000 for making an obscene gesture to referees after being ejected from the Warriors’ Saturday loss at Utah. Ejections carry an additional $1,000 fine. . . . Detroit forward Grant Hill, who took a nasty spill in the Pistons’ loss to Utah Monday night, has soft tissue damage in his right wrist and is day-to-day.