EAST RUTHERFORD, New Jersey -- The worst losing streak of Pat Riley's coaching career ended at five games when the New York Knicks beat the New Jersey Nets 99-91 behind John Starks' first 20-point game in more than a month.
Starks, who has averaged only 10.6 points in his last 17 games and shot 32 percent from the field Tuesday night, and finished with 22 points in his best game since scoring 35 on Nov. 14.
Charles Smith added 20, Patrick Ewing 19 and Derek Harper 18 in helping Riley break out of the worst victory drought in 12-plus seasons as a coach.
Chris Morris had 21 points and P.J. Brown added 16, as New Jersey lost its third in a row.
Magic 103, Heat 83. In Orlando, Florida, Shaquille O'Neal scored 28 points and grabbed 11 rebounds as Orlando ran its home record this season to 12-0. Anfernee Hardaway scored 19 points and had seven assists for the Magic, which blew the game open with a devastating display of 3-point shooting in the fourth quarter.
The Magic hit five 3-pointers in the period, four of them in a 20-2 spurt. Glen Rice led Miami with 29 points. Ledell Eckles came off the bench to score 16. Kevin Willis and Matt Geiger both had 12.
Bucks 98, Pistons 88. In Auburn Hills, Michigan, Marty Conlon scored 11 of his 13 points in the final 14 minutes as Milwaukee held off Detroit and snapped a 10-game road losing streak. Detroit has lost eight of its last nine games.
Joe Dumars, who failed to score in the first half, scored 11 points to lead a 14-2 Piston surge that pulled them to 68-59 late in the third period. Detroit got within nine points twice in the last eight minutes, but never any closer.
Vin Baker led the Bucks with 22 points, while Glenn Robinson had 15. Terry Mills paced the Pistons with 23 points and 11 rebounds, while Dumars added 21.
Clippers 95, Bulls 92. In Chicago, Pooh Richardson had 21 points and 10 assists and the Los Angeles Clippers capitalized on the ejection of Bulls star Scottie Pippen to win in Chicago for the first time since Jan. 26, 1979.
Toni Kukoc scored 21 points for Chicago but missed a 3-pointer with two seconds left and also committed eight of Chicago's 27 turnovers. B.J. Armstrong missed 16 of 20 shots as the Bulls' 17-game home winning streak against the Clippers ended.
Pippen had 18 points on 8-of-11 shooting, five rebounds and three assists before he was ejected in the second quarter.
Suns 119, Mavericks 118. In Dallas, Kevin Johnson's game-winning 5-meter baseline jumper with 3.7 seconds left capped a Phoenix rally from a 5-point deficit with less than a minute to play, and the Suns defeated Dallas for the 11th consecutive time. Dallas' Jim Jackson had a shot at the buzzer, but his runner in the lane rimmed out.
Jackson scored 31 points, and Jamal Mashburn added 30 for the Mavericks, who led 118-113 with 52.8 seconds to play.
Johnson finished with 28 points, while Charles Barkley had 22 points and 16 rebounds for the Suns, which won for the 10th time in its past 11 games.
Rockets 105, Hawks 93. In Houston, Hakeem Olajuwon scored 35 points and grabbed 16 rebounds as Houston kept Atlanta coach Lenny Wilkens from tying Red Auerbach's NBA career coaching record for wins with 938. The Rockets scored 8 consecutive points early in the fourth period to take the lead for good. It was the 15th time this season Houston has held an opponent to fewer than 100 points, and the Rockets are 12-3 in those games.
Ken Norman scored 28 points to lead the Hawks.
Spurs 119, Hornets 108. In San Antonio, Texas, David Robinson scored 16 of his 30 points in the third quarter and Chuck Person hit five 3-pointers as San Antonio won its seventh-straight game. Person finished with 21 points.
Charlotte center Alonzo Mourning injured his right foot in the second quarter and didn't return. Larry Johnson had 29 points and 12 rebounds to lead Charlotte.
Pacers 95, Nuggets 91. In Denver, Colorado, Rik Smits scored a season-high 33 points and grabbed 14 rebounds to lead Indiana. The Pacers, winners of nine of their last 11 meetings with the Nuggets, scored only 5 points in the final three minutes, but it was enough, as Denver managed only six free throws and a Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf 3-pointer over that stretch.
Abdul-Rauf finished with 23 points.
Golden State 129, LA Lakers 105. In Oakland, California, Tim Hardaway, Latrell Sprewell and Tom Gugliotta each scored 20 points and Rony Seikaly hauled in a season-high 17 rebounds in Golden State's romp.
Cedric Ceballos led the Lakers with 24 points.
Golden State led 65-36 at halftime and never let up. Just four minutes into the third quarter the Warriors had built their lead to 84-47 on Tim Hardaway's 3-pointer.
Kings 102, Trail Blazers 101. In Sacramento, California, Spud Webb's four-meter fall-away jumper with 2.3 seconds left boosted Sacramento past Portland. Webb's shot helped the Kings erase a 1-point Portland lead.
Cliff Robinson, who missed a baseline jumper at the buzzer, had given Portland a 101-100 lead with 12.1 seconds remaining.
Kings guard Mitch Richmond scored 30 points before fouling out with 48.5 seconds left. Rod Strickland scored 22 points, and Clyde Drexler had 21 for the Blazers.
Starks, who has averaged only 10.6 points in his last 17 games and shot 32 percent from the field Tuesday night, and finished with 22 points in his best game since scoring 35 on Nov. 14.
Charles Smith added 20, Patrick Ewing 19 and Derek Harper 18 in helping Riley break out of the worst victory drought in 12-plus seasons as a coach.
Chris Morris had 21 points and P.J. Brown added 16, as New Jersey lost its third in a row.
Magic 103, Heat 83. In Orlando, Florida, Shaquille O'Neal scored 28 points and grabbed 11 rebounds as Orlando ran its home record this season to 12-0. Anfernee Hardaway scored 19 points and had seven assists for the Magic, which blew the game open with a devastating display of 3-point shooting in the fourth quarter.
The Magic hit five 3-pointers in the period, four of them in a 20-2 spurt. Glen Rice led Miami with 29 points. Ledell Eckles came off the bench to score 16. Kevin Willis and Matt Geiger both had 12.
Bucks 98, Pistons 88. In Auburn Hills, Michigan, Marty Conlon scored 11 of his 13 points in the final 14 minutes as Milwaukee held off Detroit and snapped a 10-game road losing streak. Detroit has lost eight of its last nine games.
Joe Dumars, who failed to score in the first half, scored 11 points to lead a 14-2 Piston surge that pulled them to 68-59 late in the third period. Detroit got within nine points twice in the last eight minutes, but never any closer.
Vin Baker led the Bucks with 22 points, while Glenn Robinson had 15. Terry Mills paced the Pistons with 23 points and 11 rebounds, while Dumars added 21.
Clippers 95, Bulls 92. In Chicago, Pooh Richardson had 21 points and 10 assists and the Los Angeles Clippers capitalized on the ejection of Bulls star Scottie Pippen to win in Chicago for the first time since Jan. 26, 1979.
Toni Kukoc scored 21 points for Chicago but missed a 3-pointer with two seconds left and also committed eight of Chicago's 27 turnovers. B.J. Armstrong missed 16 of 20 shots as the Bulls' 17-game home winning streak against the Clippers ended.
Pippen had 18 points on 8-of-11 shooting, five rebounds and three assists before he was ejected in the second quarter.
Suns 119, Mavericks 118. In Dallas, Kevin Johnson's game-winning 5-meter baseline jumper with 3.7 seconds left capped a Phoenix rally from a 5-point deficit with less than a minute to play, and the Suns defeated Dallas for the 11th consecutive time. Dallas' Jim Jackson had a shot at the buzzer, but his runner in the lane rimmed out.
Jackson scored 31 points, and Jamal Mashburn added 30 for the Mavericks, who led 118-113 with 52.8 seconds to play.
Johnson finished with 28 points, while Charles Barkley had 22 points and 16 rebounds for the Suns, which won for the 10th time in its past 11 games.
Rockets 105, Hawks 93. In Houston, Hakeem Olajuwon scored 35 points and grabbed 16 rebounds as Houston kept Atlanta coach Lenny Wilkens from tying Red Auerbach's NBA career coaching record for wins with 938. The Rockets scored 8 consecutive points early in the fourth period to take the lead for good. It was the 15th time this season Houston has held an opponent to fewer than 100 points, and the Rockets are 12-3 in those games.
Ken Norman scored 28 points to lead the Hawks.
Spurs 119, Hornets 108. In San Antonio, Texas, David Robinson scored 16 of his 30 points in the third quarter and Chuck Person hit five 3-pointers as San Antonio won its seventh-straight game. Person finished with 21 points.
Charlotte center Alonzo Mourning injured his right foot in the second quarter and didn't return. Larry Johnson had 29 points and 12 rebounds to lead Charlotte.
Pacers 95, Nuggets 91. In Denver, Colorado, Rik Smits scored a season-high 33 points and grabbed 14 rebounds to lead Indiana. The Pacers, winners of nine of their last 11 meetings with the Nuggets, scored only 5 points in the final three minutes, but it was enough, as Denver managed only six free throws and a Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf 3-pointer over that stretch.
Abdul-Rauf finished with 23 points.
Golden State 129, LA Lakers 105. In Oakland, California, Tim Hardaway, Latrell Sprewell and Tom Gugliotta each scored 20 points and Rony Seikaly hauled in a season-high 17 rebounds in Golden State's romp.
Cedric Ceballos led the Lakers with 24 points.
Golden State led 65-36 at halftime and never let up. Just four minutes into the third quarter the Warriors had built their lead to 84-47 on Tim Hardaway's 3-pointer.
Kings 102, Trail Blazers 101. In Sacramento, California, Spud Webb's four-meter fall-away jumper with 2.3 seconds left boosted Sacramento past Portland. Webb's shot helped the Kings erase a 1-point Portland lead.
Cliff Robinson, who missed a baseline jumper at the buzzer, had given Portland a 101-100 lead with 12.1 seconds remaining.
Kings guard Mitch Richmond scored 30 points before fouling out with 48.5 seconds left. Rod Strickland scored 22 points, and Clyde Drexler had 21 for the Blazers.
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