On Monday night Derrick Coleman scored 22 points and Kenny Anderson had 13 points and 14 assists for New Jersey, which has won two in a row since having a players-only meeting Friday in the wake of losing six of seven.
The Magic hit only 6 of 23 from the free throw line, or 26.1 percent, the fourth lowest ever in an NBA game. O'Neal was 2-of-11.
Celtics 113, Nuggets 103. In Boston, Pervis Ellison scored 19 points in his debut for the Celtics and five of his teammates had at least 12 points as Boston ended Denver's four-game winning streak. Dee Brown also had 19 points, Dominique Wilkins added 18 and Derek Strong 15 for Boston, which beat Denver at home for the fifth straight time. Ellison, who had not played all season while recovering from knee surgery, also had 10 rebounds.
Bryant Stith led Denver with 21 points and Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf and Robert Pack contributed 14 points each. Pack also had 19 assists.
Heat 122, Knicks 111. In New York, Glen Rice scored 14 of his season-high 38 points in the third quarter, helping Miami break a three-game losing streak. Billy Owens helped the Heat win by making all six of his foul shots down the stretch. The Knicks, who trailed throughout the fourth quarter, cut their deficit to four with 3:54 remaining, but got no closer. "The bottom line is we didn't play the defense we're known for playing. That's why we lost," said Patrick Ewing, who had a season-high 30 points. Charles Smith also had 24 for New York.
Spurs 122, Bullets 101. At the Alamodome, Rodman got a standing ovation from many in the crowd when he checked in during the first quarter. His highlights were a dramatic dunk in the second quarter and behind-the-back pass in the fourth. His lowlights included four turnovers in the third period.
David Robinson led the Spurs with 21 points and 12 rebounds. Sean Elliott added 18 points and Vinny Del Negro scored 17. Mitchell Butler led the Bullets with 24 points and Chris Webber had 21 points and nine rebounds.
Jazz 101, Trail Blazers 89. At the Delta Center, Utah broke a three-game home losing streak. Karl Malone scored 27 points and Felton Spencer added 17 as the Jazz used a 34-10 first quarter to build a lead that never dipped below 12 for the remainder of the game.
"We caught a team that had played last night and were probably a bit tired," Utah coach Jerry Sloan said.
The Blazers, playing without injured guard Clyde Drexler, were led by Rod Strickland with 17 points and Harvey Grant with 16.
In other Monday action the Phoenix Suns overcame the Golden State Warriors 90-84.
A Message from The Moscow Times:
Dear readers,
We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."
These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.
We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.
Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.
By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.
Remind me later.