NBA ROUNDUP : Cummings Stirs Spurs Past Timberwolves, 92-88

Terry Cummings spent much of Monday in a Memphis, Tenn., airport, unsuccessfully trying to get some sleep, as plane trouble grounded the San Antonio Spurs.

By halftime of the Spurs’ game against the Minnesota Timberwolves, Cummings was wondering if he’d ever wake up. He missed his first five shots and had only four points.

But Cummings and the Spurs, who arrived at Minneapolis only two hours before tip-off, did wake up.

Cummings scored eight of his 20 points in the final 6:22 and grabbed 10 rebounds, leading the Spurs to a 92-88 victory.

“Sitting around just makes you lazy,” Cummings said. “I tried to lay down, but I couldn’t sleep, so I ended up just walking around.”

The Spurs led by 11 points in the third quarter before the Timberwolves rallied behind Tyrone Corbin, who scored nine of his 17 points in the quarter. Minnesota tied the score, 75-75, before Cummings took charge.

The 6-foot-9 forward scored three of the Spurs’ next four baskets and led San Antonio to an 85-79 lead. Minnesota never got closer than three points thereafter.

The victory cut the Utah Jazz’s Midwest Division lead to four games over the Spurs.

David Robinson led San Antonio with 21 points. Sean Elliott scored 16, Rod Strickland had 13 and Willie Anderson added 12. Strickland, in his second start since joining the Spurs in a Feb. 22 trade with the New York Knicks, had a career-high 17 assists.

Minnesota got 21 points from Randy Breuer.

Milwaukee 109, New Jersey 104--At East Rutherford, N.J., Ricky Pierce scored 24 of his 39 points in the second half, including 10 in the fourth quarter, as the Bucks snapped a six-game losing streak.

Milwaukee trailed by 10 points midway through the third quarter but outscored New Jersey, 16-6, to open a 94-88 lead.

The Nets battled back twice to within a point but were unable to catch the Bucks.

Brad Lohaus added 16 points for Milwaukee. New Jersey, which has lost its last four and 22 of its past 25, got a season-high 29 points and 13 rebounds from Sam Bowie.

Seattle 130, Orlando 105--Dale Ellis scored 24 points and the SuperSonics, down by seven at halftime, outscored Orlando, 68-36, in the second half at Seattle.

Steve Johnson scored six points in a 10-0 fourth-quarter run when the SuperSonics broke the game open.

Ellis, playing in his first home game since Jan. 11 because of a collapsed lung sustained in an automobile accident, made 10 of 15 shots and led seven SuperSonics in double figures.

Seattle made 10 of 12 shots to one of eight for Orlando as the SuperSonics opened a 112-94 lead with 5:37 left.

Ellis’ 22-foot jump shot put Seattle ahead to stay, 76-75, with 7:11 left in the third quarter.

Reggie Theus had 26 points and and Jerry Reynolds 20 for Orlando.