NBA ROUNDUP : Suns Win Team-Record 12th in a Row

The Phoenix Suns set a franchise record and sent a message to their closest Pacific Division rivals on the same night Saturday. Tom Chambers’ two free throws broke a tie with 28 seconds left, giving the Suns their 12th consecutive victory, 113-110 over the Seattle SuperSonics at Phoenix.

The winning streak is a record for the Suns, whose 19-4 record is the best in the NBA. Seattle, which trailed the Suns by two games in the Pacific Division before Saturday, ended a five-game winning streak.

“We’ve done it all season long--found ways to win games,” Chambers said. “We’re not blowing out teams like we used to, but if the game is close, we’ll win it.”

The Suns got 33 points and 13 rebounds from Charles Barkley, who tipped a defensive rebound to teammate Danny Ainge, fouled Seattle’s Derrick McKey, then grabbed the rebound when McKey missed both free throws--all in the final 12 seconds.

Eddie Johnson, whose three-pointer with 32 seconds remaining tied the score, 110-110, led the SuperSonics with 22 points.

Seattle was playing its third consecutive game without injured top scorer Shawn Kemp.

Milwaukee 102, New York 100--Todd Day scored a season-high 22 points and made the go-ahead free throws with 1:45 left in overtime at Milwaukee as the Bucks ended an 11-game losing streak.

The Bucks, who started the season 10-3, won for the first time since Dec. 2. The Knicks, who missed eight of nine shots in overtime, lost their second consecutive game after winning five in a row.

Patrick Ewing, who scored 28 points for the Knicks, stole the ball from Anthony Avent and called a timeout with 9.5 seconds left in overtime. But Ewing missed a turnaround jumper in the lane as the buzzer sounded.

Miami 106, Orlando 100--With Rony Seikaly hurt and Glen Rice in a shooting slump, the Heat needed rookie Harold Miner’s best game yet to end a four-game losing streak. Miner scored a season-high 19 points at Miami, including six in the final 1:36, and the Heat made 21 consecutive free throws during the second half to end the Magic’s four-game winning streak.

Miner, a first-round draft pick from USC, made five of 11 shots and nine of 10 free throws in 22 minutes.

Detroit 99, Washington 97--Isiah Thomas made two free throws with 12 seconds remaining, capping the Pistons’ rally from a nine-point deficit in the fourth quarter in Baltimore.

It was the ninth consecutive loss for the Bullets, who used a 14-4 run to take a 46-43 halftime lead.

Joe Dumars led the Pistons with 23 points, and Thomas had 22 points and 10 assists. Harvey Grant paced Washington with 24 points, while Michael Adams scored 17.

The game was held up nearly five minutes when lights on the west side of the arena went out with 7:39 left in the fourth quarter. The game resumed using only lights on the east side.

New Jersey 119, Cleveland 114--The Nets improved their road record to 8-5 by winning their first game at Richfield, Ohio, since March 15, 1986--a string of 14 regular-season and two playoff games. They also ended the Cavaliers’ seven-game winning streak. Derrick Coleman led New Jersey with 30 points and 13 rebounds. Brad Daugherty scored 28 for Cleveland.

Chicago 95, Indiana 84--Horace Grant scored a career-high 30 points and tied his career best with 20 rebounds at Indianapolis. leading the Bulls to their fourth consecutive victory. Grant, who finished with 11 offensive rebounds, had 29 points and 10 rebounds at halftime, helping offset a poor shooting half by Michael Jordan.

Jordan, coming off a 42-point effort Friday in a victory over New York, made only one of nine first-half shots. Jordan finished with 17 points, connecting on seven of 13 second-half shots. Detlef Schrempf led the Pacers with 23 points.

Portland 121, Philadelphia 115--Cliff Robinson, the Trail Blazers’ leading scorer with Clyde Drexler hampered by injuries, scored 31 points as Portland held off Philadelphia in overtime at Portland.

Terry Porter, who had 19 points and a season-high nine rebounds, scored five points in overtime for the Trail Blazers. Kevin Duckworth scored 22 points, and made an eight-foot jumper that put the Portland ahead to stay, 116-114, with 1:47 left in the extra period. Jeff Hornacek, who had only six first-half points, finished with 35 for the 76ers.

Utah 108, Boston 92--John Stockton made four three-pointers, including three during an 11-2 third-quarter run, to lead the Jazz at Salt Lake City.

Boston had closed to 58-55 with 9:45 left in the third quarter after a layup by Reggie Lewis. But Stockton and the Jazz poured it on, and the Celtics got no closer than nine points after that.

Stockton finished with 18 points, 12 assists and five steals. Karl Malone led the Jazz with 29 points and also had 12 rebounds. Rick Fox and Lewis paced the Celtics with 15 points each.

Atlanta 113, Minnesota 105--Duane Ferrell, making his first start in place of the injured Dominique Wilkins, matched a career-high with 27 points as Hawks handed the Timberwolves their sixth straight loss.

Kevin Willis scored 30 points and Mookie Blaylock had 19 points and 13 assists for the Hawks, who are 2-3 since Wilkins broke a bone in his hand last week. Ferrell has finished as Atlanta’s leading scorer in three of its five games without Wilkins.

Christian Laettner scored 26 points for Minnesota, which is 1-10 in December.

Golden State 110, Dallas 96--Tim Hardaway had 31 points and 15 assists and reserve Chris Gatling led the Warriors’ decisive 18-4 second-half run at Dallas.

Walter Bond scored 20 points for the Mavericks, who have suffered 20 losses in 22 games.

Houston 90, Denver 82--Sleepy Floyd scored 14 points as the Rockets’ bench players outscored Denver’s reserves, 36-11, at Houston, leading to the Nuggets’ 10th consecutive loss.

Hakeem Olajuwon led the Rockets with 18 points and 16 rebounds, and Kenny Smith scored 14 points. Reggie Williams was the top scorer for the Nuggets with 16 points.