NBA ROUNDUP : Mutombo and Nuggets Beat the Slumping Bulls

All is not well with the two-time defending champion Chicago Bulls, who will be happy to see January end.

The Bulls, who lost to the Denver Nuggets, 109-102, Saturday night in Denver, had a 7-8 record in January, their first losing month since they went 4-8 in April of 1989, Doug Collins’ last regular-season month as coach of the team.

“Everyone has days like this and now is our time,” said Michael Jordan, who scored 39 points as the Bulls lost for the fourth time in five games. “Denver definitely is good enough to play in this league. If I had a solution to our problems, I’d tell you.”

Dikembe Mutombo had 29 points and tied a career high with 22 rebounds. Reggie Williams scored 28 points and LaPhonso Ellis 22 for the Nuggets.

“That was probably Dikembe’s best game as a pro,” Denver Coach Dan Issel said. “If he had hit his free throws, it would have been a perfect game, so at least he still has room to improve.”

With the Nuggets leading, 102-98, with 1:22 to play, Jordan went to the free throw line after a flagrant foul by Robert Pack. Jordan missed both free throws, and Williams scored on a layup for a 104-98 lead.

Jordan then threw the ball away and fouled Pack at the other end, leading to two free throws that made it 106-98 with 44 seconds remaining.

Jordan then missed one of two free throws six seconds later, and Denver sealed the victory with three free throws in the final 30 seconds.

Phoenix 126, Dallas 105--Dan Majerle hit eight three-point shots, one shy of the NBA record held by Dale Ellis and Michael Adams, and scored 30 points at Phoenix as the Suns routed the Mavericks.

Richard Dumas added 22 points, Kevin Johnson 21 and reserve Tom Chambers 18 for Phoenix.

San Antonio 129, Sacramento 124--Avery Johnson matched his career high with 22 points at San Antonio as the Spurs won for the 11th time in 12 games with him at point guard.

Dale Ellis led the Spurs with 27 points and David Robinson scored 25.

Wayman Tisdale scored 29 points, Mitch Richmond 27 and Lionel Simmons 25 for the Kings.

The Spurs, whose team-record 10-game winning streak was snapped Friday at Phoenix, improved to 16-3 under Coach John Lucas.

Seattle 108, Portland 86--The SuperSonics bounced back from having lost consecutive games for only the second time this season to break a six-game Trail Blazer winning streak at Seattle.

Eddie Johnson scored 20 points, and Shawn Kemp and Gary Payton each scored 18 points for Seattle. Kemp had 16 rebounds.

Clyde Drexler led the Trail Blazers with 14 points.

Houston 108, New Jersey 105--Hakeem Olajuwon fouled out with 35 seconds to play after scoring 22 points and grabbing 14 rebounds, but the Rockets held on to beat New Jersey.

New Jersey guard Drazen Petrovic had 32 points and Kenny Anderson added 25 points and passed off for 11 assists.

Atlanta 149, Philadelphia 123--Mookie Blaylock scored a career-high 30 points at Atlanta as the Hawks broke their Omni scoring record.

The previous team record was 148 by the Hawks against Orlando in 1989.

Blaylock, bettering his previous career high by three points, made 12 of 15 shots--including his first nine--and also had 12 assists. Kevin Willis, who made 15 of 21 shots and scored 19 points in the third quarter, finished with 33 points and 21 rebounds for the Hawks.

Hersey Hawkins led the Sixers with 29 points, and Johnny Dawkins had 20.

Dominique Wilkins scored 25 points for Atlanta, the first time in 10 games he was not Atlanta’s leading scorer. Wilkins is 29 points shy of Bob Pettit’s Hawk franchise scoring record of 20,880.

Minnesota 91, Milwaukee 82--Doug West scored 24 points as the Timberwolves ended a six-game losing streak by beating the Bucks at Minneapolis.

Eric Murdock scored 18 points but couldn’t prevent the Bucks from tying their poorest offensive output of the season. They also had 82 points in a Dec. 12 loss at Utah.

Indiana 110, Detroit 106--Reggie Miller scored 29 points, including five free throws on technical fouls and a three-point goal in a span of 14 seconds in the fourth quarter, as the Pacers won their fourth consecutive game at Indianapolis.

Miller made five free throws in a row after technical fouls were called on Mark Aguirre, Isiah Thomas and Coach Ron Rothstein. Thomas and Rothstein were ejected, Thomas after bumping referee Bruce Alexander.

Aguirre was whistled for the first technical when he complained about not getting a foul call after a basket.

Orlando Woolridge had 36 points, 26 in the second half, and Joe Dumars added 20 points and Terry Mills 19.

Miami 98, Cleveland 95--Steve Smith, making his first start of the season, scored 21 points, including a tip-in of Rony Seikaly’s miss with 38 seconds remaining, as the Heat edged the Cavaliers at Miami.

The Heat led, 96-95, when Seikaly tried an off-balance 10-footer that bounced off the rim, and Smith tipped it in.

At the other end, the Cavs’ Mark Price missed a three-pointer and Smith grabbed his seventh rebound. After Miami’s Brian Shaw missed a shot, Price missed a three-pointer at the buzzer.

Smith, who missed the team’s first 34 games because of a knee surgery, was a reserve in Miami’s previous five games. The starting lineup of Grant Long, Glen Rice, Seikaly, Shaw and Smith was the 10th combination of the season for the Heat, who have been plagued by injuries and inconsistent play.

Brad Daugherty had 25 points and 10 rebounds for Cleveland.

Charlotte 127, Washington 121--Dell Curry had a career-high 33 points, including a three-pointer that forced overtime, as the Hornets rallied to beat the Bullets at Landover, Md.

Curry scored the Hornets’ last nine points in regulation, including a 25-footer with 9.3 seconds to play that tied it, 113-113. He then converted a three-point play early in overtime, when Charlotte started with a 7-0 run.

The Bullets closed to 123-121 with 19 seconds to play in overtime, but Muggsy Bogues made two free throws to seal the victory.

Larry Johnson had 27 points and 19 rebounds for Charlotte.

Harvey Grant had 29 points and 14 rebounds for the Bullets, who played their third consecutive overtime game at home. Washington lost two, blowing a fourth-quarter lead in each.