Strickland Comes In to Beat Knicks

Rod Strickland was having his own problems without worrying about his former team, the slumping New York Knicks.

Strickland was benched for the first quarter Tuesday night at New York for an unspecified violation of team rules, but came back to score nine of his 22 points in the fourth quarter when the Portland Trail Blazers pulled away from the Knicks for a 101-92 victory.

Although teammate Aaron McKie tied a career high with 24 points, and Cliff Robinson scored 22, it was Strickland and 31-year old rookie center Arvydas Sabonis, who helped the Blazers end a seven-game road losing streak.

Utah 102, Dallas 92--John Stockton’s fourth-quarter play allowed the hot-shooting Jazz to break open a close game at Dallas. Stockton had six of his 18 points and six of his 15 assists in the final period, which the Jazz opened leading by two, 70-68.

The teams opened the quarter by trading baskets, then it was all Utah. Karl Malone made an open jumper, David Benoit dunked off a lob from Stockton and then a layup by Stockton put the Jazz ahead, 79-70.

Indiana 102, Denver 87--Veterans Ricky Pierce and Eddie Johnson fueled a 16-2 run early in the final period, and the Pacers defeated the Nuggets at Denver.

Pierce and Johnson, both 36, combined to score 20 consecutive Indiana points from late in the third quarter until midway through the fourth.

Houston 105, Minnesota 100--Sam Cassell scored 15 of his 25 points in the fourth quarter and Hakeem Olajuwon had 28 to lead the Rockets over the Timberwolves at Minneapolis.

Cassell had eight assists as the Rockets won their fourth in a row. Tom Gugliotta had 25 points and 17 rebounds for the Timberwolves.

New Jersey 81, Milwaukee 72-- Shawn Bradley had his best game since coming to New Jersey, getting 17 points, 14 rebounds and seven blocks as the Nets defeated the Bucks. Milwaukee scored only 26 points in the second half, a season low.

The victory ended a four-game home losing streak for New Jersey, which had dropped eight of its previous nine games.

Seattle 111, Atlanta 88--Frank Brickowski had a season-high 21 points at Atlanta as the SuperSonics won their sixth in a row, their longest win streak since winning seven games last March.

Shawn Kemp had 19 points and 12 rebounds, and Hersey Hawkins had 17 points, five steals and four assists as the SuperSonics increased their Pacific Division lead to 2 1/2 games over Sacramento.

Atlanta’s Andrew Lang, making 14-of-19 shots, scored a career-high 29 points.

Cleveland 108, Washington 100--Danny Ferry scored half of his 20 points in the pivotal third quarter as the Cavaliers ended the Bullets’ six-game home winning streak.

Rookie Rasheed Wallace led Washington with a season-high 20 points on 9-of-12 shooting and Juwan Howard scored 19 despite missing 13-of-21 shots. Robert Pack had 19 points and eight assists for the Bullets, who were without injured starters Chris Webber (strained shoulder) and Calbert Cheaney (sore lower leg).

NBA Notes

Miami Heat guard Sasha Danilovic will be sidelined another three to four months after undergoing surgery to repair a “non-union of the scaphoid bone” in his right wrist, the team said. Danilovic, a native of Serbia who is in his first NBA season, will be in a cast for two to three months.