After a sputtering start, the Portland Trail Blazers are back where they believe they belong.
Clyde Drexler, the only Portland starter who didn't struggle in the first half of the season, scored 39 points Tuesday night as the Trail Blazers reclaimed first place in the Pacific Division with a 124-116 overtime victory over the Golden State Warriors."For us, it's been a long time coming," Drexler said. "Now that we're here, we have to work hard to stay here. It's only going to matter if we play hard and not let it slip away."
Portland, in first place for one day on Dec. 4, is 15-4 since Dec. 13. The Blazers took advantage of consecutive home losses by the Warriors, who had been in first in the division since Dec. 19.
"It's going to be a battle all year between the Warriors, us and Phoenix," Portland coach Rick Adelman said. "Clyde was just tremendous."
Tim Hardaway had a season-high 37 points and 13 assists and Chris Mullin scored 28 points, with both playing the entire 53 minutes for the Warriors.
Hawks 110, 76ers 109
Atlanta won at home, but lost a lot more when Dominique Wilkins went down for the season with a ruptured Achilles' tendon (see full story on B4).
The Hawks nevertheless rallied from a 16-point deficit to snap Philadelphia's five-game winning streak on Blair Rasmussen's 22-footer with 25 seconds remaining.
Spurs 109, Bulls 104
San Antonio snapped Chicago's 13-game winning streak behind Terry Cummings' season-high 30 points and David Robinson's 21 points, 13 rebounds and eight blocked shots.
Michael Jordan led the Bulls with 39 points, including 25 in the second half, while Scottie Pippen finished with 21.
Pistons 100, Hornets 95, OT
Detroit won at Charlotte behind Dennis Rodman's 32 rebounds, the most in the NBA since Charles Oakley had 35 in 1988.
Rodman, who raised his league-leading rebound average from 17.4 to 17.8, tipped in a missed shot with 4:02 left in overtime, giving the Pistons the lead for good. Rodman had 27 rebounds at the end of regulation, tying a career high.
Celtics 98, Bullets 87
At Landover, Md., Reggie Lewis scored 20 points as Boston handed Washington its sixth consecutive loss.
Lewis scored six points in the opening four minutes of the fourth quarter to stake the Celtics to a lead they never lost. Boston, playing without injured stars Larry Bird and Kevin McHale, got 17 points apiece from Ed Pinckney and Sherman Douglas.
SuperSonics 102, Magic 97
Seattle won for the first time in three tries under new coach George Karl as Eddie Johnson scored a season-high 39 points at Orlando. Johnson scored 13 of the SuperSonics' final 17 points, including two baskets and a steal in the final minute.
Rockets 111, Timberwolves 102
At Houston, guard Avery Johnson, who joined Houston on Jan. 10, scored 11 of his career-high 22 points in the fourth quarter as Minnesota lost its ninth consecutive loss.
Hakeem Olajuwon had season highs of 34 points and 23 rebounds and Otis Thorpe scored 24 points for the Rockets.
Kings 124, Nets 118
Mitch Richmond scored 23 points and Lionel Simmons 22 as Sacramento shot 60 percent from the field against New Jersey.
Derrick Coleman had 33 points and 14 rebounds for the Nets.