The Cleveland Cavliers just won't go away.
Sure, they've slipped out of the Central Division lead, but they keep hanging around, taking advantage of back-to-back losses by division-leading Charlotte since the All-Star break.With All-Star forward Tyrone Hill the latest injured Cavalier, Cleveland pulled within half a game of the Hornets with a 106-85 victory over Milwaukee on Thursday night.
Despite an injury list that includes Brad Daugherty (back), leading scorer Mark Price (wrist) and Gerald Wilkins (torn Achilles tendon), the Cavaliers, whose players have missed 124 games due to injury, improved to 30-19.
Chris Mills had 23 points and Bobby Phills 22. Terrell Brandon added 18 points and Michael Cage got 15 rebounds as the Cavaliers snapped a three-game road losing streak.
Milwaukee was led by Glenn Robinson's 22 points. Todd Day and Eric Murdock each added 17.
Nets 100, Nuggets 94
Kenny Anderson was back looking like his old self.
Making his first start in almost three weeks, he had 20 points and 15 assists as New Jersey handed Denver its fourth straight loss.
Rockets 105, Hornets 89
Clyde Drexler had to wait a half, but he finally made his debut with Houston.
Because of a delay with the results of Otis Thorpe's physical in Portland, Drexler couldn't play for his new team until the third quarter at Charlotte.
Hakeem Olajuwon scored 29 points and grabbed 14 rebounds. Drexler, traded Tuesday for Thorpe, finished with eight points, five rebounds, two assists and two turnovers.
Knicks 96, Heat 87
Patrick Ewing and New York used a big second quarter to beat Miami.
Ewing scored 13 of his 22 points in the decisive quarter, outscoring the entire Heat team, which scored only 11 points. Anthony Mason added 22 points and 14 rebounds for the visiting Knicks, who lost three of their previous four.
Derek Harper, who scored 11 points in the first quarter, finished with 20 for New York. Glen Rice had 33 for the Heat, and Kevin Willis had 20 points and 16 rebounds.
Kings 98, Lakers 82
In a meeting of two of the NBA's most-improved teams, Sacramento ended Los Angeles' four-game winning streak behind Walt Williams' 18 points.
Olden Polynice had 17 points and 16 rebounds for the Kings.
Eddie Jones paced the Lakers with 18 points. Vlade Divac scored 17 points and Sam Bowie a season-high 14 for Los Angeles.