Miller Still the Pacers’ Hotshot

The Indiana Pacers used 10 three-point shots, including seven by Reggie Miller, to shoot their way out of a three-game skid and defeat the Phoenix Suns, 117-104, Friday night.

Miller finished with a game-high 33 points. He made six three-point shots and had 24 points by halftime. The former UCLA standout made his seventh three-point basket with two minutes left in the fourth quarter to set a Market Square Arena record.

“In the first half, I was trying to do something to get us motivated,” Miller said. “I was coming off screens well and they were leaving me wide open. But I took 14 threes. That’s too many.”

The Pacers made 21 of 24 free throws in the fourth quarter as the Suns tried to foul to get back in the game.

Kevin Johnson, who scored 30 points to lead the Suns, tried to keep pace with Miller.

“I don’t know if you’re ever going to be successful trying to outscore Reggie Miller,” Johnson said. “He’s one of the dominant players in the league.”

Chicago 110, Orlando 89--What used to be a premier NBA game turned into another ho-hum victory for the Bulls at Chicago.

Dennis Rodman grabbed 22 rebounds and Michael Jordan scored 22 points to lead the Bulls, who won for the 11th time in 12 games.

Toni Kukoc returned after sitting out three games because of a sprained ankle and had 18 points.

Despite appearing overmatched by the defending NBA champion Bulls, the Magic trailed only 47-45 at halftime. Magic center Rony Seikaly started off hot, scoring 19 points in the first half, but he was limited to a free throw in the second half,

The Bulls opened the third quarter with a 24-4 run and coasted to their eighth consecutive home victory.

Rodman, going for his sixth consecutive rebounding title, even helped the Bulls on offense. He scored nine of his 10 points in the third quarter.

Rodman, who averages 5.5 points, sometimes scores in transition. But Friday, he even posted up, demanded the ball and scored twice on turnaround jumpers.

Minnesota 94, Boston 84--Tom Gugliotta had 32 points and a season-high 19 rebounds and Kevin Garnett had 16 points, including three dunks, and blocked eight shots against the undersized Celtics at Boston.

The Celtics played without 6-foot-11 Dino Radja, who bruised his right leg, and seven-foot center Alton Lister, who left in the third quarter.

That left 6-11 Marty Conlon to defend against the Timberwolves’ 6-10 Gugliotta, 6-11 Garnett and 6-11 Cherokee Parks, who had 14 points.

Before the game, Celtic guard Dana Barros, who sat out the previous five games because of a sore left ankle, went on the injured list and guard Dee Brown was activated.

San Antonio 93, Denver 91--Carl Herrera made a 10-foot jump shot with 2.5 seconds left to give the Spurs their third win in a row at Denver.

LaPhonso Ellis, who finished with a career-high 30 points, had a chance to tie the score after being fouled with 0.7 seconds left, but he missed two free throws as the Nuggets fell to an NBA-worst 4-11 at home.

Atlanta 95, New Jersey 85--Christian Laettner scored 10 of his 24 points in the fourth quarter and had 11 rebounds to lead the Hawks at East Rutherford, N.J.

The Hawks had lost three in a row and five of six on the road.

Seattle 108, Vancouver 94--Gary Payton scored 14 of his 29 points in the third quarter to lead the SuperSonics at Vancouver.

Shawn Kemp, who fouled out in the final minute, had 19 points and a team-high 12 rebounds as the SuperSonics ended a two-game road losing streak.

Golden State 122, Philadelphia 114--The Warriors’ Latrell Sprewell scored 18 of his 39 points in the fourth quarter and four more in overtime at San Jose.

Sprewell also had 11 rebounds and nine assists, falling one assist short of his first triple-double of the season. He played 50 of the game’s 53 minutes.

Chris Mullin did have a triple-double for the Warriors, with 19 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists.