NBA ROUNDUP : Perry’s Free Throw Lifts Suns Over Magic

The much-awaited meeting between the NBA’s two best teams was as tight as tight can be, until two old high school teammates got tangled up.

With the scored tied at 110-110 in overtime, Elliot Perry of the Phoenix Suns was trying to shake off former Memphis (Tenn.) Treadwell High teammate Anfernee Hardaway and get open for a game-winning shot. But Hardaway fouled him as he took a desperation 18-footer with four-tenths of a second to play and Perry’s free throw gave the Suns a 111-110 victory over the Orlando Magic on Sunday at Phoenix.

“I was surprised they called a foul in that situation,” said Perry, who also made a key three-point basket in overtime. “On the play before, I thought (Hardaway) got me pretty good and they didn’t call anything.”

After making the first free throw, Perry tried to miss the second. But his shot didn’t hit the rim, so Orlando got the ball back. The Magic couldn’t get a shot off before the buzzer.

“It came down to me and him,” Hardaway said, “and after working out with him this summer and knowing him for so long, I would have never thought that it would come down to this--for him to make a free throw to beat our team.”

Hardaway had 16 points and 10 assists for Orlando. Shaquille O’Neal scored 24 for the Magic, which lost for only the eighth time in 40 games, and Dennis Scott scored all 23 of his points in the second half.

Dan Majerle of the Suns led all scorers with 28 points and Charles Barkley had 25 points, 14 rebounds and nine assists.

“All the media hyped this game so much that it was a big game for us,” said Magic forward Horace Grant. “But the loss means nothing. It’s just another one of 82 games we play this season and I told the guys that.”

Indiana 98, San Antonio 93--The Pacers, who got 16 points from Rik Smits, survived a costly blunder in the closing seconds at Indianapolis.

A three-point basket by Sean Elliott of the Spurs with 17 seconds to play cut Indiana’s lead to four points. But the Pacers’ Sam Mitchell was ejected after a flagrant foul when he shoved the Spurs’ Dennis Rodman out of bounds.

Rodman made one of two free throws, and the Spurs retained possession. But San Antonio couldn’t capitalize on the opportunity as Elliott missed a three-point shot and Indiana’s Haywoode Workman was fouled on the rebound.

Workman scored the final two points on free throws.

Chicago 100, Houston 81--Hakeem Olajuwon was limited to a season-low 15 points on two-for-18 shooting and B.J. Armstrong led a balanced Bull attack with 20 points at Chicago.

Minnesota 100, Charlotte 83--Doug West scored 21 points at Minneapolis as the Timberwolves handed the Hornets only their second loss in 12 games.

Washington 109, New Jersey 103--Rex Chapman made seven three-point shots and scored a season-high 35 points and rookie Juwan Howard added a season-best 27 to lead the Bullets at East Rutherford, N.J.

Notes

Sick of trade rumors and reports that he was unhappy, Derrick Coleman said that he wants to play his entire career with the New Jersey Nets and eventually lead the club to an NBA championship. . . . Dallas Maverick forward Roy Tarpley is scheduled to meet today with representatives from his after-care program, hoping to clear up questions about his recent demeanor. As a condition for returning to the NBA after a three-year absence for violating the league’s drug policy, Tarpley undergoes daily tests for alcohol, heroin and cocaine.