Bulls Are Stifling to Heat

Playing their first game without Toni Kukoc, the Chicago Bulls got big nights from Elton Brand and Hersey Hawkins and put together one of their best defensive efforts of the season Thursday night as they beat the Miami Heat, 83-76, at Chicago.

“This was a real big win for us for many reasons, including the mental health of our team,” Coach Tim Floyd said. “With Toni gone, we needed to show we could win without him, especially against a team like Miami.”

Brand, the No. 1 pick in last year’s draft, led the Bulls with 26 points and 10 rebounds. Hawkins, who had only scored in double figures once in the 13 games since he returned from the injured list, had 20 points and a season-high nine rebounds.

Chris Carr added a season-high 16, including six during a key stretch in the third quarter.

Chicago, which might actually be a better team defensively without Kukoc, held the Heat to 41% shooting and to its second-lowest point total of the season.

Alonzo Mourning led Miami with 15 points and 11 rebounds, but he was well below his season average of 22.6 points. Tim Hardaway had 14, and Jamal Mashburn added 12 points.

“It’s very devastating when you lose to teams like this,” Hardaway said. “We feel like we’re an elite team, but when you lose to a team like this, I don’t know.”

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Utah 119, Sacramento 108--Karl Malone had 30 points and 13 rebounds at Salt Lake City.

John Stockton added 22 points and 10 assists. He pushed his NBA-record assists total to 13,500 on a crosscourt pass to Jeff Hornacek for Utah’s first basket of the game.

Hornacek also had 22 points and made all four of his three-point attempts as the Jazz won for the third time in its last 10 games. Sacramento has lost five of its last six road games.

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Dallas 106, Detroit 97--Steve Nash scored 14 of his 18 points in the fourth quarter as the Mavericks, playing without suspended Dennis Rodman, won at Dallas.

Rodman was serving a one-game suspension as a result of his ejection in Tuesday night’s loss to Milwaukee.

Dirk Nowitzki led Dallas with 22 points, 12 rebounds and five assists. Michael Finley and Cedric Ceballos each had 21 points.

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Indiana 92, Milwaukee 90--Mark Jackson’s three-point basket with 5.3 seconds left gave Indiana a win at Milwaukee, the Pacers’ fourth straight win and the Bucks’ fourth straight home loss.

Indiana led the entire game until Sam Cassell’s driving layup with 1:12 to play gave Milwaukee a 90-89 lead. After the teams exchanged misses, Reggie Miller drove the lane and passed to a wide-open Jackson, who drained the three-point attempt.

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Cleveland 119, Denver 101--Earl Boykins came off the bench to set career highs with 22 points and 10 assists and Lamond Murray added 24 points for the Cavaliers at Cleveland.

The 5-foot-5 Boykins, a Cleveland native whose 10-day contract expired after the game, sparked the Cavaliers with a solid all-around game, earning a rare standing ovation from the Gund Arena crowd.

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Around the League

In papers filed with the United States Bankruptcy Court in San Jose earlier this month, the defunct American Basketball League said it has plans to file an antitrust suit against the NBA, parent company of the WNBA. The ABL operated from 1996 to 1998 before filing for bankruptcy. In a letter to the league’s former players, head coaches and general managers, ABL Chief Executive Officer Gary Cavalli said the suit depends upon approval of the league’s joint plan of reorganization in bankruptcy court, for which a hearing is scheduled March 14 in San Jose.