Hill gives Pistons a big lift

Associated Press

Rookie Grant Hill's 21 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists Friday night led the Detroit Pistons to a 104-94 victory over the Orlando Magic in Auburn Hills, Mich.

Hill's first triple-double overshadowed a 31-point, 18-rebound performance by Orlando's Shaquille O'Neal.

O'Neal and Horace Grant had five points each in a 10-2 Magic run that cut Detroit's lead to 62-60 with 5 minutes 45 seconds left in the third quarter.

Orlando, playing without injured starters Anfernee Hardaway and Nick Anderson, started to lose its poise, though, drawing three technical fouls in the quarter.

The last two, to O'Neal and coach Brian Hill, came during an 11-1 Pistons run that was capped off by consecutive dunks by Oliver Miller, Allan Houston and Lindsey Hunter.

That helped Detroit take an 83-72 lead with 12 minutes to play, but Orlando pulled to 89-86 with 8:24 left.

Grant Hill came back into the game, and two quick baskets and two assists led Detroit's 10-2 run to give them an 11-point lead with 2 minutes left.

Houston led the Pistons with 25 points and Joe Dumars had 15.

Hardaway missed the game with an inflamed esophagus. Anderson is sidelined with a concussion suffered in the Magic's previous game.

Atlanta 102, Indiana 90: Steve Smith scored 26 points, including a 21-point outburst in less than 5 minutes during the third quarter, as the Hawks beat the Pacers for the first time this season in their game in Atlanta.

Smith scored all of Atlanta's points while hitting 5 three-point shots in the 4:48 span.

Chicago 97, Cleveland 88: Michael Jordan struggled, but he got plenty of help from his teammates in a victory in Chicago.

The Bulls shot 51% despite Jordan's 9-of-27 performance. Jordan still scored 28 points, his high at the United Center, and added nine assists and eight rebounds as the Bulls improved to 7-2 since he came out of retirement March 19.

Scottie Pippen scored 25 points to lead the Bulls.

Dallas 111, Minnesota 94: Jamal Mashburn scored 31 points and Jason Kidd added 11 points, 13 assists and 10 rebounds to lead the Mavericks in Dallas.

Mashburn scored 23 points while the Mavericks were building a 16-point halftime lead.

Dallas, which has won eight of 10, pulled to within 1 1/2 games of Denver and Sacramento in the race for the eighth and final Western Conference playoff position.

Charlotte 98, Washington 93: The Hornets set a franchise record with their 45th victory behind Alonzo Mourning's 25 points in Landover, Md.

Larry Johnson added 22 points and 11 rebounds and Hersey Hawkins 17 points for Charlotte, which won its third in a row.

Chris Webber led Washington, which lost its 10th in a row, with 23 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists, posting his second triple-double in 14 days.

Boston 91, Philadelphia 81: Dominique Wilkins hit 2 three- pointers within 29 seconds during a 14-0 third-quarter run in Boston.

Wilkins finished with 31 points and 12 rebounds. He got plenty of help from Sherman Douglas, who had 19 points and 12 assists, while Dee Brown had 13 points.

Williamson to turn pro: Corliss Williamson, who led Arkansas to the last two National Collegiate Athletic Association title games and the 1994 national championship, is turning pro.

Copyright 1995
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