Drexler leads Blazers into playoffs

EAST RUTHERFORD, New Jersey (Reuter): Clyde Drexler scored 34 points, including three free throws in the final 28 seconds to lead the Portland Trail Blazers into the playoffs with a 109-105 victory over the New Jersey Nets on Sunday.

Rod Strickland added 18 points for Portland, which clinched a playoff berth by beating the Nets for the 15th time in 16 meetings.

Derrick Coleman had 29 points and Kenny Anderson added 25 and nine assists for the Nets, who have lost three of their last four games and dropped into the eighth and final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference battle for post-season berths.

New Jersey erased a 10-point fourth-quarter deficit on Kenny Anderson's 22-foot jumper with 42 seconds left that tied the game at 102-102.

Drexler broke the deadlock and put the Blazers ahead to stay by hitting two free throws with 28 seconds remaining.

Consecutive turnovers by the Nets enabled Portland to open a 107-102 lead on another foul shot by Drexler and a layup by Strickland.

Magic Johnson was reminded that there's no place like home as his Los Angeles Lakers crushed the Atlanta Hawks 102-89 at the Great Western Forum to raise the former superstar's record to 4-1 as coach of his old team.

The Lakers have won 11 of their last 15 overall and a season- high six in a row at home.

Elden Campbell scored 17 points to lead a balanced attack for the Lakers, who kept alive their playoff hopes. They trail eighth-place Denver by 3-1/2 games in the Western Conference with 12 games remaining.

Los Angeles led 50-43 at halftime and used an 11-1 tear to open a 66-48 lead with 5:43 left in the third quarter. They never led by less than 11 points in the fourth quarter.

Also in Los Angeles, Hakeem Olajuwon poured in 39 points to lead the Houston Rockets to a 106-98 win over the Clippers.

Dominique Wilkins scored 36 points and grabbed 11 rebounds to pace the Clippers, who have dropped five straight games.

Houston broke an 18-18 deadlock with a 10-0 run to end the first and begin the second quarter.

A Robert Horry dunk gave the Rockets their largest lead of the game at 56-34 with 57 seconds left in the first half.

Olajuwon, who scored 22 points in the first half, shot 17-of- 28 from the field and added 11 rebounds and six blocks.

Otis Thorpe had 17 points and nine rebounds and Kenny Smith collected 14 points and seven assists for the Rockets.

In Phoenix, Kevin Johnson had a monster of a game as he was responsible for 76 points in a 108-98 win for the Suns over the Denver Nuggets.

Johnson scored 42 points and dished out 17 assists to lead the Phoenix to their fifth straight win, while Denver suffered its third setback in a row.

At Detroit, Scottie Pippen led the Chicago Bulls to their first-ever season sweep of the Pistons with a 96-93 victory.

Pippen just missed a triple-double with 26 points, nine rebounds and nine assists. He scored 15 of his points in the second half as the Bulls won for the 10th time in 12 games.

Results Chicago 96, Detroit 93 Portland 109, New Jersey 105 Houston 106, LA Clippers 98 Boston 135, Philadelphia 112 LA Lakers 102, Atlanta 89 Phoenix 108, Denver 98