Suns’ Johnson Passes Milestone

Only four Suns who had last played against Denver on Nov. 26 were in a Phoenix uniform Tuesday night. The other eight have been traded or are injured.

But one of the players who bridged the gap was Kevin Johnson, who had 25 points and 16 assists in a 110-101 victory over the Nuggets at Phoenix.

And one of the newcomers was actually an oldtimer in a Suns uniform. Cedric Ceballos was back, traded last week from the Lakers, and he scored 23 points for his new/old team.

But the night belonged to Johnson, whose feed of Wesley Person for a third-quarter dunk put him in an elite club of 16 NBA players who have accumulated 6,000 assists.

“I had tons of energy in the first half and I couldn’t make a shot, but I really like the tempo we created,” Johnson said. “Thank goodness I was able to make some plays down the stretch.”

Rookie center Loren Meyer contributed season-highs of 18 points and 11 rebounds for Phoenix, which has won three in a row and nine of its last 11 games. It beat Denver for the first time in three tries this season.

The Nuggets tied the game once in the fourth quarter, 82-82 on a three-point shot by LaPhonso Ellis with 10:33 left. But Johnson’s three-point play highlighted a 7-0 run, and Denver never got within four points again.

Chicago 108, Washington 107--Michael Jordan scored 39 points, including eight in the final two minutes, and Dennis Rodman reached 10,000 rebounds in the Bulls’ victory at Chicago.

Jordan’s basket with 3:29 to play gave the Bulls a 95-94 lead that they did not relinquish.

Scottie Pippen added 25 points and made three key three-point baskets in the final quarter for the Bulls, who won their seventh in a row.

Houston 106, New York 86--Charles Barkley had 29 points, 12 rebounds and no fights with Charles Oakley in the Rockets’ win at Houston.

The Rockets snapped a four-game losing streak to the Knicks, and Barkley scored and talked trash to Oakley, who had been fined $10,000 and suspended for two games after slamming Barkley to the floor in an October exhibition game.

Atlanta 95, Minnesota 93--Mookie Blaylock made two free throws with five-tenths of a second to play to extend the Hawks’ home winning streak to 14 games.

Sam Mitchell hit one of two free throws with seven seconds left to tie it at 93. On Atlanta’s next possession, Blaylock drove the lane and drew a foul from Mitchell to set up Atlanta’s seventh consecutive victory overall.

Boston 116, Golden State 108--Rick Fox scored 23 points, Eric Williams had 21 and both made key baskets down the stretch for the Celtics, who broke a two-game losing streak by winning at home, even though they had only eight players available.

Portland 95, Detroit 86--Arvydas Sabonis, who almost sat out the game because of a sore back, had 16 points, 13 rebounds and four blocks for the Trail Blazers in a victory at Portland.

Isaiah Rider scored 22 points to lead Portland in double figures. The Trail Blazkers won for the sixth time in seven games.

Indiana 105, Sacramento 98--Mitch Richmond scored 17 of his 37 points in the third quarter and seven more in overtime to lead the Kings to a victory at Sacramento.

Richmond’s off-balance driving bank shot put the Kings ahead to stay, 99-98, with 57 seconds to play in overtime.