Nine Is Enough For Suns

The Phoenix Suns didn’t have many players available, but the ones they had were enough to beat the Charlotte Hornets, 102-90, on Friday night at Phoenix.

Forward Robert Horry and backup center Joe Kleine were en route to the Lakers in trade, and newly acquired guard Jason Kidd is injured, which left Phoenix with nine players.

One of them was Wesley Person, who started his first game at forward and had 27 points--19 of them in the first quarter--and 15 rebounds.

He had plenty of help from Kevin Johnson, who added 20 points, 10 of them in the fourth quarter.

Phoenix was 15 for 18 from the free throw line in that period to end a five-game losing streak.

“We have been losing a lot of close games and winning this one was real good for our morale,” Johnson said, referring to the fact that three of the five losses were by three points or less and two were in overtime.

The newest Suns, forward Cedric Ceballos and guard Rumeal Robinson, arrived for the game but couldn’t suit up until they take physical examinations today.

Ceballos, a former Sun, received standing ovations when he walked onto the court in street clothes twice in the third quarter.

Glen Rice scored 25 points for Charlotte, and Anthony Mason added 17 points and a game-high 18 rebounds.

Chicago 116, Milwaukee 101--Dennis Rodman scored 16 points and had 26 rebounds for the Bulls, both highs in a Chicago uniform, and said he was just doing his job.

“A little baby can hit a 10-foot shot. Why not me?” said Rodman, who normally doesn’t shoot.

“I didn’t want to [shoot before Friday night in Milwaukee] because it wasn’t exciting for me. But now it’s exciting me. I’m getting paid $9 million. I’ve got to give $9 million worth.”

The Bulls are the first NBA team with 30 victories his season.

Indiana 108, Denver 89--Reggie Miller, who had missed the previous game because of flu, scored 18 points; and Rik Smits, playing in only his second game after surgery on both feet in September, scored 16 as the Pacers thumped the cold-shooting Nuggets in Denver.

Detroit 84, San Antonio 78--Grant Hill took only 10 shots but scored 19 points and had 10 rebounds for the Pistons, who won at home against a Spur team that was missing David Robinson, Sean Elliott, Dominique Wilkins and Chuck Person because of injuries.

New York 111, Boston 98--Patrick Ewing had 31 points and 15 rebounds in Boston, where the Celtics had matchup problems.

For much of the night, Ewing, a 7-footer, contended with Antoine Walker, who is 6 feet 8 and who was held to four points and seven rebounds.

Walker played center because of the loss to injury of centers Pervis Ellison and Dino Radja.

It was the Knicks’ 16th consecutive victory over the Celtics.

Houston 120, Philadelphia 99--Clyde Drexler scored 31 points, Akeem Olajuwon 26 points and Charles Barkley had 18 points and 25 rebounds for the Rockets, who tuned up for tonight’s game against the Chicago Bulls with a win in Philadelphia.