European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - December 22, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 26 b the stars and stripes sunday december 22, 1991celtics topple jazz 112-101 by the associated press Boston a the Boston celtics won their 11th straight Home game and the Utah jazz dropped to 0-21 lifetime at Boston Garden As Larry Bird scored 10 of his 20 Points in the fourth Quarter in a 112-101 Victory Friday night. Boston which leads the Atlantic division has won 12 of its last 14 games. Utah the Midwest Leader had its three game winning Streak stopped As it lost for just the second time in 10 games. With the celtics ahead 98-94, Bird s third 3-Pointer opened a seven Point Lead with 2 47 left. Karl Malone who led All scorers with 39 Points hit a Field goal but Bird followed with a Layup making the score 103-96 with 2 22 remaining. In other games Friday pistons 112, lakers 93 Auburn Hills Mich. Joe do Mars scored 28 Points and Dennis Rodman grabbed 22 rebounds As Detroit won its third straight. The pistons scored less than 100 Points in 13 of their first 26 games. But they have scored 100 or More in their last five averaging Over 108 during that time.76ers 127, heat 99 Philadelphia a Armon Gilliam and Charles Barkley each scored 31 Points As Philadelphia routed Miami. Gilliam hit 12 of 15 shots from the Field and finished with his highest Point total of the season. Barkley made 10 of 13 shots and also had eight assists for Philadelphia which shot 57 percent from the  99, hornets 95 Charlotte . Kenny Smith scored 23 Points including two free throws in the closing seconds As Houston edged  122, Hawks 99 Atlanta a Rookie Terrell Brandon came off the Bench and scored 19nba Points As surging Cleveland beat Atlanta. Cleveland a reserves shot 67 percent from the Field and outscored Atlanta s Bench 71-39. The Cavaliers won for the 10th time in 14 games. Bulls 115, nets 98 East Rutherford . Horace Grant scored 12 of his career High 28 Points in the decisive third Quarter As Chicago gained its 10th Victory in 11 Road games. Bullets 107, Mavericks 99 Dallas a hot shooting Pervis Ellison scored 11 of his 31 Points in the fourth Quarter to Lead Washington Over Dallas. Suns 116, spurs 91 Phoenix a Jeff Hornacek scored 28 Points and Phoenix used a 24-2 first half run to beat san Antonio. David Robinson had 20 Points and 16 rebounds for the spurs who Tost their second straight to the suns. Warriors 123, Trail blazers 118 Oakland Calif. A Chris Mullin scored a season High 40 Points and Golden state held off a late Portland rally to beat the Trail blazers for its fourth straight Victory. Trailing 103-84 with nine minutes left Portland Cut the Lead to 112-109 with 2 56 remaining on a slam Dunk by Buck Williams. But a tip in by Billy Owens and a free throw by Sarunas Marciulionis gave the warriors a 115-109 Lead with 1 59 left. The warriors never led by less than five Points the rest of the Way As Mullin helped Clinch the Victory with four free throws in the final 37 seconds. Tim Hardaway had 28 Points 12 assists and eight rebounds for Golden state while Owens had 17 Points and 10  leaving door to All Star game open Auburn Hills Mich. A magic Johnson is leaving the door open for a possible appearance in the Aba All Star game in mid february. Johnson who retired from the los Angeles lakers after testing positive for the virus that causes aids said at a news conference Friday that he would like to play in the game. His name is on the All Star ballots. A i done to know what a going to happen election Wise a said Johnson who is accompanying the lakers on their current Road trip. A if in a elected. Ill have to see what Aba commissioner David Stern has to say. So there a really no sense talking about it. Well have to wait and  Johnson said his doctor does no to want him to play. A a so right now i m not playing a Johnson said. A a we in Sec about later. Ill take my doctors advice. But i can do what i want to do. A i retired because i wanted to. I did no to have to. In a not saying ill go against my doctor. A i want to live. Its not just wanting to play a basketball game. Plus i have another person to consider now. My wife wants me to stay off that basketball floor. She wants me chasing her and that baby around not chasing a  Johnson said his main purpose in making the trip with the team was to thank the Media for its coverage of his Story. He also said he intends to lean heavily on president Bush to release More Money for the fight against aids. A a a a a in a going to put pressure on Bush when i meet him face to face in january to allocate More funds Quot Johnson said. A because if he does no to then in a not going to be on his commission. In a not going to be used. In a not going to let anybody use me. If nothing happens believe me. Ill be off just that fast. My fight is about people a Larry Bird drives Karl Malone into a pick set Fay Kevin Mchale Friday night. Capitals spurt past Leafs by the associated press Landover my. A the Washington capitals extended the Toronto Maple Leafs wingless Streak to six games Friday night As Randy Burridge and Peter Bondra got the key goals in a 4-3 Victory. Michal Pivonka s goal with 12 41 left turned out to be the game Winner As the first place capitals 30-1 in their last four games increased their Patrick division Lead Over the Idle new York rangers to six Points. Second period goals by Burridge and Bondra enabled the capitals to pull out of a 1-1 tie and Washington never let the Maple Leafs get even after that in completing a 3-0 sweep of the season series. Mike Foligno Gary Leeman and Dave Ellett scored for the Maple Leafs 0-5-1 since their last Victory on dec. 7. Toronto went o-for-5 on the Power play and is 1-for-20 in its last four games. Leemans sixth goal of the season made it 3-2 with 15 15 left but Pivonka answered by tipping a rebound past goalie Grant Fuhr. Ellett then beat Don Beaupre on a snapshot with 12 minutes remaining but Beaupre preserved the Victory by kicking aside two successive shots in the final 45 seconds. Fuhr and Beaupre dominated the opening 17 minutes of the first period until both teams scored in a 46-second Span. Washington a Alan May put in a rebound of his own shot with 2 39 left and Foligno countered with a wrist shot from the Slot that skipped off defend scan Mike Lalore a stick and Over Beauprez a right shoulder. A Power play goal by Burridge gave Washington a 2-1 Lead at 2 01 of the second period. After Fuhr stopped a 50-foot slap shot by Kevin Hatcher he lost sight of the rebound As Burridge stuffed it in. The assist gave Hatcher nine Points in his Las National hockey league nine games and put him into 10th place on the capitals All time scoring list with 287 Points. It became 3-1 at 9 28 when Bondra took a slap shot from the top of the left Circle that hit Fuhres leg pad then dribbled along the ice and into the net. In the Only other nil game Friday sabres 4, oilers 4, tie Buffalo . A Tony Tanti scored three goals including two in the final period As Buffalo tied Edmonton extending the sabres wingless Streak to 12 games. The sabres Are 0-8-4 since their last Victory. Pat Lafontaine played for Buffalo for the first time since nov. 16, when he sustained a broken jaw in a game against Calgary. Tantius hat trick began with a first period goal and was his first with Buffalo. Brad May scored the sabres other goal. Bernie Nicolls scored two goals for Edmonton in the first period before being ejected from the game in the final minutes of the second period for spearing. Petr Klima and Craig Simpson added one goal apiece for the oilers. Buffalo trailed 4-2 in the third when Hawer Chuk took a shot from the Blue line that Tanti deflected m on a Power play at 1 43. Three minutes later Tanti took the puck off the boards and scored his third goal from in close on the right slide. Klima quieted the sabres fans rousing Welcome for Lafontaine when he flicked a goal in from nine feet out on a breakaway just 42 seconds into the game