NBA Roundup : Hawks Doing Best to Satisfy Turner Ultimatum to Make Playoff or Else

Before this season began, Ted Turner, owner of the Atlanta Hawks, issued an ultimatum: Make the playoffs or else.

As the NBA swings into the second half, it seems certain there will be no “or else” for General Manager Stan Kasten and Coach Mike Fratello. The Hawks appear certain to qualify for postseason play.

Kevin Willis, a seven-footer who has improved steadily at power forward, scored 20 points and had 10 rebounds led the Hawks to an easy 123-92 victory over hapless Indiana Tuesday night at Atlanta.

It was the 11th win in the last 14 games for the Hawks, while the Pacers’ road record dropped to 2-19. The Hawks’ 25-18 record is the fourth best in the Eastern Conference where eight teams qualify for the playoffs.

The Hawks, 34-48 last season, missed the playoffs by only two games. That’s one of the reasons Fratello, in his second season as coach, didn’t feel Turner’s demand was unfair.

“It wasn’t an impossible thing for him to want,” Fratello said. We expected improvement and felt that five more victories would put us in the playoffs.

“But it put the coaching staff on the spot and it put Stan on the spot. We had to produce.”

It didn’t look too promising when the Hawks began the season without starting guards Glenn Rivers and Eddie Johnson. Rivers had a broken wrist and Johnson was a holdout.

The Hawks lost three of their first four games before Johnson joined them, and when Rivers was ready to play, they were 8-11. Rivers has been a catalyst.

The real star of the Hawks, though, is Dominique Wilkins. Wilkins had 22 points, 6 rebounds and 6 assists. Rivers had 13 assists while directing a potent attack.

“When we started we thought we could have a good team, but I couldn’t honestly project when it would come together,” Fratello said. “When we lost Rivers and Antoine Carr before the season there was no telling how long it would take for us to come together. We started with five rookies, but we came together sooner than anyone anticipated.”

The Hawks made 52 of 83 shots from the field for 62.7%. The leader was Randy Wittman, who was 7-for-8. Indiana (12-32) shot only 43.5%.

New York 118, Chicago 111--Rookie Patrick Ewing celebrated his selection to the East All-Star team with the finest night of his career at New York.

Ewing, making 16 of the 24 shots he attempted, scored a career-high 37 points and had 16 rebounds. Ewing scored eight of his points in a 15-5 spurt at the start of the second half to help the Knicks to a 77-61 lead.

Two fellow rookies, Gerald Wilkins (24) and Bob Thornton (12), also had career highs.

Quintin Dailey may have worked his way out of the Bulls’ doghouse when he came off the bench to score 38 points and keep the Bulls in the game. But George Gervin, who scored 45 points Monday night at Dallas, made only one basket in 10 shots and had only two points in 17 minutes.

Houston 116, Cleveland 109--Roy Hinson, the Cavaliers’ 6-9 forward kept pace with the Twin Towers (Akeem Olajuwon and Ralph Sampson) at Houston, but Allen Leavell came off the bench to help the Rockets extend their home record to 24-1.

Hinson, making 11 of 15 shots from the field, and 17 of 20 from the line, scored 39 points, while Olajuwon had 21 and Sampson 18 to match his total.

After the lead changed hands eight times in the first 4 1/2 minutes of the fourth quarter, Sampson and Leavell scored consecutive baskets to put Houston in front to stay.

In 16 minutes, Leavell scored 13 points.

Sampson had 13 rebounds and Olajuwon had 12 as the Rockets controlled the boards.

Phoenix 136, Portland 130--The Suns moved rookie Ed Pinckney and veteran Walter Davis into the starting lineup, and both played a big part in the victory at Phoenix.

Davis scored 33 points, 14 of them in the fourth quarter to turn back the Trail Blazers furious closing rally.

Pinckney had a career-high 24 points.

Sacramento 125, Denver 120--Terry Tyler scored four of his season-high 26 points in the last 24 seconds at Sacramento to preserve a victory for the Kings.

The Kings took the lead four minutes into the game and led the rest of the way. But a three-pointer by Wayne Cooper cut the lead to a point with 14 seconds left. Tyler was fouled and clinched the win by sinking two free throws.

Philadelphia 106, Seattle 99--Charles Barkley had 18 points and 21 rebounds at Seattle to lead the 76ers to their 18th victory in the last 21 games. The 76ers, leading only 92-91 with 4:32 left, went on a 14-0 spurt, six by Julius Erving, to clinch the game.

New Jersey 117, Golden State 113--Darryl Dawkins came off the bench to score 26 points to spark the Nets to victory over the Warriors at Oakland.

Dawkins hit all nine shots he took in the first half, and the Nets went ahead by as many as 24 points in the second period.