NBA Playoffs Roundup : Bullets Come Back to Beat 76ers, Forcing a Showdown

The Washington Bullets welcomed back Jeff Ruland Thursday night at Landover, Md., but it was another Jeff--Malone--who was instrumental in keeping the Bullets’ alive in the playoffs.

Malone scored 14 of his 32 points in the fourth quarter, and it was his running one-hander with 43 seconds left that put the Bullets ahead as they beat the Philadelphia 76ers, 116-111, to force a final game in the best-of-five series Sunday at Philadelphia.

Ruland, who underwent arthroscopic surgery on his knee April 1, played 26 minutes. His presence helped the Bullets lead in rebounds for the first time in four games. In the first three games, the 76ers had almost total control of the backboards.

The Bullets led most of the game, but Maurice Cheeks and Julius Erving sparked a rally that wiped out a nine-point deficit and gave the 76ers a 111-109 lead with 91 seconds left. The 76ers never scored again.

Ruland sank a short jumper to tie the score and was fouled. He missed the free throw, but Dudley Bradley knocked the rebound off Charles Barkley’s leg. The ball caromed out of bounds, and the Bullets retained possession. Bradley passed to Malone, who sank the tie-breaker.

Cliff Robinson, who blocked a shot and stole the ball in the final minute, also scored the last basket to give him a playoff career-high of 31.

Meanwhile, the 36-year-old Erving played 43 grueling minutes, finishing with 25 points, 7 rebounds and 6 assists. Cheeks led the losers with 30 points.

Malone shook a postseason slump to take the starring role. The second-leading scoring guard in the regular season, had made only 23 of 68 shots from the field in the first three games.

In this one, he was 12 for 24 and his 14 points in the last quarter were one more than he scored in the entire third game, won by the 76ers.

“Malone came out of his slump at just the right time,” Bullets Coach Kevin Loughery told UPI. “He had been struggling for the last few games of the regular season. Tonight he shot great, especially in the second half when the 76ers put on heavy pressure.”

Denver 116, Portland 112--Lafayette Lever came to the rescue at Portland, and the Nuggets overcame a 16-point deficit to win and advance to the second round of the playoffs. The 3-1 victory in the best-of-five series pits the Nuggets against Houston in a best-of-seven series beginning Saturday at Houston.

When the Trail Blazers zoomed into an early 16-point lead, and were still in front by 13 well into the third quarter, it appeared this series would go the limit.

But Lever, the playmaking guard, went to the attack. He scored 19 of his 30 points in the third quarter to get the Nuggets into the game.

It was a basket by Lever with 2:59 left that gave the Nuggets their first lead, 108-107. A basket by Dan Schayes made it a three-point lead, but Jim Paxson sank a three-pointer and it was 110-110.

Alex English scored the next four points to clinch the victory. Between the two scores by English, Clyde Drexler was called for a charging foul. It probably cost the Blazers a chance to win. But, the charge knocked out T. R. Dunn and he had to be helped off the court.