NBA Roundup : Washington Is Learning How to Win Without Moses

The Washington Bullets are learning to play without Moses Malone.

In a March 10 game that the dominating center left early because of a neck injury, the Bullets were humiliated by New Jersey.

They also lost a March 11 game against Milwaukee with Manute Bol starting at center. Lately, though with the 7-6 Bol intimidating the shooters and forwards Terry Catledge and Jay Vincent pacing the attack, the Bullets have adjusted.

Catledge scored 20 of his 25 points in the first half at Landover, Md., Thursday night and Vincent scored a season-high 29 to lead the Bullets to a 110-106 victory over Seattle, the Bullets third win in the last four games without Malone.

Catledge, who has scored 111 points in the five games Malone missed, had 12 points in a 34-10 opening run by the Bullets. He had been averaging that many in a game before his hot spell. He also had 14 rebounds.

Bol blocked only three shots, but the SuperSonics rushed their shots and often tossed them higher than usual. They shot only 41.8% from the field. The worst offenders were Tom Chambers, the MVP of the All-Star game, (3 for 9) and Dale Ellis (3 for 12).

New York 111, Indiana 105--At a time when the Knicks began to hope that Bernard King might someday rejoin them, they lost another player, center Patrick Ewing.

Ewing slipped on a wet spot on the Madison Square Garden floor halfway through the first quarter and suffered a sprained left knee. He will have X-rays taken today.

Without a big man, the Knicks trailed, 81-73, after three quarters. But Trent Tucker and Gerald Wilkins sparked a rally and the Knicks won in overtime with Tucker scoring six of his 22 points.

The Pacers, who haven’t won on the road since Feb. 20 at Atlanta, almost lost it in regulation. But Herb Williams sank a jumper with one second left to tie it, 102-102.

In the first quarter Eddie Lee Wilkins, who replaced Ewing, and Indiana center Steve Stipanovich were involved in an altercation. They exchanged words, then Stipanovich hit Wilkins in the face. Neither was tossed out.

Dallas 105, Sacramento 104--Rolando Blackman, who made two free throws after regulation time ran out to send the All-Star Game into overtime, came through in the clutch again at Sacramento.

Blackman sank two free throws with 23 seconds left to thwart a tremendous rally by the Kings. A 14-2 spurt in the closing minutes had given the Kings a 104-101 lead. But Dallas center James Donaldson made two free throws with 56 seconds left and when the Kings missed a shot, Blackman was fouled and won the game.

Golden State 125, Portland 124--Joe Barry Carroll scored 10 of his 31 points in the final 4 1/2 minutes to lead the Warriors at Oakland. The Trail Blazers, trailing 124-117 with a minute left, rallied but fell a point short.