Third-Period Burst Provides Magic Touch

Anfernee Hardaway scored 15 of his 24 points in the third quarter Tuesday night, leading Orlando to a 101-98 victory over Detroit at Auburn Hills, Mich., and a three-game sweep of their opening-round playoff series.

The Magic will meet the winner of the Atlanta-Indiana series in the second round.

It was the first playoff sweep in Orlando’s seven-year history. The Pistons have been swept three times, the last coming at the hands of the Chicago Bulls in the 1991 Eastern Conference finals.

In each game, the Magic put away the Pistons with a surge in the third quarter. Game 1 was tied at the half and the Magic led by three at halftime of Game 2.

Orlando outscored Detroit 30-22 in the third quarter of Game 3 and outscored the Pistons by a combined 87-58 in the third quarters of the series.

Shaquille O’Neal went to the bench with his fourth personal foul and the Magic leading 57-55 with 9 minutes, 18 seconds left in the third quarter. But the Magic, led by Hardaway’s six points, went on a 16-6 run over the next 6 minutes and led by 11 at the end of the period.

Magic 101, Pistons 98

Orlando (101) - Scott 6-10 3-4 18, Grant 7-10 2-2 16, O’Neal 4-13 5-9 13, Anderson 7-14 6-10 22, Hardaway 7-17 8-9 24, Shaw 0-4 0-0 0, Koncak 1-1 0-0 2, Wolf 2-3 0-0 4, Bowie 1-1 0-0 2. Totals 35-73 24-34 101.

Detroit (98) - Hill 4-8 9-11 17, Thorpe 5-9 5-6 15, West 3-4 1-3 7, Houston 11-25 9-10 33, Dumars 6-14 1-1 15, Curry 1-2 0-0 2, Reid 0-0 0-0 0, Mills 1-7 4-4 6, Hunter 1-2 0-0 3, Ratliff 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 32-71 29-35 98.

Orlando 27 24 30 20 - 101 Detroit 18 30 22 28 - 98

3-Point goals-Orlando 7-18 (Scott 3-6, Anderson 2-5, Hardaway 2-5, Shaw 0-2), Detroit 5-20 (Dumars 2-7, Houston 2-8, Hunter 1-2, Curry 0-1, Mills 0-2). Fouled out-None. Rebounds-Orlando 51 (Grant 16), Detroit 42 (Thorpe 13). Assists-Orlando 17 (Hardaway 5), Detroit 16 (Dumars 7). Total fouls-Orlando 32, Detroit 30. Technicals-Detroit coach Collins 2, Detroit illegal defense, Orlando illegal defense. Ejection-Detroit coach Collins. A-20,386 (21,454).

Rockets 104, Lakers 98 Houston

Hakeem Olajuwon scored 30 and Houston used a late 13-0 run to beat Los Angeles for a 2-1 lead in their opening-round playoff series.

Olajuwon, who fouled out with 10 minutes left in the Rockets’ loss in Game 2, stayed out of foul trouble in Game 3, committing two personals.

He scored six points during Houston’s decisive run in the fourth quarter, when the Lakers went scoreless for 6 minutes and 20 seconds.

The Rockets can wrap up the best-of-five series with a victory Thursday night at the Summit.

Reserve Sedale Threatt scored 10 straight points for the Lakers, helping them take an 89-86 lead with 8:22 left in the game. But then the Lakers went cold and the Rockets got hot.

Houston’s Robert Horry sank a 3-pointer to it with 8:06 remaining, starting the 13-0 run that put the Rockets ahead 99-89.

L.A. Lakers (98) - Ceballos 6-11 3-3 16, Campbell 8-11 2-3 18, Divac 4-9 2-2 11, Jones 7-12 1-2 16, Van Exel 5-16 0-0 12, Johnson 2-9 3-4 7, Peeler 3-10 0-0 8, Threatt 4-8 0-0 10. Totals 39-86 11-14 98.

Houston (104) - Horry 6-12 0-0 15, Brown 4-7 0-0 8, Olajuwon 12-27 6-7 30, Drexler 6-12 4-8 16, Smith 2-5 0-0 4, Cassell 4-10 1-2 9, Elie 5-9 2-2 14, Bryant 4-6 0-0 8. Totals 43-88 13-19 104.

LA Lakers 28 27 20 23 - 98 Houston 34 22 24 24 - 104

3-Point goals-Los Angeles 9-28 (Van Exel 2-5, Peeler 2-6, Threatt 2-6, Divac 1-2, Jones 1-3, Ceballos 1-4, Johnson 0-2), Houston 5-16 (Horry 3-7, Elie 2-3, Smith 0-1, Drexler 0-2, Cassell 0-3). Fouled out-None. Rebounds-Los Angeles 49 (Campbell 10), Houston 52 (Horry 10). Assists-Los Angeles 25 (Johnson 13), Houston 29 (Drexler 11). Total fouls-Los Angeles 18, Houston 15. A-16,285 (16,285).

Around the NBA

The wife of the late Reggie Lewis has filed a lawsuit against the team of cardiologists that said the Boston Celtics star eventually could return to basketball after he collapsed during a playoff game.

Donna Harris-Lewis claims in a suit filed in Suffolk Superior Court that Dr. Gilbert Mudge Jr. of Brigham and Women’s Hospital and three associates were negligent in telling Lewis he could play again.

Lewis collapsed during an April 29, 1993, playoff game in Boston Garden. He died three months later, on July 27, 1993, after being stricken a second time while shooting baskets with friends at a Brandeis University gym.

Three patrons of the China Club are charging in a $54 million lawsuit that they were beaten and injured in the nightclub last summer by New York Knicks forward Anthony Mason and three club employees.

Alice Kupferberg, lawyer for the plaintiffs, said one of her clients was cut just under his left eye with a broken champagne bottle and another, a woman who was celebrating her 30th birthday, was pushed over a table.

Kupferberg said the fracas began with arguing, shoving and hitting at Mason’s table in the club on the Upper West Side around 3:45 a.m. on July 25, 1995. She said her clients, part of a party of eight, tried to leave when the melee spilled over to their table.

Oliver Miller has filed for his free agency, leaving the NBA Toronto Raptors with an unexpected $2.5 million windfall… . Miami Heat center Dan Schayes will sit out tonight’s playoff game against the Chicago Bulls after an examination revealed fractures on the right side of his face. Schayes, who suffered the injury during an April 23 practice.

Washington Bullets general manager John Nash resigned under pressure after a six-year tenure in which he acquired an impressive collection of talent but never succeeded in getting the franchise back to the playoffs. No replacement was named.