LANDOVER, Md. -- The surgeon who reconstructed Bernard King's right knee will be receiving a gift in the mail courtesy of the Washington Bullets' resurgent forward.
'My doctor (New York surgeon Norman Scott) four years ago said to me if I ever scored 40 points after my surgery, I owed him the game ball,' King said after smoking the New Jersey Nets for 43 points in a 104-96 victory Tuesday night. 'The game ball is sitting in my locker and it's going into the mail tomorrow, so he'll be getting that.'
The point total, which included 19 in the first period, was the highest since King sustained extensive cartilage and ligament damage in his knee in March 1985 while playing for the New York Knicks. Scott rebuilt the knee, paving the way for King to continue his basketball career.
'It is something special. I'm not going to try to say it's not,' King said of surpassing the 40-point barrier for the first time since leading the NBA in scoring with a 32.9-point average during the 1984-85 season.
'Hell, I had a devastating knee injury four years ago and I don't think even in my wildest imagination I would ever think that I would have the ability to really get back at this level,' King added.
King's performance comes on the heels of his signing a new two-year, $3 million contract with Washington last Friday.
Washington's victory was its 14th straight on its home court.
'He's been playing this way for quite a while -- the whole year,' Bullets Coach Wes Unseld said of King. 'When he gets the ball, he's just been doing some good things. I also thought he made some tremendous passes along with his scoring drives.'
Added Nets Coach Willis Reed: 'I understand why the Bullets re-signed Bernard. They must be very happy.'
King's first period output on 5-of-6 shooting from the field and 9-of-9 shooting from the free throw line matched the record for the Bullets since the team moved from Baltimore in 1973 (also set by Elvin Hayes in 1977 and Ricky Sobers in 1983).
King, in his secind year with Washington since New York refused to re-sign him, hit on 14-of-24 shots from the field and 15-of-16 shots from the free throw line for the game.
King's first period performance helped the Bullets establish a 29-25 lead at the end of the period.
Jeff Malone then scored 16 of his 29 points in the second quarter, two points shy of the club record for points in a second quarter. Malone scored eight points and King four during a 12-3 run over the final 3:04 of the second period that opened a 61-47 halftime lead.
Washington, 35-37, has not been beaten at home since absorbing a 113-102 setback against Milwaukee on Feb. 4. The Bullets have also won three straight overall to pull within 2 1-2 games of Boston for the final Eastern Conference playoff berth.
New Jersey, 24-50, has lost 13 straight on the road, last winning away from the Meadowlands on Feb. 17, and four straight overall. The Nets also have lost nine straight games at the capital Centre dating back three seasons.
The Bullets built a 19-point third period lead on consecutive baskets by Charles Jones. New Jersey used a 13-2 streak to pull within 75-67 with 3:59 left in the third period, but got no closer than eight points the rest of the way.
Corey Gaines scored 18 points to lead New Jersey, while Buck Williams added 16.
