NBA Roundup : Celtics Make It a Sweep Over Rockets

The Boston Celtics completed a sweep of this season’s games between last year’s National Basketball Assn. finalists, beating the Houston Rockets, 99-92, Thursday night at Houston.

The Celtics, playing their seventh road game in 10 days, improved their record on the trip to 5-2, getting 30 points and 12 rebounds from Robert Parish, 21 points and 12 rebounds from Kevin McHale and 16 points and 11 rebounds from Larry Bird.

Steve Harris came off the bench to lead Houston with a career-high 22 points.

The Celtics, who won last season’s championship series in six games and routed the Rockets, 122-99, in this season’s earlier meeting, used a 10-2 third-quarter spurt to take the lead for good.

Houston’s Akeem Olajuwon, who scored 15 points, was forced to the bench midway through the fourth quarter when he picked up his fifth foul, including four in the quarter.

Detroit 117, Seattle 105--Adrian Dantley and Isiah Thomas scored 28 points apiece at Pontiac, Mich., as the Pistons handed the SuperSonics their eighth straight loss.

The victory, Detroit’s fourth in its last five games, gave the Pistons (33-17) a one-game lead over idle Atlanta in the Central Division.

Dale Ellis led Seattle with 31 points. Xavier McDaniel added 29.

New York 120, Cleveland 105--The Knicks ended a four-game losing streak, getting 29 points from Gerald Wilkens and 20 from rookie Kenny Walker at New York.

Playing without regulars Gerald Henderson and Bill Cartwright, the Knicks dealt Cleveland its 13th straight road loss.

Wilkens, who made 13 of 21 shots and had 12 assists, scored 10 points during a 17-9 third-quarter spurt that gave the Knicks a 79-69 lead.

Golden State 110, New Jersey 106--Joe Barry Carroll scored 22 points, and Chris Mullin had 20 at East Rutherford, N.J., as the Warriors, winning for only the fourth time in 14 games, ended an eight-game road losing streak.

The Nets lost for the 17th time in 19 games.

Portland 124, Phoenix 108--Kiki Vandeweghe scored 35 points and Clyde Drexler scored 30 as the Trail Blazers romped at Phoenix.