NBA Roundup : It’s a Big Deal Now That Rockets Beat Celtics

All through the All-Star weekend, Akeem Olajuwon and his teammates were telling everyone who would listen that the Houston Rockets were ready to challenge the best in the National Basketball Assn.

Since the Rockets knocked the Lakers out of the playoffs in the spring of 1986, NBA people have been hearing that Houston was the team of the future.

But somehow, the Twin Towers, Olajuwon and Ralph Sampson, never meshed and the Rockets never developed into a wonder team.

When Sampson went to Golden State in a blockbuster trade, there were no early signs the trade, in which Houston got playmaker Sleepy Floyd and big man Joe Barry Carroll, had improved the Rockets.

The Rockets won three in a row before the All-Star game, including an impressive win at Dallas. Nobody, except the Rockets were excited. The Rockets had to beat one of the big teams, if they wanted attention.

The Rockets had to overcome a fabulous performance by Larry Bird Tuesday night at Houston to beat a big one----the Boston Celtics, 129-120.

Bird, making 17 of his 27 shots, had 44 points and 15 rebounds and kept the Celtics within striking distance throughout.

But, Olajuwon had 30 points and a game-high 16 rebounds and Floyd, scoreless in the first half, scored 14 key points in the stretch.

The Rockets led, 67-60, at halftime as a result of 20 points and 9 rebounds by Olajuwon. Bird scored eight points in a row in the third quarter and brought the Celtics even, 77-77.

Then, Floyd and Purvis Short, another former Warrior, led a 17-9 spurt that gave the Rockets a 96-88 lead after three quarters.

Kevin McHale had 28 points and 12 rebounds for the Celtics, but aside from Bird and McHale, the rest of the Celtics had just 48 points and 12 rebounds.

After the Rocket reserves outscored the Celtic reserves, 45-7, Celtics’ Coach K. C. Jones was impressed.

“They take one guy out and here comes another,” he said. “They’ve got Short and Joe Barry coming off the bench. How many footprints can someone put on your butt?”

Detroit 89, Chicago 74--The Pistons shut down Michael Jordan at Chicago and held the Bulls to their lowest output of the season.

Jordan scored 10 points in the first quarter, then only 10 more the rest of the game. He made only one basket in the last quarter and, not surprisingly, there was no rally by the Bulls.

The Bulls were 1 for 13 from the field in the second quarter, and Jordan was 7 for 22 for the game.

Bill Laimbeer scored 17 points and had 18 rebounds to give the Pistons control of the game.

Atlanta 112, Philadelphia 110--Under new Coach Jim Lynam, the 76ers played with considerably more spirit than they have been playing in recent games--but it still wasn’t enough.

Dominique Wilkins scored 49 points at Atlanta, including a layup with two seconds left that handed the 76ers, who fired Matt Guokas Monday, their 11th consecutive defeat on the road.

Charles Barkley of the 76ers almost matched Wilkins. He scored 47 points, but he missed his last two shots.

With the score tied, 110-110, Barkley missed a jumper and the Hawks called time out with three seconds left. Scott Hastings lobbed a pass to Wilkins over Andrew Toney and Wilkins scored the winning basket. Just before the final buzzer, Barkley tried a three-pointer, but it hit the rim and bounced away.

Dallas 124, Utah 93--The Mavericks, after losing four games in a row, welcomed the All-Star break. Obviously, it did them some good, too.

The leaders of the Midwest Division bounced back at Dallas to score their most one-sided victory of the season.

The Mavericks led by 10 points in the third quarter, but a three-point bomb by Derek Harper triggered a 21-4 spurt that broke the game open.

The Jazz had won four in a row.

Washington 126, New Jersey 117--With Moses Malone out because of a chipped bone in his left wrist and Jeff Malone out because of an eye irritation, it was an overtime struggle for the Bullets at Landover, Md.

Bernard King scored a season-high 34 points, but it was six points in overtime by Steve Colter that led the Bullets to victory.

The Bullets, who had lost three in a row, expect to be without Malone for at least four more games.

Milwaukee 112, Cleveland 104--Terry Cummings scored 29 points and Sidney Moncrief had 18 at Milwaukee.

Brad Daugherty scored 19 points for the Cavaliers, but neither he nor Ron Harper scored in the last quarter.

Denver 136, San Antonio 108--Alex English scored 11 points in the first three minutes of the second half at Denver and the Nuggets soared to their fifth victory in a row.

With an 11-point lead after three quarters, Denver went on a 16-4 spurt to clinch it.

It was the 10th loss in the last 12 games for the Spurs.

Golden State 117, Sacramento 99--Ralph Sampson played the kind of game the Warriors expect him to play and, as a result, they romped to their second win in a row at Oakland.

Sampson had a season-high 34 points, 14 rebounds and 7 assists. He also blocked three shots.

Chris Mullin had 27 points for the Warriors.

Portland 139, Seattle 123--Kiki Vandeweghe, in his third game since returning from a back injury, came off the bench at Portland to score 33 points and lead the Trail Blazers to victory.

Vandeweghe made a pair of three-pointers during a three-minute span in the third quarter when the Trail Blazers outscored Seattle, 16-7, and built a 100-79 lead with 2:31 left in the quarter.