NBA ROUNDUP : Thorpe Just Too Much for Knicks

Akeem Olajuwon and Patrick Ewing played to a draw, but the New York Knicks didn’t count on Otis Thorpe.

Thorpe had 21 points and 26 rebounds as the Houston Rockets broke the Knicks’ six-game winning streak with a 124-105 victory Thursday night at Houston.

Olajuwon had 25 points, 15 rebounds and eight blocked shots to Ewing’s 33 points and 13 rebounds in the battle of big men.

Sleepy Floyd added 27 points and 10 assists for the Rockets.

Thorpe and Olajuwon put on a show in the first half, leading the Rockets to a 64-53 lead. Thorpe had 13 points and 18 rebounds at the half and Olajuwon added 13 points and seven rebounds.

Ewing scored 14 of his 16 first-half points in the first quarter.

The Rockets built their lead to 86-70 before New York rallied, outscoring Houston, 18-8, over the final 5:07 of the third quarter.

The Rockets, who slumped in the fourth quarter of their last three games, pulled away from the Knicks in the final eight minutes, outscoring New York, 20-13.

Olajuwon, in his sixth NBA season, got his 10,000th career point on a free throw in the first quarter.

Atlanta 130, Orlando 123--Kevin Willis scored 11 of his 30 points in the final 7:15 and the Hawks held off the Magic at Orlando.

The Magic trailed nine different times by 17 points before twice cutting the deficit to two on baskets by Michael Ansley in the final quarter, the last at 102-100 with 7:37 left.

Then Willis, who also had 17 rebounds, went to work, scoring seven of Atlanta’s next nine points as the Hawks built a 10-point lead with under than six minutes remaining.

Dominique Wilkins had 32 points for the Hawks, 24 in the first half. Moses Malone added 22 points. Reggie Theus scored 32 points for the Magic, Ansley added 24 and Terry Catledge had 23.

Seattle 103, New Jersey 92--Derrick McKey had 31 points and 14 rebounds at East Rutherford, N.J., as the SuperSonics handed the Nets their 12th consecutive loss.

It was Seattle’s fourth consecutive victory on the road after a 2-17 start away from home.

Purvis Short had 25 points for New Jersey. Dana Barros added 25 for Seattle and Xavier McDaniel scored 18.

Golden State 113, Washington 107--Tim Hardaway scored 24 points and Chris Mullin added 23 as the Warriors beat the Bullets at Oakland for their 15th consecutive home victory.

Jeff Malone scored 30 points, and Bernard King and Harvey Grant had 24 each for the Bullets.