Rockets Start Fast, but Strickland Has a Big Finish for Spurs, 111-110

The San Antonio Spurs, in their second season with David Robinson, have served notice: No lead is too much for them to overcome.

The Houston Rockets, with Akeem Olajuwon putting on a show, built a 60-42 lead a few minutes before halftime at San Antonio Saturday night. But a three-point play by Rod Strickland with 3.3 seconds left gave the Spurs a 111-110 victory.

In the season opener, the Spurs had spotted the Lakers a 14-point lead in the first quarter and stormed back to win by 11. Compared with this game, the opener was merely routine. In this they cut it about as close as possible.

Strickland, playing his first game of the season, sank a three-point basket with 14 seconds left. Then, with the Spurs still trailing, 110-108, he drove the baseline, made the layup and was fouled by Olajuwon. Strickland, who missed all the exhibition season and the first three games with a stress fracture of his fibula, made the free throw to win it, the last of his 27 points.

“I just wanted to make something happen,” Strickland said. “There was no set play. I didn’t realize until it was over how sore my leg is.”

Robinson had 32 points and Olajuwon, who fouled out trying to stop Strickland at the end, had 27 and 10 rebounds.