NBA ROUNDUP : Rockets Remain Unbeaten

Hakeem Olajuwon said team defense has given the Houston Rockets the best record in the young NBA season.

“The beautiful thing about this team is it’s different people every night doing something extra,” said Olajuwon, after the Rockets ran their record to 8-0 with a 99-83 victory over the Indiana Pacers on Thursday night at Indianapolis.

Otis Thorpe scored a season-high 24 points, including 16 in the third quarter, and grabbed 11 rebounds as Houston matched its best start of nine years ago.

“Otis was the key tonight,” Olajuwon added, “and Vernon Maxwell made all the key baskets.”

Olajuwon had 19 points, 10 rebounds and five blocked shots for the Rockets and moved into third place on the NBA career list with 2,476 blocks.

Maxwell added 18 points, including a four-for-seven effort from three-point range.

The Pacers managed only 14 fourth-quarter points, their lowest output this season. It was the third game in a row that Houston has held an opponent to fewer than 15 points in the fourth quarter.

Pacer guard Reggie Miller did not play because of a sprained left ankle. Although his streak of 345 consecutive starts ended, he still figured in the box score, getting a technical foul and an ejection for yelling at an official from the bench late in the game.

Denver 100, Cleveland 93--Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf had 22 points and Bryant Stith scored seven of his 20 in the final 3:56, including the tiebreaking layup with 50 seconds left at Denver.

Reggie Williams’ dunk with 2:40 left put the Nuggets ahead, 92-91, and they never trailed again.

LaPhonso Ellis blocked a shot by Cleveland’s Chris Mills before Stith converted a layup on the fast break to put Denver ahead, 95-93, with 50 seconds left.

John Williams scored 20 points and Brad Daugherty 19 for the Cavaliers.

Portland 120, Chicago 98--Rod Strickland had nine points and six assists during a second-quarter offensive explosion at Portland as the Trail Blazers scored their most lopsided victory over the Bulls.

The Trail Blazers shot 68% and outscored the Bulls, 35-15, in the second quarter to take a 64-36 halftime lead.

Portland led by as many as 37 points in the third quarter and 36 in the fourth.