NBA ROUNDUP : Thorpe Scores 40 as Rockets Go 17-1

Otis Thorpe took up the scoring slack for foul-plagued Hakeem Olajuwon with a career-high 40 points, leading the Houston Rockets to a 121-102 victory over the Charlotte Hornets on Tuesday night at Houston.

Olajuwon played much of the game in foul trouble and finished with 13 points and five fouls. Thorpe fouled out with 2:42 to play, but not before assuring the Rockets of their 17th victory in 18 games.

“Hakeem was in foul trouble and I knew that I had to come around and establish myself in the offense,” Thorpe said. “I hadn’t been too involved in the offense and that was partly my fault.”

Houston’s 17-1 record equals Milwaukee’s season-opening records in 1970-71 and 1971-1972. New York’s 23-1 start in 1969-70 is the NBA record and Portland is second with a 19-1 start in 1990-91.

Indiana 105, Sacramento 87--Reggie Miller scored 22 points and reserve Kenny Williams scored 16 at Indianapolis as the Pacers handed the Kings their seventh consecutive loss.

Byron Scott made three of 10 shots and had eight points in his Pacer debut.

The Kings, playing for the third game in a row without leading scorer Mitch Richmond, who is sidelined because of a sprained toe, failed to score a point for the first 6:20 of the fourth quarter and didn’t make a shot in the quarter until the 4:37 mark, when Pete Chilcutt made an 18-footer.

Miami 106, Dallas 101--Glen Rice scored 10 of his 29 points during a third-quarter surge at Dallas, helping the Heat hand the Mavericks their 13th consecutive loss.

Derek Harper scored a season-high 33 points for the Mavericks, who fell to 1-16. Harper kept the Mavericks in the game by making five three-point shots.

Jamal Mashburn scored 19 points and Popeye Jones grabbed 13 rebounds for Dallas.

Orlando 91, Detroit 89--The Magic, rallying from a 17-point deficit, set an NBA record by holding the Pistons to six points in the fourth quarter at Orlando.

The Magic trailed, 83-66, entering the fourth quarter, but they outscored the Pistons, 25-6, in the final 12 minutes, capped by Anfernee Hardaway’s three-point basket with 11 seconds to play.

Detroit eclipsed the previous low for points in the fourth quarter, seven by Houston against the Lakers on Nov. 15, 1991.

Cleveland 109, Portland 100--Rookie Chris Mills scored a season-high 22 points and John Williams shook off a shooting slump to score 21 at Richfield, Ohio.

New Jersey 117, Boston 90--Chris Morris, playing in only his sixth game of the season, scored 20 points to lead the Nets at East Rutherford, N.J.

Golden State 95, Denver 90--Latrell Sprewell scored nine of his 23 points in the second quarter as the Warriors, who have won six of their last seven games, built a 20-point lead at Oakland.