NBA ROUNDUP : Olajuwon Returns in Style in Rockets’ Victory

Hakeem Olajuwon returned after sitting out eight games with anemia by scoring 35 points and grabbing 10 rebounds to rally the Rockets to a 112-99 victory over the Portland Trail Blazers Thursday night at Houston.

Olajuwon and Vernon Maxwell both returned to the lineup after sitting out eight games because of iron deficiency anemia. Maxwell left the game late in the second quarter complaining of shortness of breath and didn’t return.

Olajuwon, who fouled out with 55 seconds left, scored 14 points in the third quarter when the Rockets took command in beating Portland for the first time this season in four games.

“I feel much better, but my blood count is still not normal,” Olajuwon said. “I’m just trying to prepare myself for the playoffs. I struggled early and then I got into the flow.”

In his second game against his former team, Clyde Drexler scored 23 points, including two crowd-pleasing dunks during Houston’s fourth-quarter charge. Former Rocket Otis Thorpe received a standing ovation when he entered the game in the first quarter.

New York 110, Washington 100--Patrick Ewing scored 25 points, including the 18,000th of his career, as the Knicks handed the Bullets their franchise record-tying 13th consecutive loss at New York.

Ewing became the 37th player in NBA history to eclipse the plateau. Charles Smith scored 19 points, Hubert Davis 17 and Greg Anthony had 16 points and seven assists. New York’s bench outscored Washington’s reserves, 58-26.

Chris Webber scored 27 points for the Bullets, who have not won since beating Cleveland on March 17.

Boston 119, Orlando 114--Dino Radja scored six of his 29 points in a decisive 13-3 run as the Celtics improved their playoff chances with a victory over the Magic at Boston.

With their sixth victory in seven games, the Celtics moved 1 1/2 games ahead of Milwaukee for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.

Sherman Douglas had 25 points, Dee Brown and Derek Strong 18 each and Xavier McDaniel 14.

Shaquille O’Neal had 26 points, but missed nine of 11 free throws, including four in a row in the fourth quarter, as the Magic lost their fourth consecutive road game.

Utah 121, Golden State 102--Karl Malone had 29 points and 15 rebounds and John Stockton added 22 points for the Jazz at Salt Lake City.

The victory moved the Jazz within 1 1/2 games of Western Conference-leading San Antonio and was Utah’s 55th of the season, tying a club record.

Philadelphia 102, New Jersey 94--Dana Barros led six 76ers in double figures with 22 points and had 13 assists as the Nets were virtually eliminated from the playoffs at Philadelphia.

Shawn Bradley had 17 points and 12 rebounds for the 76ers, his ninth double-double in his last 10 games. Kenny Anderson had 25 points and Armon Gilliam 21 for the Nets, who are five games behind Boston for the final playoff berth with five games to play.

Miami 85, Cleveland 84--Keith Askins made three free throws just before a scoreless final minute to lift the Heat, which had trailed by 16 points in the third quarter at Miami.

Glen Rice led the Heat with 22 points. Mark Price had 20 points and Tyrone Hill added 18 points and 11 rebounds for Cleveland, which lost its eighth consecutive road game.

Seattle 133, Dallas 112--Gary Payton scored 24 points and Detlef Schrempf added 22 at Tacoma, Wash., as the SuperSonics defeated the Mavericks for the eighth consecutive time.

The Sonics outscored the Mavericks, 42-20, in the second quarter and led, 73-47, at halftime. Dallas, which lost for the third time in four games, never got closer than 20 points after the second quarter.

Shawn Kemp added 18 points and 19 rebounds for Seattle.