Drexler Gets 41, Olajuwon 40, Other Rockets 42 : NBA playoffs: It adds up to a 123-106 victory over Jazz, tying series, 2-2.

For the third time in NBA playoff history, teammates scored 40 points apiece as Clyde Drexler had 41 and Hakeem Olajuwon 40, and the Houston Rockets staved off first-round playoff elimination Friday night with a 123-106 victory over the Utah Jazz, tying the series, 2-2.

The decisive game will be played Sunday at Salt Lake City.

A boisterous sellout crowd waved “Clutch City 95” banners as the Rockets took charge early, Olajuwon scoring a club-record 18 points in the first quarter.

“We came out with confidence, relaxed, moved the ball and shot well,” Olajuwon said. “We were just on top of our game. As (for) Game 5, the pressure’s on them. It’s do or die.”

Olajuwon used his full repertoire, hitting jumpers, turnarounds and a jump hook in the first half. Then Drexler, who had two points in the first quarter, took over, scoring 12 second-quarter points as the Rockets ran to a 67-51 halftime lead. Houston shot 70% and made 15 of 16 free throws.

“We tried to exploit their defensive weaknesses,” Drexler said. “Game 5 will be like a chess match. We wanted to push the pace. When we push the pace, we seem to have more success.”

Utah was never ahead, and the Rockets never gave them a chance. Houston had a 99-78 lead to start the fourth quarter, and the Jazz couldn’t challenge. Houston hit 57.4% of its shots in the game.

Karl Malone led the Jazz with 31 points, and John Stockton had 26 points and 11 assists.

“We got beat every way you could get beat,” Jazz Coach Jerry Sloan said. “They showed a lot of heart, but we were aware of their toughness. We couldn’t deal with Olajuwon or Drexler at all.”

It was the second double-40 game for Olajuwon, who scored 41 as Sleepy Floyd scored 42 against Dallas in the 1988 playoffs. In the only other playoff double-40, Elgin Baylor had 45 and Jerry West 41 for the Lakers in 1962.

Olajuwon hit 14 of 22 shots, Drexler 12 of 18 as they accounted for all but 42 of the Rockets’ points.

“They just scored a lot of points,” Malone said. “I didn’t see any change that they did to us. That’s why we’re not going to change anything. As a player, you can’t change what you are doing.”