NBA ROUNDUP

The Houston Rockets found the way to beat an unfamiliar zone defense: run, run and run.

With Clyde Drexler scoring 16 points and leading the break, the two-time NBA champions turned a frustrating game into a blowout over the Perth Wildcats, 116-72, in the McDonald’s Championship at London.

The Rockets, playing without injured center Hakeem Olajuwon, advanced to today’s championship game against Italy’s Buckler Bologna, which defeated Real Madrid, 102-96.

The Rockets’ 44-point margin of victory was the biggest in the history of the McDonald’s tournament, now in its seventh edition. No NBA team has lost a game in the event, considered an unofficial world championship for club teams.

In the first game, former NBA forward Orlando Woolridge scored 27 points and made a key block in the final seconds to lead Buckler Bologna.