SuperSonics Lower Boom on Olajuwon, Rockets

The Seattle SuperSonics, through the opening round of the playoffs for the first time in three seasons, looked like a team that intended to make up for lost time.

And Hakeem Olajuwon suddenly looked very old.

“I didn’t think we’d slow him down that much, but I think it was the team defense,” SuperSonic center Ervin Johnson said. “He looked tired.”

Blanketing Olajuwon with two and three defenders, the SuperSonics showed their regular-season domination of the Houston Rockets was no fluke with a 108-75 victory Saturday in the opener of their Western Conference semifinal.

Seattle’s 33-point victory was its biggest in the playoffs and it also was the worst postseason loss for the two-time defending champions.

Olajuwon, 33, was held to six points in 34 lackluster minutes by a defense that swarmed all over him in the post. It was his lowest playoff total, five fewer than he scored against the Lakers on April 29, 1990.

“You think about it,” Johnson said. “We’ve got three centers against him. The Dream is good at what he does. We can’t stop him completely, but we can slow him down.”

Game 2 of the best-of-seven series will be played in Seattle on Monday night. Then the series switches to Houston for Games 3 and 4 next Friday and Sunday.

Olajuwon, who had averaged 28.1 points in 111 career playoff games and was the most valuable player of the NBA finals the last two seasons, can expect more double- and triple-teams.

“Our plan is to double him, from everywhere, from everybody,” SuperSonic guard Hersey Hawkins said. “He has no idea who’s coming. Sometimes it’s going to be a big hit, sometimes it’s going to be a little hit. You know, we don’t even know.”

Olajuwon said it wasn’t a matter of what he didn’t do, it was a matter of what Seattle did do. He credited the SuperSonics’ trapping defense for stopping him.

“They’re determined to get the ball out of my hands,” Olajuwon said. “So we have to adjust our system. They’re coming at me even before the ball is thrown to the low post.”

Teammate Clyde Drexler said Olajuwon has to become more selfish in order for the Rockets to have a chance to beat the SuperSonics.

“He’s so unselfish and conscious of not forcing shots,” Drexler said. “Your top scorer has got to get up more shots than he did [nine].”

Houston Coach Rudy Tomjanovich promised some adjustments for Game 2 to get Olajuwon more scoring opportunities.

“There’s no defense that’s ever been devised in this game that can stop everything,” Tomjanovich said.

SuperSonic Coach George Karl agreed.

“All we’ve done is begin the chess match,” he said.

Seattle, which was 4-0 against the Rockets during the regular season, got 28 points from Gary Payton and 17 points and 12 rebounds from Kemp.

Robert Horry led the Rockets with 18 points.