No Dream, Olajuwon Returns for Rockets

All of the Rockets were back on the court Tuesday night at Houston, and the result was apparent.

There was Charles Barkley, who scored 25 points and grabbed 15 rebounds.

There was Clyde Drexler, who added 20 points.

And there, after 33 games of being elsewhere, was Hakeem Olajuwon, who had 10 points and six rebounds in 19 minutes of a 110-97 victory over Vancouver.

Olajuwon has been sidelined since having knee surgery Nov. 24.

“It obviously gives us a physical lift, but he also gives us just as much of a mental lift,” Barkley said. “He’s like anybody else. He’s not in the best game condition. That’s going to take time, probably three weeks to a month but he’s going to be a big help.”

Olajuwon’s return was emotionally uplifting to a crowd that accorded him a 60-second standing ovation when he entered the game late in the first quarter.

Shareef Abdur-Rahim had 30 points to lead the Grizzlies, who lost their fifth in a row.

San Antonio 105, Golden State 96--Tim Duncan scored 34 points and David Robinson had 23 for the Spurs, who used a 20-4 run in the last seven minutes to rally to a victory at Oakland.

The Warriors, who had a seven-point lead with 7:17 left, were held to 10 fourth-quarter points. It was their ninth loss in a row at home and 18th in the past 19 games overall.

Indiana 115, Sacramento 93--Rik Smits had 18 points and eight rebounds for the Pacers, who won at Sacramento and took over first place in the Central Division with their seventh victory in a row.

The Kings lost for the seventh time in 10 games.

Portland 98, New Jersey 97--Alvin Williams made a free throw with 6.5 seconds left to lift the Trail Blazers at Portland.

It was their seventh victory in 10 games.

Charlotte 93, Boston 89--Vernon Maxwell, only hours removed from his home in Gainesville, Fla., and unemployment, made the go-ahead basket with 55 seconds to play to send the Hornets to a victory at Charlotte.

Maxwell, signed after Charlotte lost three shooting guards because of injuries, scored five of the Hornets’ last seven points to help them to their fifth victory in six games.

Orlando 91, Atlanta 90--Bo Outlaw’s jump shot in the lane with 1.1 seconds to play capped a 23-point, 17-rebound performance and gave the Magic a victory at Orlando, Fla.

The game-winning shot came after Atlanta’s Mookie Blaylock blocked Mark Price’s off-balance jump shot and Outlaw retrieved the ball in the lane.

Milwaukee 82, New York 78--Michael Curry made three long jump shots in the fourth quarter and Tyrone Hill grabbed a crucial rebound and sank two free throws with 2.6 seconds to play to lift the Bucks to a victory at Milwaukee.

Terrell Brandon had 20 points for the Bucks, who won their sixth game in a row.

Phoenix 110, Toronto 105--Antonio McDyess had 24 points and 14 rebounds and Rex Chapman scored 23 points for the Suns, who won on the road for the fourth consecutive game.