Nothing Goes Right for Rockets

Just what the Houston Rockets needed: a blowout loss and another lost superstar.

Charles Barkley, unable to play on an injured foot, joined Hakeem Olajuwon among the injured Rockets and Houston lost to the Cleveland Cavaliers, 100-70, Tuesday night at Cleveland.

Barkley left the game with 3:27 remaining in the second quarter. X-rays on his right foot were negative, but Barkley did not return and said the injury could be a stress fracture of the middle toe.

“I got hurt last night [at Toronto]. I tried to play, but I couldn’t,” said Barkley, listed as day-to-day. “I’ll have more tests [today] to know exactly what it is. Right now I can’t play. I can’t do anything.”

With Barkley in the dressing room and Olajuwon on the injured list, Houston had its most lopsided loss of the season and third-lowest point total in team history. The Rockets, the second-highest scoring team in the NBA, shot only 33% and managed only five points in the final 8 1/2 minutes.

“It’s tough right now with the Dream out,” Barkley said of Olajuwon. “Hopefully, I’ll be able to play by the end of the week.”

Derek Anderson scored 19 points with flu, Brevin Knight had 12 points and eight assists and Shawn Kemp had 14 points and 12 rebounds for the Cavaliers.

Dallas 108, Denver 90--One team had lost 15 in a row, the other had lost 13 in a row. Something had to give.

That something turned out to be the Nuggets, who stayed winless on the road this season as Dennis Scott scored 28 points and made three three-point baskets in a key third-quarter run for the Mavericks at Dallas.

Dallas broke its 15-game losing streak and handed Denver its 14th consecutive defeat.

Denver was able to get only as close as 88-80 with 8:10 left on Harold Ellis’ dunk. Samaki Walker scored six of Dallas’ next eight points to push the advantage to 96-84.

Utah 98, Philadelphia 95--Greg Ostertag blocked 11 shots and Karl Malone scored 21 points and made four free throws in overtime at Salt Lake City.

Allen Iverson banked in a three-point shot with 2.8 seconds left in regulation to tie the score at 88-88, capping a furious 21-5 run by Philadelphia in the final 9:40 of the fourth quarter.

Philadelphia had a 93-92 lead with 2:35 left in overtime before Malone and Jeff Hornacek were perfect on six shots from the line. Derrick Coleman missed a three-point attempt with three seconds left.

Phoenix 81, Indiana 80--Rex Chapman scored 18 points and the Suns--despite Cliff Robinson missing 11 of his final 12 free throws--ended the Pacers’ 10-game home winning streak.

Chapman missed a three-point basket with 10 seconds left, setting up Indiana for a shot at the win. But Travis Best missed a baseline runner at the buzzer.

Chicago 90, Boston 79--Dennis Rodman grabbed 20 rebounds and Toni Kukoc scored nine of his 19 points during a decisive second-half run at Chicago.

Kukoc also had eight rebounds and six assists and Michael Jordan scored 19 for Chicago, which has won 11 of its last 12 games and improved its NBA-best home record to 17-1.

Rodman had at least 20 rebounds for the eighth time this season and the seventh time in 11 games.

Seattle 102, Charlotte 81--Aaron Williams had a career-high 20 points and Gary Payton added 18 to lead the SuperSonics at Seattle.

The SuperSonics won their sixth in a row and 12th time in 13 games to improve their NBA-best record to 27-6.

Vlade Divac scored a season-best 25 points and Glen Rice had 19 for Charlotte, which beat Seattle twice last season.

Williams, a third-year pro signed as a free agent during the exhibition season, came off the bench to surpass his previous best of 16 points. He also had eight rebounds in 25 minutes.