Sonics Streak Past Rockets Enter All-Star Break With 34-12 Record

The Seattle SuperSonics made it seven consecutive victories over the Houston Rockets, getting 22 points each from Shawn Kemp and Gary Payton in a 99-94 win Tuesday night.

The Sonics beat the two-time defending NBA champions for the second time in four nights. They won in overtime 104-103 in Houston on Saturday night.

Clyde Drexler topped the Rockets with 24 points.

The Sonics finished with a 34-12 record at the All-Star break, the best in the Western conference. They’re 20-2 in the KeyArena.

The last Seattle loss to Houston came on March 10, 1994. The Sonics now have beaten the Rockets five straight times in Seattle.

Hakeem Olajuwon and Sam Cassell each scored 21 points for the Rockets, who got 13 rebounds from Drexler.

For Seattle, Detlef Schrempf scored 17 points and Sam Perkins added 14.

After Eldridge Recasner’s 18-footer with 2:37 to go cut Seattle’s lead to 92-91, Kemp hit three free throws and Schrempf one.

The Sonics were called for an illegal defense and Drexler sank a free throw on the technical foul. But Payton drove around Recasner on the baseline and scored a layup for a 98-92 lead with 25.3 seconds left.

Rescasner, formerly of the University of Washington, scored 16 points for the Rockets.

Seattle had a 9-0 run for a 56-52 edge. After Perkins’ 3-pointer for a 70-63 Sonics lead, Mark Bryant made a basket and Drexler sank three free throws at the end of the third quarters.

The Sonics led 50-44 at halftime despite a 13-point second quarter by Cassell and a 12-point first quarter by Olajuwon.

Seattle outscored the Rockets 14-6 in the final 3:47 of the second quarter, with Schrempf getting all nine of his first-half points. The Sonics scored eight of the first 10 points of the second quarter for a 29-19 advantage, before Houston came back to take the lead 38-36 on two free throws by Cassell.

Nice break

No member of the Seattle SuperSonics is looking forward to Wednesday’s All-Star break more than guard Nate McMillan.

McMillan is hopeful the six-day rest will ease the pain in his surgically repaired left ankle.

To maximize the rest period, McMillan will spend the break at his Eastside home with his family.

Except for a few players, including Shawn Kemp and Gary Payton who will play in the All-Star game in San Antonio, the rest of the Sonics are spending the break with their families.

Swingman David Wingate is traveling to Charlotte, N.C., to check on his home there and to his hometown, Baltimore, Md., to spend time with his parents and eight siblings.

Forward Steve Scheffler will spend the break in Grand Rapids, Mich., with his fiancee, Kim, and his parents and three siblings.

Rookie Eric Snow plans to return to his alma mater, Michigan State, Wednesday night for the Michigan State-Ohio State basketball game. Then, he’ll spend the rest of the break at his Canton, Ohio, home with his parents, six siblings and fiancee.

Guard Hersey Hawkins is traveling to Mexico with his wife, Jennifer.

“I just want to relax and get away from basketball for five days,” he said. “We’re going to get away by ourselves to relax without the kids.”

Center Ervin Johnson and his wife, Renee, will travel to Las Vegas to celebrate their one-year anniversary.

Three players have to tend to business over the break. Vincent Askew is traveling to Newport Beach, Calif., to meet with his new agent, Leigh Steinberg.

Schrempf and Frank Brickowski will be in San Antonio for NBA players’ union meetings. Schrempf is a union vice president and Brickowski is the Sonics’ player rep.

Schrempf hopes to convince union leaders to hire professionals to aid their search for a replacement for union executive Simon Gourdine. SuperSonics 99, Rockets 94

FG FT Reb HOUSTON Min M-A M-A O-T A PF Pts Brown 18 1-3 0-0 4-6 1 1 2 Horry 26 1-9 0-0 1-2 1 0 2 Olajuwon 43 9-19 3-4 3-8 2 4 21 Drexler 46 7-19 9-10 3-13 7 4 24 Recasner 35 6-12 0-0 0-3 2 3 16 Cassell 33 7-16 5-5 1-2 6 5 21 Bryant 29 1-3 4-4 2-7 2 3 6 Breaux 6 1-2 0-0 0-0 1 1 2 Jones 3 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 1 0 James 1 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 Totals 240 33-83 21-23 14-41 22 22 94

Percentages: FG .398, FT .913.

3-Point Goals: 7-24, .292 (Recasner 4-7, Cassell 2-8, Drexler 1-4, Breaux 0-1, Horry 0-4). Team Rebounds: 9. Blocked shots: 2 (Olajuwon, Drexler). Turnovers: 18 (Drexler 5, Brown 3, Olajuwon 3, Recasner 3, Bryant 3, Horry). Steals: 12 (Drexler 7, Brown, Olajuwon, Recasner, Cassell, Bryant). Technical fouls: None. Illegal defense: 1.

FG FT Reb SEATTLE Min M-A M-A O-T A PF Pts Kemp 39 8-12 6-8 2-13 1 4 22 Schrempf 39 5-13 6-10 0-9 9 4 17 Johnson 19 1-1 0-0 1-4 0 2 2 Hawkins 37 4-12 0-0 0-3 3 0 11 Payton 42 9-18 1-2 1-3 6 2 22 McMillan 26 2-5 0-0 1-3 8 2 5 Perkins 23 4-8 5-5 0-1 1 1 14 Brickowski 15 3-4 0-0 1-1 1 3 6 Totals 240 36-73 18-25 6-37 29 18 99

Percentages: FG .493, FT .720. 3-Point Goals: 9-22, .409 (Payton 3-6, Hawkins 3-6, Schrempf 1-3, McMillan 1-3, Perkins 1-4). Team Rebounds: 9. Blocked shots: 7 (Johnson 3, Kemp 2, Payton 2). Turnovers: 16 (Kemp 5, Payton 3, Johnson 2, Hawkins 2, Brickowski 2, McMillan, Schrempf). Steals: 12 (Kemp 3, Hawkins 3, Payton 3, McMillan 3). Technical fouls: Illegal defense, :1.4 third; Brickowski, 6:13 fourth; Illegal defense, :55.4 fourth. Illegal defense: 1. Houston 17 27 24 26 - 94 Seattle 21 29 20 29 - 99

A-17,072 (17,072). T-2:14.

Officials-Paul Mihalak, Ken Mauer, Woody Mayfield.