Houston’s Drexler Ready To Face Heat, Test Sore Hamstring
Houston’s Clyde Drexler, out more than five weeks with a left hamstring injury, is eager to test the leg when the Rockets face the Heat today at Miami.
“I expect to play, and we’ll see how it goes,” Drexler said. “If you go out there worrying about what could happen, you need to stay at home, because once you hit the floor, you have to play, bottom line.”
Doctors have told coach Rudy Tomjanovich to limit the All-Star’s playing time in his first two games back since pulling the hamstring Feb. 4.
“He’s got the green light,” team Dr. Walt Lowe said. “All we’re going to do is limit his minutes. So he’ll probably go 15 or 20 minutes the first couple times out. And as long as that goes good and he’s not sore, then he can play as many minutes as he wants.”
Charles Barkley, the Rockets’ other injured All-Star, probably won’t return at least until Tuesday because of a sore hip. Barkley worked out Friday but admitted he was sore afterward.
Rodman in form; Jordan isn’t
Dennis Rodman got ejected and Michael Jordan got a rest after scoring a season-low 10 points. But the Chicago Bulls, weary from five games in seven nights, still beat the Atlanta Hawks 99-79 Saturday night in Chicago.
Scottie Pippen scored 17 points for the Bulls, who rebounded from Friday’s loss to New Jersey in which Jordan shot a last-second airball.
Jordan, whose previous low this season was 13 against Toronto in December, was 5 of 11 from the field against Atlanta before sitting out the fourth quarter.
Rodman had 10 points and 14 rebounds for the Bulls before he was ejected after picking up two technical fouls during an exchange with Dikembe Mutombo with 1:02 left in the third quarter.
After he was ejected, Rodman was restrained by teammate Luc Longley. After a brief chat at midcourt with coach Phil Jackson, Rodman walked off, handing his jersey to a youngster as he left the court.
Rodman wasn’t available for comment after the game, but Jackson said Mutombo “hit Dennis in the face and Dennis reacted.”
Elsewhere
LaPhonso Ellis hit seven 3-pointers and finished with a career-high 39 points to lead Denver past visiting San Antonio 121-105… . Kevin Johnson scored 23 points and Phoenix broke open a tight game with a 16-5 run midway through the third quarter in its 101-76 romp past visiting Dallas… Glen Rice scored 27 points and reserves Tony Delk and Matt Geiger keyed a fourth-quarter run as visiting Charlotte won for the seventh time in eight games with a 107-99 decision over Philadelphia… . Donyell Marshall scored 20 points and added a career-high 14 rebounds as Golden State held on to beat Toronto 106-102 in San Jose, Calif., after nearly blowing a 26-point lead… . Karl Malone scored 32 points and visiting Utah, benefiting from Chris Webber’s two technical fouls and first NBA ejection, beat Washington 100-93.