Johnson Points Way For Suns Phoenix Slips By Houston For 3-1 Lead In Western Semifinal

Kevin Johnson gave his best when it was needed the most and the Phoenix Suns pushed the Houston Rockets to the brink of elimination.

Johnson scored a career playoff best 43 points - 24 in the second half - to bring the Suns back from a 15-point third-quarter deficit as Phoenix took a 3-1 lead in the best-of-7 series with a 114-110 victory.

Barkley, who had just five points and no field goals in Saturday’s loss to the Rockets, scored 19 of his 26 points in the first half.

Game 5 is Tuesday in Phoenix, and Barkley expects another fight from the Rockets.

“They won’t die, you have to kill them like a snake,” Barkley said.

It was a devastating defeat for the Rockets, who held a 78-63 lead with 6:44 left in the third quarter. But Johnson found the range, and the Suns outscored Houston 28-10 to take a 91-89 lead entering the fourth quarter.

“That’s what basketball is all about,” Johnson said. “It was easy. We looked at the scoreboard and we were down by 15 and then we went on a run and we were back in it before long.

“We haven’t made a run like that here in a long time.”

Johnson’s previous playoff high was 38 points. His all-time high is 44 points.

Wesley Person scored 10 points during the Suns’ third-quarter run and Johnson hit all five of his third quarter shots. Person’s 3-point basket with 32 seconds left in the quarter gave Phoenix its first lead since the first quarter, at 89-88.

“I thought it was a very hard fought game,” Rockets coach Rudy Tomjanovich said. “Little things pile up, missing 10 free throws, not shooting our percentage, missing big plays and a couple of questionable calls -those things just add up.”

The Rockets made a fight of it early in the fourth quarter, taking a 106-99 lead with 4:41 to play on a dunk by Mario Elie. But that was their final basket.

Phoenix took the lead for good at 108-107 on Barkley’s two free throws with 1:23 to play following a foul on Elie.

Hakeem Olajuwon scored 38 points to lead the Rockets, Clyde Drexler added 22 and Robert Horry pulled down 17 rebounds. Person finished with 16 points for the Suns.

“It’s a tough situation, a big swing,” Tomjanovich said. “Instead of 2-2, it’s 1-3 and we’re going out there. I feel confident we’ll give a helluva effort.”

Houston got the early advantage by hitting five of 10 3-point baskets in the first quarter. Olajuwon had 19 first-half points, helping the Rockets to a a 64-54 lead at the break.

“I tried so hard to make it happen and you make mistakes,” Olajuwon said. “It was a tough loss. We lost something toward the end, the aggression. I have to give them a lot of credit.

“Now we’re in a very tough position. We’ll give them our best shot out there.”

Suns 114, Rockets 110

PHOENIX (114)

Barkley 9-20 8-13 26, Green 5-10 4-4 14, Kleine 1-4 0-0 2, Johnson 18-24 5-7 43, Person 5-10 3-4 16, Majerle 0-6 0-0 0, Tisdale 1-5 0-0 2, Ainge 1-1 2-2 4, Schayes 2-5 3-4 7. Totals 42-85 25-34 114.

HOUSTON (110)

Chilcutt 3-8 0-0 8, Horry 1-4 1-2 3, Olajuwon 17-34 4-8 38, Drexler 7-13 7-8 22, Smith 3-4 3-4 12, Brown 1-2 2-2 4, Cassell 4-10 5-8 14, Jones 0-0 0-0 0, Elie 4-7 0-0 9. Totals 40-82 22-32 110.

Phoenix 24 30 37 23 - 114 Houston 28 36 24 22 - 110

3-Point goals-Phoenix 5-17 (Person 3-6, Johnson 2-2, Green 0-1, Kleine 0-1, Barkley 0-3, Majerle 0-4), Houston 8-22 (Smith 3-4, Chilcutt 2-6, Cassell 1-2, Elie 1-2, Drexler 1-6, Horry 0-2). Fouled out-Horry. Rebounds-Phoenix 50 (Green 12), Houston 54 (Horry 17). Assists-Phoenix 20 (Johnson 9), Houston 30 (Cassell 9). Total fouls-Phoenix 23, Houston 28. A-16,611 (16,611).