Spurs Find Themselves Victorious

Forget that Rocket rout. Put away the broom. The San Antonio Spurs aren’t Lone Star losers after all.

The Spurs, their season in its death throes after two home losses to Houston, climbed back into the Western Conference finals Friday night with a 107-102 road victory, snapping Houston’s five-game playoff winning streak.

The Rockets still lead the best-of-seven series 2-1 with Game 4 Sunday in Houston.

“Hopefully this is the kick-start to the Spurs,” said San Antonio’s David Robinson, “and now we can get back to playing the way we know we’re capable of playing.”

Hakeem Olajuwon scored 43 points and blocked five shots on the heels of his 41-point performance in Wednesday’s 106-96 victory. This time, his supporting cast, so reliable in the first two games, failed as San Antonio rallied from 11 points down early in the third quarter, then broke away from an 89-89 tie over the final 6 minutes.

For the first time in the series, the Spurs looked like the team that had the league’s best record at 62-20.

Avery Johnson, who had 20 points and 13 assists, made five of six free throws in the final 45 seconds to clinch the victory and assure a Game 5 Tuesday night in San Antonio. The Spurs point guard, playing despite a sore right ankle, had no turnovers.

“Our defensive intensity was through the sky,” said Robinson, the league’s MVP. “The last couple of games, we were disjointed.”

Robinson scored six of his 29 points during an 11-2 outburst that put the Spurs ahead 100-91 with 2:05 to play. But, as usual, the defending NBA champions didn’t die easily.

Robert Horry made his fourth 3-pointer with 1:48 to play to make it 101-94, then after San Antonio’s Dennis Rodman made 1 of 2 free throws, Kenny Smith made his fourth 3 of the game to cut the lead to 101-97 with 1:27 to go.

Olajuwon, proving he is mortal, missed a 14-footer and Johnson made two free throws with 45 seconds to play.

Olajuwon’s 3-pointer with 32 seconds left sliced the lead to 103-100. But Johnson made two free throws with 26 seconds to go, then made one of two with 16 seconds remaining to make it 106-100.

“We were overdue for a performance and we finally got one,” San Antonio coach Bob Hill said.

Vinny Del Negro, who scored just 12 points in the two previous games, tied his career playoff high with 19 for the Spurs, while Sean Elliott scored 21.

“We’re just trying to be aggressive,” Del Negro said. “We got some easy baskets. We got more of our style of play.”

SAN ANTONIO (107)

Elliott 7-13 4-5 21, Rodman 0-3 1-2 1, Robinson 10-15 9-9 29, Del Negro 7-14 2-2 19, Johnson 6-14 8-12 20, Anderson 1-2 0-0 2, Person 3-7 0-0 9, Rivers 1-3 0-0 2, Cummings 0-2 0-0 0, Reid 1-2 2-2 4. Totals 36-75 26-32 107.

HOUSTON (102)

Horry 5-11 3-5 17, Chilcutt 0-0 0-0 0, Olajuwon 19-32 4-4 43, Drexler 8-18 2-2 21, Smith 4-8 1-1 13, Elie 2-5 0-0 5, Cassell 0-4 1-1 1, Jones 0-0 0-0 0, Brown 1-2 0-0 2.Totals 39-80 11-13 102.

San Antonio 31 21 27 28 - 107

Houston 37 24 19 22 - 102

3-Point goals-San Antonio 9-19 (Elliott 3-5, Person 3-6, Del Negro 3-7, Cummings 0-1), Houston 13-29 (Smith 4-5, Horry 4-9, Drexler 3-10, Olajuwon 1-1, Elie 1-2, Cassell 0-2). Fouled out-Horry. Rebounds-San Antonio 51 (Rodman 14), Houston 37 (Olajuwon 11). Assists-San Antonio 26 (Johnson 13), Houston 25 (Drexler 6). Total fouls-San Antonio 15, Houston 26. Technicals-Rodman, San Antonio illegal defense, Houston coach Tomjanovich. A-16,611 (16,611).