Sonics Earn Welcome Vacation Seattle Coasts Into All-Star Break With Second Straight Win Over Houston

For the past 10 days, Seattle SuperSonics coach George Karl has feared that his team would take a break before the All-Star break. With the exception of losing to a 14-27 Dallas team minus two injured starters and a few poor stretches Tuesday night, the Sonics waited until break time.

They pulled away from the two-time defending NBA champion Houston Rockets with 2:22 left for their eighth win in the last nine games and a 34-12 record, the second-best in the NBA. The 99-94 victory Tuesday night at KeyArena was the Sonics’ second over the Rockets in four nights.

“It was a good game for us to close out with a win before All-Star break,” said All-Star forward Shawn Kemp. “And there’s nothing like beating the NBA champions back to back.”

Kemp scored 22 points and grabbed 13 rebounds, including two gritty offensive boards in the last 2 minutes of the game that proved decisive. After a missed 3-pointer by Hersey Hawkins, he grabbed the rebound and the Sonics worked the ball to Hawkins, who missed another 3. Detlef Schrempf was shoved going for the rebound and he hit 1 of 2 foul shots with 1:49 left for a 94-91 lead.

On the ensuing possession, Rockets All-Star center Hakeem Olajuwon missed a 12-foot jumper and Kemp was fouled securing a missed 3-point attempt by Sam Perkins, then sank both free throws for a 96-91 lead with 1:08 left.

“You know you’re going to get beat up going in there, but you have to get those rebounds late in the game,” Kemp said. “That’s the time to really be aggressive, because other guys are worried about other things and you can jump in there and beat your guy to the ball. It worked out well tonight.”

All-Star guard Clyde Drexler sank a technical foul free throw with 55 seconds to go after the Sonics were whistled for illegal defense. The Rockets retained possession, but as Olajuwon prepared a shot from the low post, Kemp stripped him of the ball.

Seventeen seconds later, Payton used a stutter-step drive from the baseline to blow past Sam Cassell for a layup and 98-92 lead.

Payton, who finished with 22 points on 50-percent shooting, also made six assists and blocked two shots.

Olajuwon was held to two field goals in the second half by a combination of defenders - Kemp, Frank Brickowski and Sam Perkins - and the efforts of their smaller teammates to make it difficult for Houston’s guards to get the ball to “The Dream.”

It was the Sonics’ seventh consecutive win over the Rockets (30-18). Houston coach Rudy Tomjanovich was generous in his comments about Seattle’s defense.

“It’s not just (on) Hakeem,” he said. “It’s the whole damn thing. They aren’t going to let you run your options. They trap all over the floor. … Basically, you ain’t going to be able to dribble down the floor and get it to Hakeem.”

Drexler, who led the Rockets with 24 points, called the Sonics’ defense “borderline illegal.” When asked to elaborate, he said: “I don’t want to. I just want to give them credit. They played well. They’re a very effective trapping defense.”

The Sonics led by as many as 10 early in the second on a pair of baskets by Payton off length-of-the-court passes from Nate McMillan. But the Rockets chipped within 50-44 by halftime.

Seattle came out flat in the third quarter and the Rockets outscored them 12-2 to take a 56-52 lead.

A steal by McMillan and assist to Payton for a layup finally shook the Sonics out of their doldrums with 7:40 left in the quarter. Between a layup by Cassell and a 3-pointer by Drexler, the Sonics countered with a pair of dunks by Kemp off pinpoint passes from Payton and Schrempf, an 18-foot jumper by Schrempf, a 19-footer by Hawkins and a traditional three-point play by Perkins off a feed from Payton. After two free throws by Olajuwon, Perkins drained a hook and hit a 3 for a 70-63 lead.

A 5-0 Houston run cut Seattle’s lead to 70-68 at the end of the third quarter. From there neither team was separated by more than five until Payton’s layup put the Sonics ahead 98-92 with :25 left.

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.