NBA ROUNDUP : Rockets Closer to Record as Streak Hits 14

After 14 consecutive victories to start the season, the Houston Rockets are taking aim at the NBA record book.

The Rockets can tie a 45-year-old NBA record of 15 consecutive victories to start a season with a victory at New York on Thursday. They reached 14-0 Tuesday night when Hakeem Olajuwon scored 20 points and had 12 rebounds to help them to a 102-91 decision over the Milwaukee Bucks at Houston.

“I was confident,” Olajuwon said. “I know my teammates hadn’t scored much. We weren’t getting the ball to each other. We just had to stop that and get back into our game. I always knew we would.”

The Rockets overcame a 12-point deficit to take a 74-60 lead late in the third quarter. Vernon Maxwell scored 11 consecutive points during a 17-3 run that gave the Rockets a lead they never surrendered.

Maxwell added 19 points and Robert Horry had a career-high six steals for the Rockets.

With the 14-0 start, the Rockets matched the 1957-58 Boston Celtics for the second-longest winning streak to begin a season. The 1948-49 Washington Capitols set the NBA record of 15 victories without a loss.

Chicago 132, Phoenix 113--Scottie Pippen, after sitting out 10 games because of an ankle injury, scored a season-high 29 points at Chicago as the Bulls ended the Suns’ five-game winning streak.

Pippen, activated Tuesday from the injured list, also had 11 rebounds and six assists in the first meeting between the teams since the Bulls defeated the Suns in the NBA finals.

Chicago put the game away in the third quarter, extending a 68-50 halftime lead to 83-58 on Toni Kukoc’s 18-foot jumper with 6:05 to play in the quarter. The Bulls led, 98-80, entering the fourth quarter.

With 9:50 remaining, Sun Coach Paul Westphal and assistant Lionel Hollins each had two technical fouls called against them, and Kevin Johnson also was ejected.

B.J. Armstrong added 23 points for the Bulls. The Suns got 26 points from Dan Majerle and 23 from Johnson.

Atlanta 122, Boston 114--Dominique Wilkins matched his season high with 37 points at Atlanta, helping the Hawks extend their winning streak to nine games and remain unbeaten in the Omni.

The victory gave the Hawks a 1 1/2-game lead over the Charlotte Hornets in the Central Division, the first time they have been on top of the division this late in the season since 1986. The nine-game winning streak is their longest since 1989.

Seattle 92, Philadelphia 80--Sam Perkins scored 21 points as the SuperSonics rallied in the second half to win at Philadelphia for the first time in nearly eight years.

Shawn Kemp had 19 points and 15 rebounds as the SuperSonics, who overcame a 17-point second-quarter deficit, recovered from their first loss last Saturday after opening the season with 10 consecutive victories.

Cleveland 92, Detroit 74--Tyrone Hill had 18 points and 12 rebounds and Brad Daugherty had 19 rebounds to help the Cavaliers win at Richfield, Ohio.

The Pistons, playing without their longtime nucleus of Isiah Thomas, Joe Dumars and Bill Laimbeer, all of whom are sidelined because of injuries, lost their fourth consecutive game.

Portland 123, Miami 109--Clyde Drexler scored a season-high 33 points and the Trail Blazers made 58% of their shots at Miami.

Terry Porter scored 20 points for Portland, which came into the game shooting 45%. Every Portland player made at least half of his shots, and the Trail Blazers’ point total was a season high.

Utah 103, Denver 92--Karl Malone scored 28 points to lead the Jazz at Salt Lake City.

The Nuggets made only 33% of their shots in the third quarter and missed 11 consecutive shots at the end of the third and the beginning of the fourth.

Golden State 103, Dallas 91--Avery Johnson scored 12 of his 19 points in the third quarter at Oakland, helping the Warriors extend the Mavericks’ losing streak to nine games.

Latrell Sprewell had 23 points and five steals for the Warriors, who have won four in a row.