NBA ROUNDUP : Mystique or Not, Rockets Get Best of Bulls

If Robert Horry of the Houston Rockets was forced to pinch himself before the game, what must he think now?

Led by rookie Horry’s pressing defense, which held Scottie Pippen to 22 points as Chicago shot only 43%, the Rockets managed a 110-96 victory over the Bulls on Friday night at Chicago.

Hakeem Olajuwon scored 28 points as the Rockets ended Chicago’s six-game home winning streak. Michael Jordan scored 26 points for the Bulls, who committed 18 turnovers.

Horry, from Alabama, said the mystique of the Bulls affected him at the start of the game, but then he was able to relax.

“When the game began, I felt like I was in a dreamland playing here,” said Horry, who scored 18 points. “Then the ball was tipped and I realized you have to play. By the second half, I really felt comfortable and had it going.”

Phoenix 108, Orlando 107--Proving that even the NBA’s most powerful rookie cannot dunk a ball from 15 feet, Shaquille O’Neal missed two of four free throws in the final six seconds at Orlando, enabling the Suns to deal the Magic its sixth consecutive loss.

Tom Chambers scored 27 points as the Suns extended their winning streak to six games. The Magic has fallen to 8-9 after an 8-3 start.

Trailing by two points, the Magic worked the ball to O’Neal on two possessions in the final seconds. He was fouled twice, and made only one of two free throws each time, missing one with 1.1 seconds remaining that would have tied the game.

“I blew it,” O’Neal said. “I’ll be sure to make the next one.”

O’Neal, who finished with 26 points and 17 rebounds, is shooting 53.7% from the free-throw line.

Detroit 107, Cleveland 103--The Pistons had a familiar look at Auburn Hills, Mich. They had hot shooting by guards Joe Dumars and Isiah Thomas, strong scoring by the bench and the NBA’s best rebounder, Dennis Rodman, controlling the boards.

Detroit won its fifth consecutive game as Dumars scored 28 points and Rodman grabbed 21 rebounds, extending the Cavaliers’ losing streak to four.

Rodman has had seven consecutive games with 20 or more rebounds since returning to the lineup after a suspension. Not surprisingly, the Pistons have outrebounded their opponents in each of those games. They had a 41-32 advantage on boards against the Cavaliers.

Brad Daugherty scored 24 points for Cleveland.

Atlanta 112, Denver 107--Kevin Willis scored seven of his 25 points in overtime at Atlanta, leading the Hawks to their third consecutive victory.

Reggie Williams led Denver with 27 points and Chris Jackson added 20.

Wilkins’ consecutive free-throw streak ended at 30 when he missed his first attempt of the game. Wilkins, who set an NBA record by making 23 of 23 free throws Tuesday against the Bulls, made only five of 12 against the Nuggets.

Seattle 100, Boston 90--Derrick McKey and Gary Payton helped the SuperSonics survive a fourth-quarter comeback at Boston and end a six-game losing streak.

The SuperSonics’ biggest lead, 70-53 with 4:31 left in the third quarter, was cut to 79-76 after a three-point play by Robert Parish with 8:37 left in the game. But the Celtics, who never led, got no closer.

Payton scored 23 points and McKey 22. The Celtics, whose five-game home winning streak ended, were led by Reggie Lewis with 19 points and Parish with 16 points and 13 rebounds.

Indiana 134, Portland 124--The Trail Blazers lost for only the second time this season in 10 home games as the Pacers increased their winning streak to five games. Detlef Schrempf led the Pacers with 32 points. Vern Fleming added 28. Terry Porter led the Trail Blazers with 27. The Pacers trailed by four points after three quarters, and then tied the Trail Blazers in the first overtime before outscoring them, 15-5, in the second overtime.