Houston Tops NY, Will Host Game 7

HOUSTON -- They were happy to be home, after losing two straight games to the Knicks in New York. So, feeding off the energy of the home crowd Sunday, the Houston Rockets won, and now get to go to Game 7. First, they gave the Knicks a shot at the NBA championship. But Hakeem Olajuwon, the league's Defensive Player of the Year, got a finger on John Starks' last-second 3-pointer, preserving an 86-84 Houston win. Going into Sunday's game the Knicks were up 3-2 in the series after a Friday-night victory over the Rockets, 91-84.On Sunday, the Rockets tied the series at 3, setting the stage for Wednesday's Game 7. And that is a good omen for the Rockets, as the home team has won the last 19 Game 7's. The game marked just the second time that the Rockets had trailed a series in the playoffs. Houston overcame an 0-2 deficit in the Western Conference semifinals against the Phoenix Suns to win in seven games. The Rockets are attempting to become just the sixth team to win the finals after trailing 3-2. Houston got a game-high 30 points from Olajuwon, who also had 10 rebounds and six assists. But the key was Houston's bench. "The bench came up big," said the Rockets' Carl Herrera, whose 12 points led all bench scorers. "We were more concentrated on what we had to do."Starks led the Knicks with 27 points, 16 of those coming in the fourth quarter when he single-handedly brought New York back. He hit three 3-pointers in the final quarter. But not the one that counted most. "The plan was for me to jump out on the pick and roll," Olajuwon said of Starks' final shot. "I was just lucky to get my hand on the ball.""That's why they call it the home-court advantage," Olajuwon said. "We cannot be in a better position than playing Game 7 at The Summit."It appeared the Rockets were on the verge of putting the Knicks away easily, increasing a 65-62 lead at the start of the fourth quarter to 72-63 after a lay-up by Mario Elie with 9:17 left. But Starks would carry the Knicks back. He got things started with a 3-pointer from the top of the circle, the first of seven straight for New York's shooting guard. The last two, on a short jump shot, had the Knicks within 72-70 with 7:48 left. Later Starks would hit a 3-pointer with 5:17 left that had the Knicks within 78-77. And it appeared the Rockets would fall victim to another fourth-quarter fold. But Vernon Maxwell did a good job containing Starks from there. And the Rockets scored the next six, including a big 3-pointer from the struggling Kenny Smith with 3:19 left, taking an 84-77 lead. Starks ended a scoreless stretch of nearly four minutes, getting free on a lay-up with 1:37 that had New York as close as 84-79.Starks would follow that with a 3-pointer with 1:17 left that had New York within 84-82. The Knicks had a chance to tie after Olajuwon missed a jumper. But Starks turned the ball over as he attempted to pass off to Ewing. Two free throws by Olajuwon with 38.3 seconds left had Houston ahead, 86-82. But again New York would get to within two, 86-84, after Anthony Mason took a pass from a driving Derek Harper and hit a short jumper. Smith's off-balance jumper in the lane rimmed out on Houston's next possession, setting up New York's final attempt by Starks. On Friday night, New York blew a 13-point, third-quarter lead but rallied with an 11-1 run in the last three minutes for a 91-84 victory. The Rockets rallied from a 56-43 deficit with a 22-5 spurt that gave them a 65-61 lead two minutes into the fourth quarter. But Ewing, who had 13 of the Knicks' first 26 points in the second half, got six straight New York points to tie the game at 69 with 8:02 to play. Ewing had 25 points, 12 rebounds and eight blocks for the Knicks, who made 16 of 19 foul shots. Olajuwon had 27 points for the Rockets. With the Rockets on top 79-76, Starks hit a basket with 4:09 to play. Vernon Maxwell's free throw gave Houston an 80-78 lead. But then Starks hit a 3-pointer. Harper followed with two foul shots and a lead pass to Mason for a dunk that put the Knicks in front 85-80 with 1:25 to play. With 45 seconds left and a chance to pull within four, Olajuwon missed a short baseline jumper and the Rockets missed three consecutive tip-in attempts. After the Knicks won a jump ball, Mason made two foul shots with 28.8 seconds left to wrap up the victory. (The Baltimore Sun, AP)