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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
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GAME FLOW
AUBURN HILLS, Mich. (AP) -- For many NBA players, the All-Star
break is a welcome respite. Houston guard Steve Francis considers
the break a bit of a nuisance.
|  | | Hakeem Olajuwon bears down on Detroit's Michael Curry under the basket. |
"I wish we wouldn't have the All-Star break coming up,"
Francis said Thursday night after the Rockets defeated the Detroit
Pistons 103-90. "We're playing so well."
The Rockets, coming off a 112-87 win in Philadelphia on
Wednesday night, won their third straight game and improved to 14-3
against Eastern Conference teams.
"It's almost unfortunate that the break is coming now, but
we'll take it," Rockets head coach Rudy Tomjanovich said.
Cuttino Mobley scored 18 of his game-high 29 points in the first
quarter and Hakeem Olajuwon finished with 17 points and eight
rebounds for Houston.
The Pistons got within seven points in the fourth quarter, but
Olajuwon used his trademark inside moves and turnaround jumpers to
keep the Rockets ahead.
Detroit's Ben Wallace said before the game that the 38-year-old
Olajuwon wasn't getting the same number of touches. He said teams
typically double-teamed the Rockets' outside tandem of Mobley and
Francis.
With the game on the line, Olajuwon came through.
"A lot of people are waking up and saying `Hakeem is still a
factor,"' Francis said.
Jerry Stackhouse had 26 points and seven rebounds for Detroit,
which had its two-game winning streak snapped. Stackhouse scored a
career-high 46 points in the teams' only other meeting -- a 107-102
Houston win on Jan. 4.
Stackhouse, who has said the team's goal was to get to 20 wins
by the break, took the loss hard.
"It is always disappointing to lose, but hard to fall short of
a goal," Stackhouse said as Detroit dropped to 19-31. "It was
really important to me that we get 20 wins by the break, and it is
my fault that we didn't get there.
"I can't go 2-for-12 in the second half and expect us to have a
chance."
Detroit head coach George Irvine said the Pistons will regroup.
"The break will let us reassess the last 32 games, and if we
are willing to pay the price to be competitive," he said.
Detroit closed within 87-80 with less than six minutes left, but
Houston went on a 10-3 run to put the game out of reach. Olajuwon
scored six in the outburst.
Houston charged to a 14-4 advantage and led by as many as 18
points, 30-12, in the first quarter.
A 10-0 run, including five points from Stackhouse, pulled the
Pistons within five at 50-45 with 1:56 left in the first half. But
Francis won a jump ball with Mateen Cleaves and then hit a
3-pointer over the Pistons' rookie.
Houston owned a 57-47 lead at halftime.
The Rockets extended their lead to 78-61 with 2:24 to play in
the third. Dana Barros scored the final five points of the quarter,
including a 3-pointer as the buzzer sounded, to cut the Rocket lead
to 79-68.
Game notes
Olajuwon had a total of 53 points and 31 rebounds in wins
over the New York Knicks, 76ers and Pistons this week. ... The
Pistons had won the previous four meetings between the teams at the
Palace of Auburn Hills. The Rockets' last win in Detroit came on
Jan. 20, 1995. ... Detroit is 1-22 when trailing at halftime. ...
The Pistons are 6-14 against Western Conference teams. ...
Detroit's Jerome Williams left the game in the second period with a
sprained big toe on his right foot and did not return. X-rays were
negative. ... Detroit leads the all-time series 56-49. ...
Stackhouse, who entered the game leading the league in free throws
made (410), shot 8-for-8 from the line. ... Francis and Cleaves
will meet again on Saturday in the Rookie Challenge, which pits
players from the 1999 draft (Francis) against players from the 2000
draft (Cleaves).
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ALSO SEE
NBA Scoreboard
Houston Clubhouse
Detroit Clubhouse
RECAPS
Toronto 99
Denver 92
Charlotte 101
Atlanta 84
Houston 103
Detroit 90
New Jersey 99
San Antonio 97
FROM
ATHLETESDIRECT
Jerry Stackhouse Official Site
Rudy Tomjanovich Official Site
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