European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - November 23, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 30 b the stars and stripes saturday november 23,1991 rockets equal Best Start even without Olajuwon by the associated press Houston a the Houston rockets Are facing the latest absence of Hakeem Olajuwon with More Confidence this time. Despite having their All Star Center hospitalized because of heartbeat irregularities the rockets matched their Best Aba Start Ever with their eighth win in 10 games a 106-102 Victory Over Minnesota on thursday night. The rockets used a familiar formula a balanced scoring and Larry Smiths rebounding a to overcome the loss of Olajuwon. They went 15-10 last season when Olajuwon missed nearly two months with a fractured Bone around his Eye. A we have played without him before a guard Kenny Smith said. A Larry comes in and plays hard. We can play Well without Hakeem. We can to be great without him  in other games thursday Trail blazers 106, clippers 91 los Angeles a Portland handed los Angeles its fifth straight loss As Clyde Drexler scored 16 of his 24 Points in the second half. Ken Norman and Ron Harper scored 16 Points apiece As the clippers lost to the Trail blazers Lor the 27th time in their last 28 meetings and 13th time in the last 14 games at the los Angeles sports Arena. Bucks 112, bullets 87 Milwaukee Dale Ellis scored seven of his 18 Points during an 18-1 third Quarter spurt that lifted the Bucks Over Washington. Cavaliers 116, nets 112 Richfield Ohio Cleveland 4-1 with Mark Price in the lineup and 1-4 without him beat new Jersey for the 13th consecutive time at Richfield coliseum. Price scored 18 of his 24 Points in the fourth Quarter including 10 of the Cavaliers final 11 Points As they overcame a 17-Point halftime deficit. Portland s Jerome Kersey rips a rebound away from Olden polynice right and Loy Vaught Novotna ousts Graf at slims new York a eighth seeded Jana Novotna shocked Steffi Graf on thursday night knocking the no. 2 seed out of the Virginia slims championships. Novotnak a 6-3, 3-6, 6-1 quarterfinal Victory Over Graf came after Martina Navratilova stormed Back from a disastrous first set to defeat Arantha Sanchez vicar to 1-6, 6-4, 6-2. But where Navratilova was Able to pull her game together in time Graf twice the Winner of this season ending tournament failed to solve the problems presented by the Ever charging Novotna. The two winners will meet in one of saturdays semifinals at Madison Square Garden. The other semifinal pairing will be determined Friday night when defending Champion Monica Seles the no. 1 seed plays no. 7 Mary Joe Fernandez and no. 3 Gabriela Sabatini meets no. 6 Jennifer Capriati. It appeared that Graf could emulate Navratilova a come from behind Victory winning the second set after losing the first. But Novotna hitting 88 percent of her first serves kept up the constant pressure and Graf crumbled making 37 unforced errors 10 More than her opponent. �?o1 have to become positive and a bit looser a Graf said. A a in a taking everything too seriously  Novotna enjoyed it a especially this match a tremendously. A she played awful Well in the first set a Graf said of Novotna. A she had such Strong serves i could barely do anything. I made so Many forehand errors especially when she was serving to my forehand. A obviously i did no to play Well but she did no to make any  Quebec is Back on track from wire reports Quebec a Joe Sakic scored twice and added an assist thursday night helping the Quebec Nordi ques snap their six game losing Streak with a surprising 5-2 Victory Over the Montreal canadians. Sakic with his eighth and ninth goals of the season leads the nor piques in scoring with 28 Points. Rollie Melanson starting in place of Patrick Roy stopped just 17 of 22 shots for Montreal. Melanson recorded a shutout the last time he played in the Coli see on oct. 24. Quebec made it a 3-0 game with Only four shots taken on the canadians net at 17 19 of the first period. Dan Lambert opened the scoring with his first nil goal at 8 42, Sakic notched his first of the night two minutes later and Marc Fortier his first of the year with 2 42 left. Lamberts goal came after he shot the puck along the boards towards the left Corner but it ricocheted off and into the empty net after Melanson left the crease to play the puck. Montreal came Back with two goals late in the second period to make it 3-2. Matthew Schneider scored on a wrist shot from the Blue line that sailed through traffic and Over the shoulder of goalie Ron tug Nutt with 1 56 left in the period. Stephane Lebeau scored Lis eighth of the season 47 seconds Ater on a Power play knocking in a rebound. In other games thursday Kings 6, rangers 1 Inglewood Calif. Mike Donnelly scored two goals and Kelly Hrudney turned aside 36 shots As los Angeles beat new York. The win was the second straight after a six game wingless Streak for the Kings 10-7-5 and it avenged a 7-2 loss to the rangers 13-9-1 at Madison Square Garden earlier this season. New York is 2-3-1 in its last six games. Flames 3, canucks 2 Calgary Alberta a Tim Sweeney a goal at 14 01 of the third period his first of the season gave Calgary a Victory Over Vancouver. Sweeney broke in off right Wing beat defens Eman Robert Dirk along the boards then skated in front of the net and fired a shot past goalie Kirk  state Downs Evansville by the associated press Stillwater okla. A Cornell Hatcher and freshman Bryant Reeves provided surprising front court scoring thursday night in leading no. 13 Oklahoma state to a 86-57 Victory Over Evansville in the first round of the preseason nit. The cowboys will play Purdue at Home in a second round game saturday night. Purdue beat Ball state 5648 earlier thursday. Hatcher perhaps the cowboys Best defender came off the Bench and scored All of his career High 10 Points in the first half. Reeves the first Osu freshman since 1978 to Start a season opener had 10 of his 16 in the first  nit Oklahoma state which Rode its defense to the final 16 of the Mcaa tournament last year showed that same form in taking a 13-4 Lead in the opening 51/ minutes. Evansville turned the Ball Over six times during that Span. Quot Purdue 56, Ball St. 48 West lafaye1te, ind. A freshman Matt Waddell scored 12 Points and senior Wood Austin 11 As Purdue beat Ball state. Purdue won its season opener for the 20th time in 21 years and kept Ball state 1-1 wingless in Mackey Arena in the sixth meeting of the state rivals. Purdue will play no. 13 Oklahoma state in a second round pairing saturday. Ball state failed to make a Basket in the final 1 48. The card Mals were led by Jeff Robbins with 11 Points. Bill Gillis and Keith stalling added 8 each. The boilermakers won the game at the free throw line making 13 of 15 Down the stretch. Waddell contributed tour and Austin two. I Urc us scored six straight Points on atias c y i Latt Painter and free throws by Austin and Travis 1 Rice to go up 47-41 with 3 50 left in the game. Pue within one Point twice in the 1 a the last time in a jumper by Keith stalling. Tin