European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - June 12, 1994, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Kicks John Starks passes off Between rockets Otis Thorpe and Hakeem Olajuwon 34. At right Olajuwon and Patrick Ewing of kicks struggle for position under the Basket knicks7 Blitz ties it d chokes rockets by Howard Ulman Houston a the new York kicks finally found what they were looking for on their trip to Houston a the Basket and the Hom court advantage. They followed their worst playoff shooting performance with their Best used their trademark defense to overtake the tiring rockets Down the stretch and won 91-83 Friday night to tie the Aba finals 1-1. They did it with instant marksmen Derek Harper and John Starks who buried 3 Pointer after 3-Pointer just two Days after shooting a combined 6-for-28 in an 85-78 opening loss. A i though Derek played a tremendous game. He hit some big shots a new Yorkus Patrick Ewing said. �?o1 think its the Best game he a had since coming to this team from Dallas on Jan 6. Harper went 4-for-6 and Starks 3-for-4 on 3-Pointer.s. But it was the a Nicks smothering do sense that enabled them to pull away in the last 6 a minutes us they held the rockets without a Field goal while ending the game on a 15-4 run a we had several opportunities to keep the Lead but we would make a bad shot or a turnover and then at the end it was like the dam broke a Houston coach Rudy Tom a Novic said. Now he must take his rockets to new York for the next three games of the Bcst-of-7 series starting tonight 1 , get monday on an radio and to. The kicks could win their first title in 21 Vears without returning to Houston. A they pushed us deep in a Corner and we have a great Challenge ahead of us a said Tomjanovich. A the playoffs really done to Start getting interesting until the Home team Joses a game a new York coach Pat Riley said. Quot we have an advantage now but we can Aba finals see commentary on Page 31 not get lightheaded about this because Houston is a great  after making just 34 percent of their shots in the opener the kicks connected on 52.2 percent in game 2, Only the fourth time in 20 playoff games they shot better than 50 percent. They were outstanding front 3-Point territory going 7-for-Li after a horrid 4-for-15 opening night. The rockets managed to go 6-for-22 on 3-pointers, setting a finals record for attempts in a game. The combined 33 attempts was also a finals record. The rockets survived their late game fade in the opener when a 12-Point Lead dwindled to three in a fourth Quarter in which they made Only two of 13 shots and were outscored 15-13. This time they went 5-for-25 in the deciding period and the kicks weren to about to throw away another Opportunity. Harper their floor Leader  let them she gave the kicks the Lead for Good with a 3-Pointer that made it 81-79. He made his fourth of the game with two minutes to play giving the kicks an s7t Lead. Starks who rebounded from a 3-Fof-l8 shooting Effort in game 1 to go 6-for-ll, had 19 Points while Harper had 18 on 7-for-11 shooting. Ewing had 16 Points 13 rebounds and six blocked shots. Hakeem Olajuwon led Houston with 25 Points. A we know that we Are a much better shooting team than what we showed in the previous game a smirks said a i thinly we needed some rest. We just came Oft two Tough seven game  Vernon Maxwell who scored 20 Points hit a three Point play for Houston with 6 32 to play. It made the score 79-76, but the rockets managed Only two free throws each by Olajuwon and Sam Cassell the rest of the Way a the Guys were tired Down the stretch a Maxwell said. A maybe we need to sub More so our Guys can keep our legs better in the fourth  it was a horrible ending to a Quarter that began so Well for the rockets trailing 72-65 after the third they got the next six Points on a Basket by Maxwell a free throw by Robert Horry and a 3-Pointerby Cassell to Cut the Lead to72-71. Ewing a Jumpe put new York ahead 74-71 with 10 16 t6 play. La jul ones turnaround Cut the Lead Back to one. After Greg Anthonys jumper made the score 76-73 with 7 54 remaining the kicks event cold and Houston capitalized. Matt Bullards 3-Pointer tied the game before Maxwell s three Point play. Charles Smith then hit a foul shot for new York and Harper bit his 3-Pointer with 4 29 left. Both teams shot far better and ran More than they did in the slow paced opener in which Only 38 percent of the shots went in. A we spent a Jot of time shooting the Ball in practice yesterday a Riley said a of think each player must have taken at least 150  on Friday night the rockets shot 39 percent. A we Felt that we did no to play As Well As we should have in starting off a championship series Starks said Quot we had a Chance to get that game in the end but Well take the  it  fourth time in five years that teams split the first two games of the finals. The stars and stripes june 12,1994 Page 36 . Festival faces cutback Boston a the . Olympic festival created to give american athletes Competition in non olympic years faces a cutback in the future As a result of changes in the olympic Cycle. The . Olympic committees Board of directors will consider a proposal this weekend to limit such festivals to a maximum of two during each four year period beginning in 1997. Currently three such festivals Are held during each four year period. The soc estimates it would save at least $4.2 million per Quad Ennius by limiting the number of festivals. The proposed change comes up for a vote just three weeks before the 1994 . Olympic festival opens in St. Louis. The Winter and summer olympics used to be held in the same year with a four year Gap. But starting this year the two olympics Are being held in different years one m each even numbered year. That puts a Strain on the soc and on the local organizing committees that run the festivals. The festival this summer will feature More than 3,000 athletes in 37 Winter and summer sports. It will be held july 1-10 in 25 venues in and around St. Louis