In the biggest fourth-quarter comeback in NBA playoff history, the Phoenix Suns rallied from 20 points down Wednesday night to beat the Houston Rockets, 124-117, in overtime.

The victory gave the Suns a 2-0 lead in the best-of-seven series. Only one team--the 1969 Lakers--has rallied to win a seven-game series after losing the first two games at home.

Games 3 and 4 are Friday and Sunday in Phoenix, where the Suns have won their last 13 games.

“If we don’t win it now, it’s our own fault,” said Charles Barkley, who led Phoenix with 34 points.


Kevin Johnson had six of his 27 in overtime and Dan Majerle added 22. Hakeem Olajuwon led the Rockets with 34 points and 17 rebounds.

Houston was leading, 104-84, with 10 minutes left, but the Rockets scored only one more field goal in the quarter--a three-pointer by Sam Cassell with 2:35 to go. The Suns closed the quarter with a 24-4 run.

“Coach said there isn’t anybody over there who wants to shoot, so when Hakeem got it, we were all over him like a cheap suit,” Barkley said.

“We’ve got a lot of three-point shooters, we got our fast break going and we came back.”


Danny Ainge made a three-point basket with 32.9 seconds left in regulation to tie the score, 108-108, and Olajuwon missed one of his trademark fadeaway jumpers with 15 seconds left.

Barkley had a chance to win the game at the end of regulation, but his 15-foot high-arching turnaround bounced out at the buzzer.

In overtime, Phoenix scored 12 of the first 15 points and the sellout crowd at the Summit began to file out with more than a minute left. But Robert Horry and Scott Brooks hit consecutive three-pointers to make it 120-117 with 36 seconds left. Johnson and Ainge then hit two free throws each to hold off Houston’s comeback attempt.

Otis Thorpe had 20 points and 10 rebounds, but he fouled out with 1:28 left in regulation. His replacement, Carl Herrera, fouled out with 1:36 left in overtime.


Houston scored only eight points in the fourth quarter, equaling the playoff record-low set by the New Jersey Nets against Cleveland last year.

Phoenix trailed by 18 entering the final period, and the Suns’ ensuing comeback broke the record set by the New York Knicks in 1973 when they rebounded from a 16-point deficit after three quarters to beat the Boston Celtics in double overtime.

The two teams combined for 42 three-point attempts in Game 1, setting an NBA playoff record. This time, they easily broke that mark by shooting a combined 22 of 56.