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--> --> Portland forward Rasheed Wallace reacts after receiving a third quarter technical foul Tuesday against Houston. AP Blazers plead no contest against Rockets PORTLAND (AP) - When Walt Williams drains a 3-pointer, he still flashes that cool three-fingers-down salute that appeared all too infrequently when he was a Trail Blazer. Williams burned his old team for 31 points and six 3-pointers Tuesday night, as the Houston Rockets defeated Portland 94-87. A part-time Trail Blazer for two seasons, Williams was traded to Houston in the Scottie Pippen deal in 1999. He scored just 2 points on 1-of-4 shooting in Monday night's 36-point loss in Sacramento, but he locked in against the Blazers, making 6-of-10 from long range. "I got to be honest," Williams said. "It's a little bit more fun when it happens back here at Portland." "Tonight, it was Walt's turn," teammate Steve Francis said. "He got the open shots and he made them pay. He was unstoppable." Bonzi Wells had 28 points and nine rebounds to lead the Blazers, who reluctantly used a zone to get back into the game in the second quarter but couldn't keep Houston from hitting its outside shots. "They killed us," Wells said. "And our ex-Blazer comes out and pounds us." Francis had 12 points, nine rebounds and six assists. Glen Rice added 14 points and Norris had eight assists. Led by Williams, the Rockets' reserves outscored Portland's 56-26 and shot 63 percent. The Houston starters shot just 34 percent. "This was a big, big win for us, especially after the horrendous performance we had (Monday)," Houston coach Rudy Tomjanovich said. Portland's Rasheed Wallace was held to 10 points to go with 10 rebounds. Erick Barkley started his third straight game at the point and had trouble handling Francis. Barkley finished with 4 points on 1-of-7 shooting with seven assists. Houston hit 11 straight shots to start the second quarter and take a 40-25 lead. With 5:01 left in the period, Blazers coach Maurice Cheeks put in a zone defense, and his team responded with a 24-10 run. Dale Davis' hook put the Blazers ahead 60-59, but the Rockets went on another spurt, a 19-7 run that put them up 78-67. Kevin Willis led the way with three baskets in the final 1:52. Email your... Technical questions & comments to: WebMaster Daily Tidings editorial comments & questions to: Editor Visit our other Oregon Newspapers... | Albany Democrat-Herald | Ashland Daily Tidings | Corvallis Gazette-Times | | Lebanon Express | Newport News-Times | Springfield News | Cottage Grove Sentinel | Ashland Daily Tidings 1661 Siskiyou Blvd. Ashland, OR 97520 Telephone 541-482-3456 © Copyright 2001 Lee Northwest Publishing