Shoutout to Ron’s Krispy Fried Chicken.

AP writer Michael Lutz:

The Houston Rockets were blasting the New Jersey Nets off the Summit floor even before a Rockets promotions genius got into the act.

The Rockets, who eventually won 139-87, pulled away from the cold-shooting Nets to a 64-37 halftime lead and took a 101-61 advantage into the fourth quarter Wednesday night.

That’s when the Rockets announced that a local fried chicken chain had agreed to give each of the 9,157 fans at the game a free chicken dinner if the Rockets scored 135 points in the game.

Suddenly the crowd came alive and the Rockets played as if possessed. Although the victory was assured, starters returned to the game briefly with nine minutes to play to boost the score near the 135-point goal.

“I couldn’t believe it,” Rockets Coach Tom Nissalke said. “Our keys on the bench were slapping hands and saying ‘let’s break this guy (owner of the chain).’ I bet it’ll cost him $20,000 if all these people show up for their chicken.”

Rockets guard Mike Dunleavy should at least get a chicken leg or a pulley bone for his efforts to each the free dinner plateau. Dunleavy pumped in 11 of his 13 points in the final three minutes of the game, including the dinner-winning bucket with 51 seconds left in the game.

“Usually when the game is out of reach it’s dull in the fourth quarter,” Dunleavy said. “But I really enjoyed tonight. It put the pressure back on us to keep pushing and I think that’ll help us in later games.”

“Before the game was reduced to a run for the chicken in the fourth uarter, Rockets Rudy Tomjanovich and Rick Barry put on an entertaining shooting and passing show.

Tomjanovich scored 28 points to lead all scorers in the game and Barry, who had 13 points, contributed 12 assists.

“I was surprised they reacted like that,” Barry said of the crowd’s applause at each assist. “Houston isn’t known for its sophisticated basketball fans but they really seemed to notice and enjoy it.

“I know I’d rather make a good pass for an easy basket than make the basket myself,” Barry said.

Winford Boynes led the Nets with 15 points and Bob Elliott added 13.

The Nets never really were in the game after trailing 23-21 with 3:24 left in the first quarter. That’s when they started a 6½-minute scoreless span that extended into the second quarter.

Barry made three great assists for baskets early in the third quarter as the Rockets began to spurt again.

Then came the fourth quarter as Dunleavy brought home the chicken.

Tommy Bonk of The Houston Post:

Besides the New Jersey Nets, the only beings on this earth who could be more upset with their game Wednesday night are a bunch of chickens.

The Houston Rockets unleashed their barrage of shooters and trampled the hapless Nets 139-87 at The Summit, a victory flavored to the bone with points, points, points.

The 9,157 fans who saw the Rockets open their home season with their third consecutive victory can redeem their ticket stubs Thursday for a fried chicken dinner, courtesy of a local fast-food chain, because the locals scored the required 135 points.

After eight Rockets scored in double figures, there are a lot of feathered creatures waiting to get their necks wrung. They await a fate similar to what befell the Nets.

In a game fraught with all the electricity and emotion of a Saturday afternoon sewing circle, the Rockets got 34 points from Rudy Tomjanovich, 24 points (and 15 rebounds) from Moses Malone and 12 razor-sharp assists from Rick Barry to make this one an extreme laugher.

It wasn’t so funny for Nets Coach Kevin Loughery. “We just have to forget this one,” he said.

Forgettable for the Nets, memorable for the Rackets.

Still, it was a ball game… briefly. New Jersey was within 23-21 in the first quarter, but Houston ran off a 15-0 spurt while the Nets went scoreless for six minutes. The Rockets were up by 27 points at halftime (64-37) and just added to their lead which grew larger than the Goodyear blimp.

Eight Rockets played between 20 and 33 minutes as Coach Tom Nissalke let everybody get fat. However, the Rockets won’t be munching chicken Thursday along with everybody else. They’ll be in Kansas City where they play the Kings.

The Rockets’ 52-point margin of victory is their largest ever, eclipsing the old record by 13 points. It was also the Nets’ worst loss ever, by four points.

Mike Dunleavy (“The Chicken Man,” said Barry) slipped in a layup with 52 seconds left for the 134th and 135th points. He said, oddly enough, the win puts the Rockets in a tough situation next time they play New Jersey.

“If they have any pride, they’ll want to get even,” Dunleavy said. “They’ll want to run our bleeps off. If you win by five or six points, after the game everybody pats everybody on their tail, but after this…”

Let the record show Dunleavy turned his back on no one going to the locker room.

Early on, the Rockets kept their shooting arms in tune and their eyes on the fries. Maybe that’s a different commercial. What they did keep their eyes on were Bernard King and John Williamson.

Loughery mercifully rested his two stars when the scoreboard gorged itself on a diet of jump shots and layups, mostly laups.

King was shadowed by Barry, Williamson by Robert Reid and both Rockets did their jobs, Nissalke said.

The pair scored 21 between them in limited time.

“We couldn’t let them get 60 points between them,” Nissalke said. “If they get big numbers, we get killed.”

Instead, the poor chickens get killed.

Malone, who also rejected five shots, wasn’t embarrassed to beat the Nets so badly. “They’d do the same to us if they had the chance,” Malone said. “I love to win like that. Besides, I like fried chicken.”

Tomjanovich shot 23 times and ripped 13 of them. He also grabbed eight rebounds in 32 minutes. The Rocket offense was staggering, he said.

“It was amazing,” he said.

Houston dominated on the backboards (61-36), in shooting (56 percent to 41) and handling the ball (18 turnovers to the Nets’ 29).

“Perhaps they haven’t played a team with the kind of offense we have,” Barry said. “In this game, you never know what to expect. Next time, we won’t be overconfident.”

You couldn’t blame them if they were.

Earl Cambpell [sic] threw up the first ball and did as well as the NBA refs usually do. Free trips were given away to fans, a guy in a clown suit and a girl dressed up like a fowl of some kind added to the circus-like atmosphere.

Calvin Murphy (11 points and seven assists) was charitable. “It wouldn’t have been a 50-point game if he (Loughery) had used his starters. They just couldn’t get into the game.”

“The score wasn’t indicative of their team.”

Let’s hope not. For the chickens’ sake.

Australian journalist Rod Humphries:

#Parable of the loaves and chickens

##“We want chicken… we want chicken… we want chicken…”

More than 8000 spectators in Houston’s newest indoor stadium, The Summit, were stamping their feet and chanting for chicken. I guess a casual observer would have searched for the name “chicken” on the back of the shirts of the Houston Rockets or the New Jersey Nets basketball team.

But the 8000 screaming fans were chanting for their own chicken — Ron’s Crispy Fried Chicken to be exact.

You see, the Houston Rockets, like most American sporting teams, have promotional gimmicks to attract patronage and this season Ron’s Crispy Fried Chicken has promised every fan in the stadium a free chicken dinner if and when the team scores 135 points in a game.

So, with the score in the 120s and time running out, the crowd wanted chicken.

Johnny Warren, the former Australian Soccer captain and now manager-coach of Canberra City, is visiting with me in Houston and he was shaking his head in disbelief at the enthusiasm a chicken dinner had injected into an otherwise lifeless game.

In fact, he had been shaking his head for the entire game. John, a world-travelled athlete, thought he had seen it all.

From the outset it was going to be a one- sided game as the Rockets are one of the best teams in the country and the Nets one of the cellar dwellers.

But this was the first home game of the national basketball season and the Rockets’ management was out to attract patrons for the season.

In fact, the primary reason we went in the first place was a deal cooked up between the Rockets and the Houston Oilers football team.

At the Astrodome on Sunday it was announced that Oiler fans could obtain two tickets for the price of one to the basketball at The Summit by submitting their football ticket stub.

Two for the price of one. So who can resist?

After my kids picked their free posters, we were ushered to our seats and handed a card each which read: “Take this card to a food counter to receive your free bag of popcorn.”

The game wasn’t more than a minute old when it was announced:

“Ladeez and gentlemen, please check your ticket stubs. Section 110 Row C seat number 4. You have won a freezer and 40 crates of Coca-Cola. Please come down to the official table to collect your prize.”

I mean, it just didn’t stop. From the Coca-Cola and the popcorn until the end of the game it was a constant stream of give-aways.

“Ladeez and gentlemen, please look under your seats and if you have the word ‘Rockets’ printed there come to the official table to collect your free t-shirt.”

John Warren smiled as the entire audience stood and lifted seats to check whether there was a t-shirt prize hidden underneath.

“Now, I am drawing a prize which is a trip for two to Las Vegas … all expenses paid. The winner is…”

Ticket stub holder section 62, row D, seat 5 you have won a basketball backboard donated by Budweiser beer. Oh yes, and there is a free basketball.”

At half time it was the big one — an all expenses paid trip for two to London. John just smiled and shook his head.

“Now ladeez and gentlemen, our newest sponsor, the chicken chain of Ron’s Crispy Fried Chicken, has offered a free chicken dinner to every fan in the stadium if the Rockets can score more than 135 points in any game during the season.”

I am sure Ron’s Crisру Fried Chicken thought they were on a good thing. Houston didn’t top 135 in some 60-odd games last season.

But professional sportsmen love to take money from sponsors, even if it is indirectly.

So as the score mounted, up went the chanting and the stomping: “We want chicken … we want chicken … we want chicken.”

As the seconds ticked away the Rockets’ coach threw his big guns Rick Barry and Moses Malone into the lineup.

##Bedlam

Now it’s 129 .. 131 … “We want chicken … we want chicken…”

The score is 133-87 with 45 seconds to play. The Summit is bedlam.

Big Moses Malone charges at the basket, takes the ball in his huge mitt and dunks it. It never even touched the sides. Eight thousand fans had their chicken.

With a few seconds remaining the Rockets stole the ball from the Nets and again headed for the basket.

The court announcer, an obvious wit, said, in a low keyed voice: “and this is for the potato salad…” Johnny Warren just smiled and shook his head.