ROCKETS ARE TOO MUCH FOR CLIPPERS\Houston 115, Clippers 104.

Byline: Scott Wolf Daily News Staff Writer

The four-game winning streak that served to boost the Clippers' morale, if not their place in the standings, failed its midterm Saturday night.

It was not expansion Vancouver, beleaguered Phoenix or struggling Minnesota that tested the Clippers' best stretch since the second week of the season. It was the two-time defending world champion Houston Rockets.

The Clippers earned the old "A" for effort, but the Rockets were not about to award anything more, escaping with a 115-104 victory before 13,485 at the Sports Arena.

After an unimpressive first half, the Clippers actually played better in the second half than at times during their victory streak, but could never overtake the Rockets. About the best that could be gleaned from the outcome was the dreaded moral victory.

"I don't like those. I'm moralistically bankrupt," Clippers center Brian Williams said.

The Clippers (15-21) also missed a chance to move out of the Pacific Division cellar and ahead of the Suns.

The main obstacle was a battle-tested Houston team that never blinked, even after nearly blowing a 22-point lead. Hakeem Olajuwon had his 29 points and 17 rebounds, but they came on an off night as he converted only 8 of 24 shots.

The real damage came from Clippers nemesis Clyde Drexler.

A game against the Clippers was all Drexler needed to return to form for the first time since missing eight games with a bruised thigh. Drexler made 5 of 6 of his 3-pointers and scored a game-high 32 points. He had made just 12 of 45 field goals entering the contest, but he is usually at his best against the Clippers and this was no exception.

Drexler scored 27 against the Clippers when the teams met in Houston in November and averaged 32 points against them last season.

Drexler's biggest 3-pointer came with two minutes left and gave Houston a 99-93 advantage.

By contrast, Clippers point guard Pooh Richardson, who has been one of the team's hottest players, had a horrendous first half, making 1 of 10 field goals.

"If I had made three more of those shots in the first half, we probably would have won the game," Richardson said. "We had this game."

Richardson and the rest of the Clippers starters nearly erased their 22-point deficit with an inspired second half. All five starters played the entire third quarter, cutting the Rockets' lead to 79-72.

The first substitution did not come until Richardson suffered a slightly strained right calf early in the fourth quarter. The first string continued to earn its minutes, cutting the Rockets lead to one-point (92-91) on Brian Williams' hook shot.

It hardly fazed the Rockets, however, who never panicked and simply rebuilt the lead by forcing the ball in to Olajuwon.

The Rockets (25-11), who had played just .500 ball the past 10 games and lost to the Lakers on Friday, were just happy to leave with a victory, especially with forward Robert Horry out with tendinitis in his right knee.

Clippers guard Malik Sealy started the game despite suffering a hyperextended knee against Minnesota on Thursday and scored 27 points with eight rebounds and four blocked shots before fouling out.

Notes: Rodney Rogers injured his right ankle on a drive in the first quarter and did not return. It is the same ankle he hurt last month.