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Tracy McGrady Archives January 2008
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Tracy McGrady Archives
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January 2008
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TRACY MCGRADY FINDS HIMSELF BACK ON THE SIDELINES
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January 30, 2008
- Twice this season, the Golden State Warriors got away with double-teaming Yao Ming and daring the other Houston Rockets to beat them. Not this time. Yao scored eight of his 36 points in the final 2 1/2 minutes and had 19 rebounds to help the Rockets hold on to beat
Golden State 111-107 on Tuesday night. Yao averaged only 13 points in the first two meetings with the Warriors and the Rockets lost both games by double digits. Houston opened this one with a 23-6 run, hitting nine of its first 16 shots.
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Forwards Luis Scola and Shane Battier combined for 11 points during the early burst, forcing Golden State to guard them and leave Yao to push around undersized big men like Andris Biedrins and Al Harrington. "Our '4' men were very aggressive,'' Yao said. "They attacked the
rim, they got second shots, they knocked down some pull-ups. They (the Warriors) could not just stay out in front of me. They needed to go over there on our 4s.''
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Rafer Alston had 17 points and a season-high 12 assists as the Rockets overcame the absence of Tracy McGrady to win for the fifth time in six games and snap a four-game losing streak to the Warriors. Golden State nearly rallied to win after trailing by as many as 21 in the first half. The Warriors
took their first lead, at 102-101, on Baron Davis' 3-pointer with 2:11 left in the game.
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"We dug too big of a hole and it was just too tough to climb the ladder,'' said Golden State coach Don Nelson. Yao overpowered Golden State's undersized frontcourt all night and muscled his way down low on every Rockets' possession down the stretch. He went 6-for-6 from the free-throw line and flipped
in a hook shot after Davis' basket as Houston pulled away late. "If we could just get the ball in there to him,'' Alston said, "we could have any shot we wanted.'' - NBA.com
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TRACY MCGRADY STARTS THE GAME BUT CAN'T FINISH WITH A WIN
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January 28, 2008
- Tracy McGrady shook off a dismal first half to score 21, but Houston's offense sputtered all night. The Rockets shot 44 percent from the field and went 9-for-19 from the free throw line. "It was a tough loss,'' McGrady said. "I felt we played well at times, but they
just had a little bit too much.'' The Jazz have won eight of their last nine, though they averaged 111 points in their previous eight games. Utah had 60 points after three quarters before scoring 37 points in the final quarter behind Williams' eight assists.
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Williams sensed the Rockets wore down late. "They made their little run. That was a little scary for us,'' Williams said. "We hung in there, got some stops when we needed them, Kyle hit some big shots and we executed down the stretch.'' Boozer scored inside off a nice
pass from Williams with 4:36 left to put the Jazz up 80-76. Williams swished an off-balance shot from the corner on Utah's next possession.
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Korver nailed back-to-back 3-pointers to complete a 14-3 run and give Utah an 88-77 lead. The Rockets got no closer than eight, losing for just the third time in 12 games. "I just felt like, if it came down to the end, based on the two of us with equal records,'' McGrady said, "that this
was one of those games we had to win.'' The teams combined for 10 turnovers in an ugly first quarter that ended with Utah up 19-16. The Jazz missed 17 of their first 24 shots and only managed to lead by sinking their first six free throws.
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Utah improved its shooting before the half ended, while the Rockets continued to sputter. Houston shot 34 percent (14-of-41) in the first half and trailed 41-35. McGrady started 1-for-8. Despite Yao's absence, Boozer was 2-for-6 in the half and had only seven points. Still, he was glad he didn't
ever see the imposing Yao on the floor. "It gave us some lanes for us to drive to the hoop and make some free throws,'' Boozer said. "They really don't have any shot blockers, so we could attack a little bit.'' - NBA.com
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TRACY MCGRADY SNAPS TRAILBLAZERS' HOME WINNING STREAK
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January 27, 2008
- Led by newest member Tracy McGrady, Houston's reserves carried the Rockets to victory. McGrady had 15 points, Carl Landry added 12 points and eight rebounds and the Rockets stopped the Portland Trail Blazers' home-winning streak with an 89-79 win Friday night.
"It's a great tribute to our group ... I think we've found ourselves.'' McGrady said.
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Yao Ming started slowly for the Rockets but had 11 points and 10 rebounds for his 26th double-double of the season. Luis Scola had 11 points and 12 rebounds for Houston, which has won its last three and nine of 11. McGrady led the way, despite missing his season
average by seven points. But he was far from alone. The Rockets bench players outscored the starters 55-34 and all five reserves who played scored at least eight points.
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Roy was 7-for-10 from the field in the first half and the Blazers led by as many as 12. The Rockets committed 10 turnovers, three by Yao, who shot 0-for-3 from the field. Roy hit three of his first four shots and Portland led 23-11 at 2:01 in the first quarter. McGrady came off the
bench, as he has in three previous games back from a knee injury, and the Rockets came alive after he checked in.
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The Rockets closed the gap with a 12-0 run, including five straight points from Bonzi Wells. Aaron Brooks converted a driving layup to tie the game at 32. McGrady put the Rockets ahead with a driving layup and free throw for a three-point play. McGrady didn't score in the third but
his jumper at 10:31 in the fourth put Houston up 66-65. Scola hit a 13-footer with 3:59 left to make it 79-73. Landry converted a three-point play and the Blazers didn't challenge again. - NBA.com
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TRACY MCGRADY IGNITES ROCKETS' RALLY THAT BURNS SONICS
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January 24, 2008
- Kevin Durant wants to eventually model his game after Tracy McGrady. Durant got a view Wednesday night of just how good McGrady is, even with a gimpy leg. Nursing a left knee injury, McGrady put together a second half that showed even with one good leg
he's still one of the best in the game. McGrady scored 18 of his 28 points in the second half and took over in the final 90 seconds, both scoring and passing, helping the Rockets rally to beat the SuperSonics 109-107.
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McGrady was responsible for Houston's final eight points, scoring five himself and setting up Rafer Alston's 3-pointer with 16 seconds left that gave Houston a four-point lead Seattle couldn't overcome. "Tonight was a huge jump in getting back to my old self,''
McGrady said. Seattle would have preferred not to see any signs of the old McGrady. Instead, McGrady was largely responsible for Seattle's 12th straight loss, the worst single-season losing streak in franchise history. And this one might be the most painful.
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"That's why I want to pattern my game after him,'' Durant said. "On one leg and doing the things he did, words can't explain it.'' The Sonics led by double figures much of the night and held a 99-89 lead with 5 minutes left after Durant scored from the wing. Then it quickly
slipped away. The Sonics' lead was down to 102-101 when Durant upstaged his idol, stuffing McGrady's jumper and forcing Alston to hoist a desperation 3-pointer to beat the shot clock. It missed and Kurt Thomas was fouled on the rebound, splitting his two free throws to give
the Sonics a 103-101 lead with 1:51 left.
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But McGrady quickly showed his veteran savvy on Houston's next possession. With the shot clock about to expire, McGrady faked out Durant, then swished a step-back 3-pointer to give Houston its first lead since it was 24-22. Thomas quickly got the lead back for Seattle, hitting
a 15-footer, but McGrady answered by powering to the basket and scoring over Durant to give Houston a 106-105 lead. After Luke Ridnour missed an easy 5-footer, McGrady drove under the basket, drawing three Sonics. That left Alston open at the top of the key for the last of his
season-high five 3-pointers. "It was a hell of a comeback,'' McGrady said. "This was a game where we were playing catch-up and those guys weren't missing shots. We did a great job of staying in there.'' - NBA.com
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TRACY MCGRADY FIGHTS THROUGH THE PAIN TO GET 17 POINTS
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January 23, 2008
- Tracy McGrady says he'll play the rest of the season with pain in his left knee. All he can do during games is try to put the injury out of his mind. Playing in a reserve role for the second straight game, McGrady had 17 points and five assists as
the Houston Rockets beat the SuperSonics 96-89 on Monday, handing Seattle its team-record 11th consecutive loss.
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McGrady missed 11 games with a bone bruise and tendon damage in the knee. He returned on Saturday and scored nine points in 27 minutes against San Antonio before playing 30 painful minutes on Monday. "Today was really bad,'' McGrady said. "It was good to
see that I played more minutes and stayed out there for a good portion of the fourth quarter. For the most part, I felt like I pushed my way through it.''
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The Rockets are 22-19 at the midpoint of their season, only the 10th best record in the Western Conference. McGrady said he'd rather help his team try to salvage this season than sit out more games and let the knee fully recover. "It's going to be that way, because I
can't rest to let it heal all the way up,'' he said. "It's something I'm going to have to tolerate.''
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McGrady came off the bench with 5:08 left in the first quarter, with Seattle ahead 13-11. The Sonics led 24-22 after the first quarter and maintained their lead early in the second by repeatedly beating the Rockets down the floor for easy baskets. Durant, guarded by McGrady
much of the second quarter, put back an offensive rebound and Green charged down the lane for a one-handed dunk to put the Sonics up 37-33. - NBA.com
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TRACY MCGRADY FINALLY RETURNS AND ROCKETS GET WIN
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January 20, 2008
- Tracy McGrady returned and the Houston Rockets held on to a fourth-quarter lead against the defending NBA champions on Saturday night. Maybe the Rockets' season isn't slipping away just yet. Yao Ming had 21 points and 14 rebounds, and Houston
beat San Antonio 83-81, the Spurs' fourth loss in six games. "What I could see was effort and how much we wanted this game,'' Yao said.
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Rafer Alston added 16 points and six assists as the Rockets beat their in-state rivals for only the fourth time in the last 13 meetings. McGrady, who was back after missing 11 games with a sore left knee, had nine points on 4-of-12 shooting. "We not
only played hard, we played smart and under control,'' McGrady said. "We played together as a team.'' Tim Duncan had 24 points and 17 rebounds for San Antonio, which lost in Houston for the second time in six visits. The Spurs outrebounded Houston
37-32, but went a costly 11-for-19 from the free throw line.
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The Rockets led 83-67 in the third quarter and still seemed in control when they led by 89-77 with 10 minutes left in the game. But Houston committed nine turnovers and went five minutes without a field goal in the fourth quarter to fuel Philadelphia's comeback.
"It didn't look good,'' said Dalembert. "But then we came back with a roar.'' Rafer Alston's running one-hander put Houston up 101-98 with 3:43 left, but Miller sank two free throws and Dalembert hit one to tie the game. Alston made a bad pass -- his sixth turnover
-- and Dalembert dunked at the other end to put the Sixers ahead 103-101 with 2:24 remaining.
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McGrady was on the bench at the start and the Spurs hit six of their first seven shots. Head, McGrady's replacement in the lineup, kept the Rockets close with seven early points. McGrady entered with 6:04 left in the first quarter. He missed his first shot, then scored
on a drive and sank a 3-pointer to give Houston its first lead, at 19-18. McGrady, wincing in pain during dead balls, left the game with 5:15 left and Parker promptly hit a jumper to put the Spurs in front. Luis Scola hit a free throw with 4:38 left to tie it and the
Rockets pulled back in front on Alston's drive with 3:30 left. - NBA.com
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TRACY MCGRADY IS STILL MISSING IN ACTION RESULTS IN LOSS
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January 17, 2008
- Yao scored 25 points and Alston added 20 for Houston, which dropped to 7-4 since Tracy McGrady went out with a left knee injury. McGrady is expected to play against San Antonio on Saturday. Down by 16 points in the second half, the
Philadelphia 76ers somehow forgot that they'd lost seven consecutive games. Andre Miller scored 26 points, Samuel Dalembert added 19 points and blocked a shot in the final seconds, and the Sixers rallied in the fourth quarter to beat
the Rockets 111-107 on Tuesday night.
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"We found a way to finish off the game,'' said Miller, who also has six assists and five rebounds. "After losing that many games, a lot of teams would fold on this road trip. We came out and played good basketball.'' Louis Williams scored
18 and Andre Iguodala had 17 for the Sixers, who also snapped a five-game road skid. "The main thing is to focus on the season and never try to have a really down point,'' said Iguodala. "But we had it, and it's good for us to bounce back
and get a win like we had tonight.''
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The Rockets led 83-67 in the third quarter and still seemed in control when they led by 89-77 with 10 minutes left in the game. But Houston committed nine turnovers and went five minutes without a field goal in the fourth quarter to fuel Philadelphia's comeback.
"It didn't look good,'' said Dalembert. "But then we came back with a roar.'' Rafer Alston's running one-hander put Houston up 101-98 with 3:43 left, but Miller sank two free throws and Dalembert hit one to tie the game. Alston made a bad pass -- his sixth turnover
-- and Dalembert dunked at the other end to put the Sixers ahead 103-101 with 2:24 remaining.
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"We stopped doing the things that got us the lead,'' said Alston. "It was a total let-up.'' The Sixers led 107-104 after Dalembert scored with 35.1 seconds left. Luis Scola rebounded Yao Ming's miss at the other end, but Dalembert blocked Scola's putback try. Iguodala hit
two free throws with 16.6 seconds left to put the game out of reach. Philadelphia outscored Houston 37-22 in the fourth. "We hung together and played hard and we got something good out of it,'' said Philadelphia coach Maurice Cheeks. - NBA.com
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TRACY MCGRADY RETURNING SATURDAY AGAINST SPURS
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January 13, 2008
- Yao Ming had 30 points, 16 rebounds and six turnovers for the Rockets, who lost for the third time in the 10 games Tracy McGrady has missed with a sore left knee. McGrady is expected to return for Saturday's game against San Antonio.
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The New Orleans Hornets played their home games in Oklahoma City the last two seasons and their home-court attendance this year is the lowest in the Western Conference. Maybe that explains why they've learned to play so well on the road.
Chris Paul had 19 points and 11 assists and made four free throws in the final 15 seconds to lift the Hornets to an 87-82 victory over the Houston Rockets on Sunday, New Orleans' seventh consecutive road victory.
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"We just have guys who've been in just about any situation,'' Paul said. "When you have that energy against you, it pushes us and helps us out a lot.'' The Hornets are 15-5 on the road this season, already matching last year's win total away from home. "When we
started talking about what we needed to do this season, having a better road record was definitely one of our main focuses,'' New Orleans coach Byron Scott said. "These guys are young and when we get on the road, it's just us, so they seem to really focus a lot better.''
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David West scored 26 points and grabbed 12 rebounds for the Hornets, who snapped the Rockets' five-game winning streak. The Hornets have won seven of the last nine meetings with Houston, a divisional rival. Not coincidentally, the Hornets' dominance in the series
has coincided with Paul's three seasons. Last year, Paul averaged 18 points and 11 assists against Houston and New Orleans won three of four meetings. "He kind of controls how they play,'' Houston coach Rick Adelman said. - NBA.com
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TRACY MCGRADY RETURNING SATURDAY ROCKETS WIN WOLVES
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January 12, 2008
- Tracy McGrady took another night off, Yao Ming barely broke a sweat and the Houston Rockets still easily handled the Minnesota Timberwolves. Luis Scola had 22 points and nine rebounds and rookie Carl Landry had 15 points and 11 rebounds, both career highs, as the
Rockets beat Minnesota 113-82 on Friday night to win for the seventh time in the nine games McGrady has missed with a left knee injury.
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Yao scored 15 points in only 28 minutes as the Rockets blew out the Timberwolves in the first half and cruised to their season-high fifth consecutive victory. Houston coach Rick Adelman had no complaints - except for the time out Landry called after diving for a rebound
in the final minute. But the 6-foot-9 draft pick out of Purdue could be excused for the rookie mistake. He'd played only 17 total minutes in the NBA before logging 20 on Friday.
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Houston trainer Keith Jones said before the game that McGrady will probably miss another week as he recovers from a bone bruise and injured tendons in the knee. The Rockets also played without Bonzi Wells, who has a sprained left shoulder, but the hapless
Timberwolves were still overmatched. Houston hit 13 of its first 23 shots and led 31-18 after the first quarter. Every Rockets starter had between four and seven points as they continued their balanced attack in McGrady's absence.
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Scola is the fifth different player to lead the Rockets in scoring while McGrady has been sidelined. An established star in the European League, but a rookie in the NBA, Scola has reached double figures in seven of Houston's last 11 games. "I think I'm working
hard and I'm getting better little by little,'' Scola said. "I'm getting used to the differences between here and where I come from.'' - NBA.com
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TRACY MCGRADY GONE ROCKETS HAVE MORE CONFINDENCE
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January 10, 2008
- Yao scored 36 points, and the Rockets broke open a close game after Thomas was ejected to beat the New York Knicks 101-92 Wednesday night for their season-high fourth straight victory. Isiah Thomas wanted Yao Ming out of the lane. Instead, Thomas got thrown out
the game. And it was all Houston from there.
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"I was close enough in his ear that he could hear me, but I didn't bump him or anything like that,'' Thomas said. "The reaction that I gave, you can look at it two ways and say you could just give him a tech or he can be thrown out of the game. But I'm not a guy and
I haven't shown in this league that I complain a lot.
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Yao made the technical free throw to give Houston a 78-74 lead, then Luis Scola made a pair of buckets and Alston had a 3-pointer and another jumper in the decisive spurt, giving the Rockets an 87-76 advantage with 6:43 remaining. The Rockets improved to
6-2 since All-Star guard Tracy McGrady went out of the lineup with a strained tendon in his left knee. Scola finished with 19 points, nine in the final quarter.
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"The team has more confidence playing without T-Mac right now,'' Yao said. "That doesn't mean we don't need him. You have to face to those games when you don't have him. When you miss him, you still have to play. We're finding a way to play without him right
now.'' - NBA.com
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TRACY MCGRADY WATCHES AND THE ROCKETS WIN WITHOUT HIM
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January 9, 2008
- No sense in waiting around for Tracy McGrady to return. The Houston Rockets are winning without him these days. Luther Head's season-high 24 points and Rafer Alston's double-double Tuesday night led Houston past the Washington Wizards 92-84,
the Rockets' third consecutive victory.
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"We've been down this road before. We're prepared. Guys aren't hesitant now, like previous years when Tracy was out,'' said Alston, who finished with 15 points, 10 assists and seven rebounds. "Guys are coming in confident, understanding they have to be
aggressive and attack the basket.'' Yao Ming scored 21 points for Houston, which is 5-2 since McGrady went down last month with a left knee injury.
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McGrady, sitting on the sideline in a jacket and tie, will be checked out by the Rockets' medical staff Thursday to determine when he'll be able to return. "If we can get everybody else with their confidence to a higher level, when he comes back it just
has to help us as a team,'' Houston coach Rick Adelman said. As Head said: "When McGrady comes back, we'll have something to build on.''
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But what are the Rockets like without their leading scorer? "Quicker. They play quicker. They probably move the ball a little bit better,'' Wizards coach Eddie Jordan said. "Tracy's a tremendous player, but I'm sure they have a scheme without him and the
scheme was to push it, play up-tempo, drive it and move the basketball.'' - NBA.com
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TRACY MCGRADY WATCHED AS YAO MING GETS ANOTHER WIN
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January 7, 2008
- Brooks scored a career-high 22 points, Yao Ming added 30 and the Houston Rockets beat the New York Knicks 103-91, their fourth win in six games without Tracy McGrady. Robinson matched a season high with 25 points for the Knicks, who've
dropped seven games in a row and 13 of 14 on the road this season. "We're competitive. We've always been competitive,'' said Brooks, the 26th overall pick in last year's draft. "I hit the first shot and I just got comfortable.''
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McGrady has been out since Dec. 23 because of strained tendons, tendinitis and a bone bruise in his left knee. Before Saturday's game, team doctor Tom Clanton said McGrady would probably miss another week and be re-evaluated before the team's
next homestand, which begins on Jan. 11.
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Brooks looked like a dependable alternative, hitting four 3-pointers and going 8-for-10 from the field. "He's an amazing player,'' said Yao. "Everybody knows he has speed, good skill and very strong confidence. Everybody knew one day, he would play like
(he did) tonight. We didn't know which day. But one day.'' Yao also had eight rebounds and six assists, outplaying Knicks center Eddy Curry. The 6-foot-11 Curry had 16 points and six rebounds.
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"He is so big and extremely long that you have to make your best move on him or he will block your shot,'' Curry said. "He is a tough guy to guard out there.'' The Rockets led 55-42 at halftime and Curry came out aggressively after the break, scoring twice inside
and getting to the line for two free throws. But Curry went to the bench later in the quarter and Yao took advantage, scoring four straight baskets as Houston stretched the lead to 73-56. - NBA.com
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TRACY MCGRADY WATCHED AS YAO MING & DWIGHT HOWARD BATTLE
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January 5, 2008
- Yao Ming turned and emphatically slapped his arm. He had just drawn Dwight Howard's sixth foul, seemingly sinking the Orlando Magic and winning the battle between probable NBA All-Star starting centers Friday night. That play didn't
beat the Magic, but a last-second call might have.
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Adonal Foyle appeared to tip in Rashard Lewis' driving layup miss with a fraction of a second left to tie it and force overtime. But officials shocked the crowd, which had watched the replay several times, by returning to wave off the
bucket. No record of an official call was made, and the officiating crew declined comment. "Exciting finish,'' Yao said, in terrific understatement.
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"When they said it was no good, we were just trying to hurry up and take a shower, put our clothes on before they would tell us to come back onto the court,'' said Rockets guard Rafer Alston, who scored the winning layup. Within 15 minutes of the finish,
Magic coach Stan Van Gundy had already put in calls to league officials. "I'm not going to summon a lot of anger,'' Van Gundy said. "This is a tough night in the NBA. It's the way it goes sometimes.''
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"The thing is that it's frustrating that we're giving teams an opportunity to have calls being decided in the last minute,'' Foyle said. "I didn't see the replay, but I thought it was good because as I tapped it and I was coming down, I saw the light through
the basket and I thought I had a good chance of getting it in.'' - NBA.com
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Tracy McGrady Sitting Out, Rockets Couldn't Handle Celtics
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January 3, 2008
- Two different Boston centers fouled out trying to guard Yao Ming before the biggest Celtics big man of all took on the job himself. For Kevin Garnett, it was just another way to be indispensable down the stretch. "It was superstar
on superstar,'' Celtics forward James Posey said. "He accepts those challenges, and we jumped on his back and he carried us to a win.''
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Garnett scored 11 of his 26 points in the last 7 minutes, grabbing a steal with 2 minutes left and blocking a shot with just seconds remaining on Wednesday night to help the Boston Celtics beat the Houston Rockets 97-93 and earn their
seventh consecutive victory. Paul Pierce scored 19 points and assisted on four key baskets down the stretch as the Celtics improved to 27-3 to match the best 30-game start in the shot-clock era. Five other teams have lost just three of
their first 30 games, including the 1995-96 Chicago Bulls who finished the season with an NBA-record 72 wins.
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"He definitely made him uncomfortable on defense, and on offense he stretched him,'' Ray Allen said. "Kevin made a lot of big shots down the stretch. ... You catch a little fire and he knocks down some shots for us. That was the difference.''
"When you play against the best in the league, you can't go in with low gas, you've got to have a lot of high octane,'' Garnett said. "I fed off this building, these fans are the spark plug and I just plugged in and didn't even think what I was doing.''
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Wells hit a pair of free throws, then Garnett hit one of two before stealing an entry pass to Yao. Pierce set up Garnett at the other end for a jumper that gave Boston a 94-89 lead, then did it again with a backward bounce pass to clinch the game with 22.2
seconds left. Pierce jumped on Garnett's back in celebration. - NBA.com
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TRACY MCGRADY: WHEN WILL HE RETURN TO THE NBA FLOOR?
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January 2, 2008
- Once Don Nelson got thrown out, Baron Davis took over. Davis scored 23 points and Al Harrington had 16 points and 11 rebounds as Golden State overcame 21 turnovers to rally
past the Houston Rockets 112-95 on Monday night. Monta Ellis scored 20 and Stephen Jackson sank four 3-pointers and added 18 points for the Warriors, who outscored Houston 37-15
in the final quarter to win for the 19th time in 26 games.
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Davis either scored or assisted on six of Golden State's first eight baskets of the fourth quarter to kick-start the late surge. "Any time we're in the fourth quarter and we're
trying to get some buckets, we'll just put the ball in Baron's hands and we start playing off him,'' Jackson said. "That's been highly successful for us.''
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Nelson was ejected in the second quarter for arguing with referee Bill Kennedy and the Rockets were positioned to win their third straight game without Tracy McGrady, who's out indefinitely
with a sore left knee. But the Warriors said they were inspired by Nelson's outburst. "When our coach got thrown out, we felt like, 'Now it's really us against the world,''' Harrington said.
"That's the way we played the second half.''
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The Warriors trailed 80-75 after three quarters, then hit six 3-pointers in the first 9 minutes of the fourth to pull ahead. They hit 14 of 25 shots, including 7-for-13 from 3-point range, and
didn't commit a single turnover in the final quarter. "We were working our way out of playing a poor game,'' Davis said. "That's what we were able to do in the fourth quarter - just take care of
the ball, get good shots and get some defensive stops.'' - NBA.com
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