Yao helps Rockets soar over Spurs

HOUSTON: The Houston Rockets handed the San Antonio Spurs their first loss of the season on Tuesday with Yao Ming's 28 points and 13 rebounds leading the home team to an 89-81 victory over the NBA champions.

The Rockets lost by one point in Dallas on Monday but raised their record to 4-1 by beating San Antonio for the first time at the Toyota Center in their last five attempts.

The Spurs had opened the season with three straight victories.

"The guys just did a great job," Rockets coach Rick Adelman told reporters.

The Rockets dominated the boards, out-rebounding San Antonio 55-28 to win a game in which Houston's Tracy McGrady hit just four of his 14 shots and finished with 12 points, nine rebounds and six assists.

"We all understand how good we can be," McGrady said.

"For the guys that have been in this league for a long time, our window of opportunity is closing.

"We understand that and it's about time. We have a great nucleus of talent here, so why not now?"

Yao also dished out six assists and played strong defense when he was matched up with Tim Duncan, limiting the Spurs center to 1-for-9 shooting in the second quarter.

Duncan wound up 5-for-15 and had 14 points and 10 rebounds.

Manu Ginobili led the Spurs with 23 points and Tony Parker added 21.

Bonzi Wells added 14 points and 15 rebounds for the Rockets.

At Milwaukee, Desmond Mason was 10-for-10 from the field and scored 21 points in Milwaukee's rout of Toronto 112-85.

Milwaukee, a team that didn't shoot 60 percent or better from the field in a game all last season, shot 60.3 percent and held Toronto star Chris Bosh to one point.

The Bucks were without coach Larry Krystkowiak, who went to the hospital after his wife, Jan, went into labor with twins Tuesday afternoon. Bucks assistant Tony Brown coached the team in Krystkowiak's absence - and presided over an offensive outburst that started early and never really let up.

Toronto's five starters combined for 28 points. Juan Dixon led the Raptors with 20 points.

In New York, Zach Randolph had 22 points and 17 rebounds, three other players scored more than 20 points, and the New York Knicks erased a series of double-digit deficits to win 119-112 in the Denver Nuggets' first trip to Madison Square Garden since last year's brawl.

Seemingly on the verge of being run off the floor in the same way they were before losing their cool 11 months ago, the Knicks instead blew by the Nuggets with a fourth-quarter rally, then held on behind huge plays from Randolph and Eddy Curry in their best outing since being paired together.

Jamal Crawford led the Knicks with 25 points and Curry added 24 with nine in the fourth quarter. Stephon Marbury had 21 and nine assists, and Renaldo Balkman led a spirited bench effort with 11 points.

Allen Iverson scored 32 points and Carmelo Anthony had 24 for the Nuggets, who led by as many as 15 and were still ahead by 10 going into the fourth quarter before dropping their second straight.

The Los Angeles Clippers moved to 3-0 with a 97-91 road win over the 0-4 Chicago Bulls despite missing injured mainstays Elton Brand and Shaun Livingston.

Cuttino Mobley scored 33 points and Corey Maggette had 18 points, 10 rebounds and five assists in the win.

The New Orleans Hornets raised their record to 4-0 with a 118-104 road win over the Los Angeles Lakers as Peja Stojakovic hit 10-of-13 three-point attempts and scored 36 points, while Chris Paul had 19 points and 21 assists.

Kobe Bryant scored 28 points for the Lakers (2-2).

Agencies

(China Daily 11/08/2007 page23)