Yao nets season-high 36 to lift Rockets

HOUSTON: China's giant center Yao Ming scored a season-high 36 points and grabbed 19 rebounds as he carried the Houston Rockets on his back in a 111-107 win over Golden State on Tuesday.

Yao was back in the lineup after missing Sunday's game against Utah, but this time Tracy McGrady sat out with the same problem - a virus.

"I'm 100 percent," Yao said. "At the beginning, I felt a little down. As the game got going I got warmed up."

It didn't matter as Yao put on a shooting and rebounding clinic, scoring nine points in the final three minutes to hold off Golden State.

Houston blew a 14-point lead in the fourth quarter, falling behind by a point before Yao rallied the troops. He just missed the fourth 20-20 game of his career.

"We were able to get the ball to Yao and he made his free throws," Houston coach Rick Adelman said of his 7-6 center, who was 14-of-15 from the foul line in the game. "When he got fouled, we were in business. Yao is money."

Rafer Alston scored 17 points and added 11 assists and Luther Head chipped in with 20 points for Houston, which played without McGrady, who missed his 15th game of the season - this time with the flu.

The Warriors briefly took the lead at 102-101 on Baron Davis' 3-pointer, but Yao went back to work.

Golden State started its comeback early in the third quarter when a 9-2 run brought it back within striking distance at 64-57. A few minutes later, Andris Biedrins' basket helped Golden State close within 75-71.

The Rockets responded by going inside to Yao.

Yao scored nine points in a row for Houston after Golden State scored seven straight to close within 100-99 with 2:55 left to play.

"Yao was just too much for us," Warriors coach Don Nelson said. "We dug too big a hole and it was just too tough to climb the ladder."

Houston's lead was built up early thanks to Yao, who scored 16 points and grabbed 13 rebounds in the first half to help the Rockets outrebound the Warriors, 34-26, in the first two quarters.

Stephen Jackson led Golden State with 25.

Premiere big man

In Indianapolis, Rasheed Wallace earned the plaudits with 24 points and 10 rebounds to help Detroit beat the Indiana Pacers 110-104 on Tuesday, earning the Pistons their third win in a row.

"He's one of the premiere big men in the NBA and doesn't get the recognition he deserves," Indiana coach Jim O'Brien told reporters of Wallace.

"I think he is one of the top three big men in the East. He is very difficult to defend."

Tayshaun Prince scored 17 points and Chauncey Billups 11 for the Pistons, who improved their season's record to 32-13, second only to the Boston Celtics (35-8) in the Eastern Conference.

Mike Dunleavy scored 25 points for the Pacers, who were playing without the injured Jermaine O'Neal and Jamaal Tinsley.

"They made some really big defensive stops and made big shots down the stretch," said O'Brien.

"They did what they do at the end of the game."

In Seattle, the Supersonics ended their team-record 14-game losing streak with an 88-85 win over the San Antonio Spurs as rookie Kevin Durant scored 26 points and sank the winning basket.

Manu Ginobili had 29 points and Tim Duncan 27 points and 12 rebounds for the Spurs, who are without star guard Tony Parker for an indefinite period because of a bone spur in his left heel.

In Washington, Antawn Jamison had 24 points and 20 rebounds as the Washington Wizards scored a 108-104 overtime win over the Toronto Raptors. Chris Bosh had 37 points and 12 rebounds for Toronto.

In Miami, the Celtics, missing the injured Kevin Garnett and a flu-ridden Ray Allen, hammered the Miami Heat 117-87 in Miami. The Heat have lost 16 of their last 17 games.

In New Jersey, the New Jersey Nets snapped a nine-game losing streak with an 87-80 win over the Milwaukee Bucks.

In Los Angeles, Kobe Bryant had 24 points, 11 rebounds and eight assists and Los Angeles rallied to beat New York.

Agencies

(China Daily 01/31/2008 page24)