HOUSTON - Yao Ming scored 25 points, Shane Battier hit a pair of key 3-pointers and added 17, and the Houston Rockets beat the Minnesota Timberwolves 82-75 on Tuesday night.

Houston Rockets' Tracy McGrady grimaces and holds his bruised right side as he walks off the court in the first quarter against the Minnesota Timberwolves in NBA basketball action, Tuesday, Nov. [AP]

Rafer Alston also hit a late 3-pointer and scored 13 points as the Rockets won their fourth straight game despite an injury to Tracy McGrady.

The six-time All-Star bruised his left hip in a first-half collision and seemed affected the rest of the game, scoring only eight points on 4-of-14 shooting. He also had seven assists.

Kevin Garnett had 25 points and 11 rebounds for Minnesota, his league-leading 12th double-double. Randy Foye added 11.

The Timberwolves trailed most of the game, but tied it at 68 on Troy Hudson's 3-pointer with 4:53 left. Battier swished two 3-pointers 40 seconds apart to start the Rockets' finishing 14-7 spurt.

Alston, who missed eight of his first 10 shots, rattled in a 3-pointer from the corner with 2:16 remaining to put the Rockets up 77-70.

Houston snapped a four-game losing streak to the Timberwolves at home and won for the ninth time in 11 games.

The Timberwolves committed 20 turnovers and were outrebounded 40-37.

McGrady had four assists in the first quarter, then was hit in the ribs by a Minnesota player and went to the bench with 3:53 left.

As the second quarter began, McGrady gingerly walked behind the bench and held his side as trainer Keith Jones watched.

The Rockets maintained a slim lead without him, taking a 26-21 lead after Luther Head's 3-pointer.

Houston Rockets center Yao Ming, right, of China, has trouble keeping control of the ball under pressure from Minnesota Timberwolves' Mark Madsen, in the first half of an NBA basketball game, Tuesday, Nov. [AP]

McGrady returned with 8:46 left in the half and promptly hit a jumper from the free throw line. But he missed two more jumpers - part of a 1-for-8 start - and bent over during play stoppages.

McGrady went to the bench again with 4:25 left in the first half and held his left hip as he walked to the locker room with Jones.

Without McGrady, Yao carried the Rockets to a 36-31 halftime lead, scoring 12 points and grabbing six rebounds in the first half.

Garnett scored 12 in the first half, but none of his teammates had more than four.

McGrady started the second half, missed a jumper, then threw an errant pass that former Rocket Mike James converted into a layup.

The Timberwolves pulled to a 39-all tie before Yao scored twice to rebuild a four-point Houston lead. Yao was 7-for-10 from the field at that point, while the rest of the Rockets were 10-for-44.

Alston hit a 3-pointer, then got a steal and found McGrady for a fast-break layup to put the Rockets up 48-39.

Ricky Davis hit a jumper from the wing, but Yao flipped in a layup and a hook shot to push the lead into double digits. McGrady looked healthier on a driving layup in the final minute of the third quarter, but Minnesota closed to 54-47 heading to the fourth.

Houston led 62-56 when McGrady returned with 9:17 remaining. McGrady hit a hanging mid-range jumper two minutes later to put the Rockets up 64-58, but Hudson's second 3-pointer in three minutes tied it.

Battier answered with consecutive 3-pointers from the corner and Alston added a 3-pointer with 2:16 left as the Rockets rediscovered their shooting touch just in time.