MEMPHIS, Tenn - Tracy McGrady scored 33 points and had eight assists to lead the Houston Rockets to a 98-90 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies on Tuesday night.

Memphis Grizzlies center Pau Gasol of Spain (front) and Houston Rockets guard Tracy McGrady collide under the basket while fighting for a rebound during the first quarter of NBA basketball action in Memphis, Tennessee, February 6, 2007. [Reuters]

 

McGrady led five Rockets in double figures as Houston won for the sixth time in the last seven games.

Memphis, which has the worst record in the NBA, has lost three straight.

Juwan Howard scored 17 for the Rockets and Shane Battier added 14. Rafer Alston had 12 points and Luther Head contributed 11.

Pau Gasol led Memphis with 30 points and 13 rebounds. Mike Miller added 12 points, but was only 5-for-17 from the field. Lawrence Roberts finished with 10 points.

Gasol also had five blocks and five assists.

Houston, which built the lead to as many as 13 in the first half, let Memphis get within three points early in the fourth quarter.

But the Grizzlies could never get closer because they kept misfiring from the field, and Houston eventually got the lead back to 11 points with just under 3 minutes left.