(China Daily)
Updated: 2007-12-07 09:03

HOUSTON: Tracy McGrady finished with 17 points, 10 rebounds and 12 assists for his third-career triple-double, and Yao Ming added 24 points and 13 rebounds to help Houston down Memphis 105-92 on Wednesday.

Houston Rockets' Yao Ming dunks the ball against the Memphis Grizzlies in the first half of their NBA game on Wednesday in Houston. Yao had 24 points and 13 rebounds as the Rockets defeated the Grizzlies 105-91. [Agencies]

Reserve Bonzi Wells added a season-high 24 for the Rockets, who have won four of six since losing six straight.

"It's good to finally get one as a Rocket after flirting with them for so long," McGrady said about his triple-double. "It's a good accomplishment. Those things are hard to come by."

Shane Battier was one of five Rockets who had 13 or more points and he liked what he saw.

Houston Rockets' Yao Ming dunks the ball against the Memphis Grizzlies in the first half of their NBA game on Wednesday in Houston. Yao had 24 points and 13 rebounds as the Rockets defeated the Grizzlies 105-91.

"We're at our best when we're balanced like that," said Battier, who had 13. "In the end, a balanced team will have more success. That's what we're striving to get."

Paul Gasol led Memphis with 23 points and 12 rebounds while Damon Stoudamire had 19 points.

The Grizzlies came back from a 13-point halftime deficit to get within seven at one point in the third quarter.

But McGrady warmed up in the third by scoring seven points. Yao added 13 as Houston pulled back to an 85-71 lead after three.

At Philadelphia, Paul Pierce had 19 points and 12 assists, Kevin Garnett scored 22 points and the Boston Celtics broke open a surprisingly tight game in the fourth quarter to beat Philadelphia 113-103.

Ray Allen added 12 points for Boston (15-2), but it was Eddie House and James Posey who sank the big three-pointers that let the NBA-best Celtics remain undefeated in the Atlantic Division.

House and Posey went 7-for-13 on threes and that was the difference late in the game.

Andre Miller kept the Sixers alive until the fourth with his first double-double of the season, a 26-point, 12-assist effort. Andre Iguodala scored 24 points.

The Sixers gave an inspired effort in their first game with Ed Stefanski as president and general manager. Stefanski left his job as general manager of the Nets to take a similar role in Philadelphia after Billy King was fired on Monday.

In Washington, Caron Butler scored 27 points to lead the Wizards past the Cavs 105-86. Cleveland has lost four straight with LeBron James sidelined by a sprained left index finger, and five straight overall.

It is Cleveland's first five-game losing straight since Feburay 22-March 1, 2006.

Meanwhile, Washington is 6-4 without Gilbert Arenas, who underwent surgery on his left knee last month. Arenas sat on the Wizards' sideline for the first time since his surgery.

At Denver, Kobe Bryant scored 12 of his 25 points in the fourth quarter to spark the Los Angeles Lakers past Denver 111-107, spoiling a 51-point performance by Nuggets superstar Allen Iverson.

Despite hurting his left shoulder and spending much of the third quarter on the bench, Bryant kept Iverson to only two points in the final period while catching fire with six points in the last 1:14 to lift the Lakers to victory.

Agencies/AFP/NBA.com