Rockets put cold-shooting Cavs on ice

December 03, 2006|NBA Roundup, Associated Press

Yao Ming scored 24 points and the Rockets overcame a concussion to Tracy McGrady to beat the cold-shooting Cleveland Cavaliers, 81-63, in Houston.

McGrady took an inadvertent elbow from Dikembe Mutombo in the first quarter and did not return. Trainer Keith Jones said after the game that McGrady was fine and didn't have to go to the hospital. Luckily for Houston, the Cavaliers nearly set team records for offensive futility.

LeBron James scored 21, but was 7 for 22 from the field. Cleveland shot 28 percent (22 for 78) as a team, flirting with its all-time worst shooting performance (23.8 percent), set in 1970.

The Cavaliers' point total was just 4 points ahead of their all-time low for a game (59), set in 1997 against San Antonio.

Luther Head hit three 3-pointers and scored 13 for the Rockets, who've won five of their last six games and five in a row at home. Rafer Alston added 10 points and four assists and Juwan Howard grabbed 13 rebounds.

Nuggets 121, Pacers 101 -- Carmelo Anthony scored a season-high 38 points and J.R. Smith hit five 3-pointers in host Denver's rout.

Jamaal Tinsley led Indiana with 25 points and eight assists.

Jermaine O'Neal was a game-time decision with a balky left hamstring. However, O'Neal was in the Pacers' starting lineup and contributed 20 points and 16 rebounds. Greg Foster had 18 rebounds and Al Harrington had 18 points.

Lakers 97, Clippers 88 -- Kobe Bryant had a relatively quiet game with 29 points and it was still enough to lead the Lakers over the home team Clippers.

The Lakers' Lamar Odom had 18 points and eight rebounds before fouling out in the final minute. Smush Parker added 11 points as the Lakers downed their arena co-tenants for the second time in less than two weeks.

Bucks 115, Warriors 110 -- Mo Williams scored 10 points in the fourth quarter after missing his first 12 shots, and Milwaukee roared from behind for an improbable victory over Golden State in Oakland, Calif.

Charlie Bell fell just short of his career high with 28 points for the Bucks, who ruined Golden State coach Don Nelson's second attempt to become just the second coach in NBA history 1,200 career victories.

Nets 112, 76ers 107 -- Vince Carter scored a season-high 41 points and Jason Kidd had 13 assists to lead host New Jersey over Philadelphia.

Allen Iverson scored 37 points as Philadelphia lost its sixth straight road game.

Raptors 103, Knicks 100 -- T.J. Ford had 20 points and 10 assists, and turned back host New York on a number of occasions down the stretch as Toronto held on.

Chris Bosh had 26 points and 13 rebounds for Toronto, which won for the fourth time in five games. But it was Ford's play down that stretch that allowed the Raptors to survive an inspired finish from Eddy Curry (27 points, 11 in the final 4:49).

Jazz 109, SuperSonics 107 -- Mehmet Okur hit a 3-pointer with 1.6 seconds left to help Utah hold off Seattle in Salt Lake City.

Ray Allen scored 20 of his 33 points in the fourth quarter, including a drive past Andrei Kirilenko for a layup with seven seconds left that gave Seattle a 107-106 lead.

Heat 98, Grizzlies 97 -- James Posey hit a 3-pointer from 26 feet at the buzzer to give visiting Miami the victory over Memphis.

Spurs 100, Kings 98 -- Bruce Bowen scored a season-high 23 points to lead host San Antonio over Sacramento.

Bulls 112, Wizards 94 -- Ben Gordon scored 28 points and Andres Nocioni added 24 to lead Chicago over Washington, which set a franchise record with its eighth straight road loss to start the season.

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