http://s****ts.yahoo.com/nba/recap;_ylt=An7C6LOZvQar9H1B70wbnlm8vLYF?gid=2005110510
N Orleans/OKC 91, Houston 84
N Orleans/OKC 91, Houston 84
Preview - Box Score - Recap
By CHRIS DUNCAN, AP S****ts Writer
November 5, 2005
AP - Nov 5, 10:09 pm EST
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HOUSTON (AP) -- The Houston Rockets will have to learn how to win
without Tracy McGrady.
With their superstar sidelined three weeks with back spasms, the
Rockets struggled down the stretch on Saturday night, losing to the
New Orleans Hornets 91-84.
P.J. Brown had 18 points and 13 rebounds and Chris Paul sank two
runners in the final minute to carry the Hornets to their first road
win of the season.
The Rockets found out before the game that McGrady could be out for
the rest of November after hurting his back during Friday's practice.
After a slow start, the Rockets managed to overcome McGrady's absence,
building an eight-point lead in the second half. But they sorely
missed him down the stretch, as the Hornets closed with a 17-2 run.
Paul finished with 15 points and David West added 12 for New Orleans.
Yao Ming had 20 points and 14 rebounds, and tied a career high with
seven blocks. Derek Anderson added 17 points and Rafer Alston had 15.
Houston looked like it would survive its first game without McGrady,
taking an 82-74 lead on Anderson's 3-pointer with 6:09 to go.
Brown, guarded by Yao, then scored seven points early in the deciding
run and gave the Hornets the lead for good on a jumper over Yao with
1:59 to go.
The Rockets missed eight of their last nine shots. Their only basket
was a turnaround by Yao with 1:14 left.
Paul answered with a running one-hander with 53 seconds left and had
another one with 15 seconds remaining for an 89-84 lead.
Early on, the Rockets missed McGrady's defense as much as his scoring.
The Hornets sank nine of their first 13 shots and led 19-8 midway
through the first quarter.
AP - Nov 5, 10:07 pm EST
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Van Gundy tinkered with lineups to generate some offense and finally
found one that worked. With Houston trailing 34-24, Yao and Anderson
joined reserves Stromile Swift, Jon Barry and rookie Luther Head on
the floor and the quintet outscored the Hornets 20-11.
Yao secured his 86th career double-double in the third quarter then
was at the center of the game's ugliest moment in the final minute.
Desmond Mason drove to the basket and was blocked by Yao. Mason dove
to the floor for the loose ball and Yao went down on top of him,
earning a jump ball.
When Mason got up, he flipped over Yao, and the two shouted at each
other. The players on the floor crowded together and Juwan Howard
shoved Rasual Butler.
Referee Tom Wa****ngton pulled Mason out of the scrum and tempers
cooled as both coaches came onto the floor. Mason and Howard got
technical fouls.
At first, the incident didn't seem to faze Yao. He won the ensuing
jump ball with Mason, then got two blocks in the fourth quarter to
match his career high.
But Brown began dominating Yao late, hitting two medium-range jumpers
over him as the Hornets took control. ^Notes: The Hornets beat the
Rockets 89-88 in the preseason, rallying from 22 points down. ...
Former Rockets coach Rudy Tomjanovich watched Saturday's game from
courtside and got a standing ovation when he was introduced.
Tomjanovich left as coach of the Lakers last February, citing health
reasons. He's been working as a scout for the Lakers since the start
of this season. ... The Rockets had an eight-game regular-season
winning streak snapped.
Updated on Saturday, Nov 5, 2005 11:34 pm EST
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