http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/sports/3569207.html T-Mac gets assist Rockets provide star enough help to outduel James By JONATHAN FEIGEN Copyright 2006 Houston Chronicle CLEVELAND - With the final, meaningless seconds ticking away, Tracy McGrady could wait no longer. He put the ball on the court and walked to the Cleveland bench, where LeBron James had spent the final minute. They met in a hug, sharing their wonder at one another's brilliance, and perhaps a bit of empathy. The Rockets gave James the McGrady Treatment on Thursday, locking him in traps and double teams and daring his teammates to beat them. James, like McGrady when caught in such defensive snares, was magnificent. But for the second consecutive game, McGrady got help down the stretch as the Rockets held off the Cavs 90-81 before 18,019 in Quicken Loans Arena. "Obviously, all the focus is on us to carry our team," McGrady said. "That's what we get paid the big bucks for. We're fierce competitors going at it on the court. Off the court, we're like brothers. That's my little homey." McGrady finished with 34 points and five assists. James had 32 and five. But in the fourth quarter, when the Cavaliers reduced a Rockets lead that had reached 17 to three, McGrady got offensive help from Juwan Howard and Rafer Alston while James was left relatively alone. So good and so young "He sees what I go through, now," McGrady said. "Damn, man. You sure he is 21? We got to check his birth certificate. I knew he was good, but I didn't know he was making shots like that. "The guy is an unbelievable talent. I don't care who you are or what you do, one guy is not going to stop that guy, just like I love to see single coverage on me because one guy is not going to stop me. We gave him my treatment a little bit. He made some awesome plays, and he made some awesome shots." While McGrady had his fourth consecutive 30-point game since his 21-point half and halftime departure against the Utah Jazz, he also spent most of his 43 minutes assigned to James while the Cavaliers rotated defenders on McGrady. Both, however, got plenty of defensive help. Offensively, however, the Cavaliers around James — who made 13 of his 19 shots — struggled, especially at the line, where the sixth-best free-throw shooting team in the NBA made just eight of 18 attempts. "That guy is ridiculous," Rockets coach Jeff Van Gundy said of James. "My gosh. I love the way he passes. He and McGrady are a lot alike in that way. They trust their teammates. They see the floor well, and they're willing to give it up. Seemingly comfortable lead After so many games in which the Rockets could not make the shots McGrady got them, James' shooters struggled and the Rockets took a 14-point halftime lead to as much as 17 with 90 seconds remaining in the third quarter. The Rockets led 69-52 when McGrady went up for a 3 and a 20-point lead. McGrady's shot, however, fell far short of the rim with the Rockets screaming that Ira Newble had smacked his forearm on the shot. James immediately pulled up to nail a 3, and after McGrady missed a jumper, James stopped on a break to nail another 3 and the Cavaliers were rolling. A game after the Washington Wizards had cut a 26-point third-quarter Rockets lead to eight, the Cavaliers outscored the Rockets 17-4 to move from a 17-point deficit to within 73-69 on a Donyell Marshall trey three minutes into the fourth quarter. "I love coming out with a victory, but I'm concerned with giving up those leads," Alston said. "We have to find a way to extend it and put them away so we don't have to be in a dogfight." Stemming the tide Cleveland even moved to within three when Zydrunas Ilgauskas hit a jumper with 4 1/2 minutes left. But as they had in Washington, the Rockets made the late shots that close out wins, with McGrady scoring on a drive, Alston dropping in four free throws and Howard nailing consecutive jumpers when the Cavaliers trapped McGrady. "We know we can't stop him," James said. "We want to try and contain him and make the other guys on their team beat us. Their team stepped up." That, in the end was the only difference between them. So they hugged and McGrady threw a short jab into James' chest as they left the floor, knowing perhaps better than anyone just how the other feels. jonathan.feigen@chron.com -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Rockets Summary Barry's calf, wit fine Guard Jon Barry returned to the Rockets' active roster after missing 12 games with a strained right calf. Barry missed three games because of a sprained right foot, played two minutes on Dec. 6 against Boston, and then went out again. He said the timing was right to return. "It's on TNT," Barry said. "Boost the ratings a little bit. I'm sure they were anticipating a matchup between me and LeBron (James). I don't want to disappoint the country. We're going to do it. They like to see us go head up. We've had some great battles over the years." Barry was cleared after hard workouts Tuesday and Wednesday. "I feel good," Barry said. "It's been a long time. ... I had two workouts that were really good, doing quickness stuff, sprinting, doing stuff on the floor you might do in a game, and I could do it fine." Sura starts rehab Guard Bob Sura began rehabilitation of his right knee on Thursday, a routine he expects will determine if and when he can play again. Sura had knee surgery after last season and again in October, then had back surgery in November. The back surgery, his second in 14 months, seems to have solved his disk problem, allowing him to move on to the knee rehabilitation. "No real target date," trainer Keith Jones said. "The doctor will see him every week, keep adding something or taking something out. I bet it will be three weeks before we have an idea how long it will take." Wesley adjusting After adjusting to playing point guard extensively for the first time since his rookie season, guard David Wesley has moved back to shooting guard with the return of Rafer Alston. He doesn't mind the move, but he said he ended up not minding playing the point. "It's just different guarding point guards and guarding 2 guards," Wesley said. "I still run the point guard when Rafer's not in there. It's a different mindset, keeping everything organized as a point guard and coming off and I don't touch the ball so much." Inside the numbers • 11 — Rockets wins in their 13 games when scoring 90 points or more. • 18 — Points by Rafer Alston, a season high, to go with a season-high four steals. • 2 — of 19 3-pointers made by the Cavaliers at the time the Rockets held their largest lead, 17 points. • 44.4 — Percent free throw shooting for Cleveland, the worst against the Rockets this season. Last word "That's a doctoral dissertation." Rockets coach Jeff Van Gundy, when asked what impresses him most about LeBron James. JONATHAN FEIGEN
Gotta love this quote from Alston: <table cellpadding="6" cellspacing="0" border="0" width="100%"><tr><td class="qBox"><div><strong>Rafer Alston:</strong></div> <div style="font-style:italic"><b><i>"I love coming out with a victory, but I'm concerned with giving up those leads," Alston said. "We have to find a way to extend it and put them away so we don't have to be in a dogfight."</i></b></div></td></tr></table>
the rocks desperately need an artest on the roster. that is someone who successfully locks down the opposition and more importantly doesn't hand out hugs at the end of the game.
So a player cannot be friends with an opponent? And after the game hug the other guy? I also think it is anoying that our team consists only of class act guy's. why don't we have some idiot on our team, i miss the season bans of our players
Isiah and Magic used to hug before games. They were obviously soft, unmotivated players. What a bunch of scrubs!
Magic and Bird used to hug both before and after games, even Finals games. They must have been a couple of soft, unmotivated players who had no competitive fire.
Was anybody a bit annoyed with the post game interview with T-mac? T-mac had just had a great game and lead his team to the W and they ask him what it's like to play against Lebron??? Like T-mac is the new kid in town and Lebron the established star, just bugged me.
hahah, ah man, t-mac handled it well though. As he states, they are good friends so I'm sure he has no problems givin LeBron props. I mean hell, they said, how was it facing ANOTHER superstar in LeBron. Implying, we know you are the man t-mac, what do you think of this kid? reminds me of when all the usc players were asked over and over about Vince Young, hahaha. Now that seemed more painful for those guys
Absolutely it was. I was honestly surprised they didn't ask him about Larry Hughes' injury followed up by a question to Tracy about why his team is so disappointing.
No kidding, like I said it just got under my skin. I mean, T-mac is an A level talent and had a better performace that Lebron last nite, never mind, I could go on and on
LOL! Jon Barry is back at it again "It's on TNT," Barry said. "Boost the ratings a little bit. I'm sure they were anticipating a matchup between me and LeBron (James). I don't want to disappoint the country. We're going to do it. They like to see us go head up. We've had some great battles over the years." And JVG, forever the wise-ass : "That's a doctoral dissertation." Rockets coach Jeff Van Gundy, when asked what impresses him most about LeBron James.
