ClutchFans Game Thread: Rockets @ Lakers 12/18/2005

Houston 76, LA Lakers 74

Preview - Box Score - Recap

By JOHN NADEL, AP Sports Writer
December 19, 2005

AP - Dec 18, 11:01 pm EST

LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Tracy McGrady's driving left-handed layup with 0.3 seconds left lifted the Houston Rockets over the Los Angeles Lakers 76-74 on Sunday night.

The right-handed McGrady drove around Devean George at the top of the key and avoided Lamar Odom and Kwame Brown before laying the ball in just before time ran out.

Brown had stolen the ball from McGrady and dunked with 19 seconds left to tie the game.

The Lakers called time after McGrady's basket, but Smush Parker's long jumper from the right corner as the buzzer sounded was short.

McGrady led Houston with 20 points, eight rebounds and four assists. David Wesley added 18 points and rookie Luther Head scored 16 for the Rockets.

The Rockets (10-13) won for the seventh time in nine games despite the absence of All-Star center Yao Ming, who missed his first game this season and the third of his career because of a sore right big toe.

Kobe Bryant led the Lakers (13-11) with 24 points and six assists. Parker and Brown each added 11 points for Los Angeles, which lost for just the second time in nine games.

Baskets by Dikembe Mutombo and Juwan Howard gave the Rockets a 69-58 lead. Luke Walton made a 3-pointer to trigger a 9-0 run, cutting Houston's lead to two points midway through the final period.

That was as close as the Lakers would get until Brown's game-tying dunk.

The Lakers led 52-40 before the Rockets outscored Los Angeles 25-5 to finish the third quarter for a 65-57 lead. Wesley had 13 points in the period after scoring only two in the first half. McGrady added nine points and Head scored eight in the quarter.

The Lakers outscored the Rockets 13-5 to finish the second quarter for a 42-31 halftime lead. Houston shot just 28 percent in the opening 24 minutes.

Bryant picked up his second foul with 6:16 left in the first quarter, putting him on the bench for the rest of the period. Los Angeles led 9-8 when Bryant left, and 14-12 entering the second quarter. The Rockets shot 4-of-18 and the Lakers 4-of-16 in the opening period.

Rockets coach Jeff Van Gundy said before the game that he didn't know when Yao will return.

"It's not a one-game thing," Van Gundy said. "It will probably be a multiple-game thing, whatever that is. We'll know more after he sees the doctor.

"He doesn't miss much. So when he misses, he's hurt."

Yao who had played in 266 of a possible 268 regular-season games, flew home before the game and will be checked out Monday. He is averaging 19.9 points, 9.0 rebounds and 1.36 blocked shots.

Notes

The Rockets are also playing without injured guards Rafer Alston, Jon Barry, Bob Sura and Derek Anderson. ... The Lakers are going without F Slava Medvedenko and G Aaron McKie. ... The Lakers beat the Rockets in 14 of the previous 19 games between the teams, although they split their four games in each of the past two seasons. ... The game was the finale of a six-game road trip for the Rockets, who return to action Wednesday night against Toronto. ... Mutombo, who replaced Yao, had two points and nine rebounds in a season-high 32 minutes. He left the court with 4:51 left due to a dislocated and lacerated finger on his left hand. ... Neither Bryant nor McGrady made a field goal in the first quarter.

http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/recap;_ylt=Ano2p1Rvz.XsKkeDfGu4fH28vLYF?gid=2005121813
is deke's injury serious or not???

 

Look at the left 5 games this month! I believe we will have at least 4-1.
This road trip is really the best Christmas gift to Rox fans!

 

If they take care of business at home. And Yao doesn't miss too much time. A .500 record by the New Year would be insane if it happened.

 

Aesome! All of the peeps at LakersTalk are heart broken and thet blame the ref for not giving T-Mac his 6 foul. It was ugly, but we won without Yao, so I guess thats a positive.

 

That was amazing, especially on a night when it did not seem like anything was going our way. It was a great day to be a Houston sports fan. Both the home teams won today. the only downer is that the Texans may have just given up Reggie.

 

Hopefully JVG has finally figured it out. No more Bowen for extended minutes! He handicaps our offense.

 

Well, Lakers are easy. We beat them by shooting 39.2% because we have a higher FG% than them!

 

Tracy never ceases to amaze me. he is the best Primeter player period.

 

It might sound inconceivable, but we have another West-coast 6-game road trip in early April...with 2 back-to-backs in that one as well.

 

Tonight game:

JH: 39 mins, 10 pts, 7 rebs, 4 asts,
SS: 20 mins, 4 pts, 0 rebs, 0 asts, 1 block

Yeah, Stro really earned his way into the starting lineup.

Seriously though, I guess he starts because both Yao & Deke are out.

 

What happen to our site. The page on Hoopchina's (chinese rocket fan site)
's rocket-laker thread goes to 172 pages. We have only 9?

 

the rockets are fantasy killers. Not only are the only two fantasy threats (t-mac and yao) either hurt or tired, but they ruin the other team too! Odom sucked tonight, Rashard Lewis sucked the other night, the took troy murphey off his game a few nights ago, and elton brand had a pretty poor night. That's okay, I'd rather see a rockets win than big fantasy numbers.

Great comeback win tonight. I really didn't think we had it in us. I thought we would make some mini run just long enough to keep me watching and then tank in the fourth quarter. The Rockets really came through this time. Let's just hope one of these days we can actually have a full roster.

By the way, Baxter looked really lost. So did Swift. All our free agent pickups are either lost or hurt. Head is the only new player making a difference.

 

Do you have to raise this? Why not just enjoy stealing a win from LA?
Just to make you happier, yes Tmac is better than Yao.

 

So when do you think the team is better. When Yao is injured and T-Mac is playing, or when McGrady is injured and Yao is playing?

 

I think we play better when BOTH of them are on the court. you honestly think a team scoring in the 70s will win championships?

 

Great win, hahha, Fakers must be in shock.

 

Our scrubs played better than lakers' today.
Back to Odom " Yeah, Good, it's sports".

 

You're right. My fault .

 

Houston : China <<<<<<<< 9 : 172

 

Based on tonight's game Rox are better when both are out