Rolling Rockets blast Cavs

LeBron James had 32
points for the short-handed Cavaliers.

HOUSTON (AP) — Yao Ming had 22 points and 12 rebounds as the Houston Rockets overcame a poor night from ailing All-Star Tracy McGrady to beat the Cleveland Cavaliers 92-77 on Thursday night.

Rafer Alston had 17 points and nine assists and Shane Battier had 15 points for the Rockets, who’ve won nine of their last 10.

Houston outrebounded Cleveland 55-35, the second time the Cavs have been outrebounded by 20 this season.

LeBron James had 32 points and seven rebounds for the Cavaliers, who sorely missed Drew Gooden, their second-leading rebounder. Gooden sat out with a groin injury, the first game he’s missed this season.

McGrady was hospitalized earlier in the day with an upper respiratory infection and strep throat. He arrived at the arena less than an hour before tipoff and scored eight points on 3-for-11 shooting.

The Rockets compensated by dominating the boards and holding every Cavalier but James to a dismal shooting night. James went 12-for-23 — the rest of the team went 19-for-55.

The Rockets led by one after a sluggish first half, then outscored Cleveland 32-20 in the third quarter to take control.

Houston sanks its first five shots of the quarter, three of them 3-pointers. McGrady hit a deep jumper and a 3-pointer from the wing on consecutive possessions to put Houston up 53-44.

Later, Battier sank his second 3-pointer and Luis Scola broke free for a dunk to stretch the lead to 65-51. The Cavs missed 11 of their first 16 shots and got outrebounded 14-4 in the first 10 minutes after halftime.

Houston pushed the lead to 16 before James hit a 3-pointer over Battier in the final seconds of the third quarter to make it 72-59. James had three more baskets early in the fourth quarter during a 12-3 Cavs run that cut the deficit to seven.

James sank two free throws with 3:22 left to pull Cleveland within six, at 83-77, but Yao hit a turnaround jumper 20 seconds later. McGrady missed a 3-pointer on Houston’s next possession, but Bonzi Wells rebounded and dunked to push the lead to 10.