Rockets top Cavs for 9th win in 10 games
Minutes after the Houston Rockets beat the Cleveland Cavaliers, Tracy McGrady was slurping down chicken noodle soup. He was sick all day, skipped the morning shootaround and showed up less than an hour before the game.
It was a good thing Houston didn't need its all-star guard too much in this one.
Yao Ming had 22 points and 12 rebounds, and Rafer Alston had 17 points and 9 assists in the host Rockets' 92-77 victory on Thursday night, their ninth win in 10 games.
McGrady, sluggish and visibly ill throughout the game, scored 8 points on 3-of-11 shooting.
"We had a lot of guys step up tonight," McGrady said.
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.
Houston outrebounded the Cavs 55-35, and Cleveland grabbed only 7 offensive boards.
"We got outworked on the boards and we got outworked on all the loose balls," said Coach Mike Brown.
The Rockets also held every Cavalier but James to a dismal shooting night. James went 12-for-23. The rest of the team went 19-for-55..
Sixers 101, Heat 84: Andre Iguodala scored 25 points, Andre Miller added 21, and host Philadelphia handed short-handed Miami its sixth straight loss.
Willie Green finished with 14 points and Thaddeus Young 11 as the Sixers won for the fourth time in six games.
The Heat was playing its second game since center Shaquille O'Neal was dealt to the Phoenix Suns. The players they received for O'Neal -- Shawn Marion and Marcus Banks -- still have to pass physicals and are expected to debut for Miami on Saturday.
Dwyane Wade scored 19 points on 5-of-17 shooting, Jason Williams added 14, and Dorell Wright 16 for the Heat, which is stuck on an NBA-worst 9 wins.