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McGrady still adusting as Rockets get past Sonics
Houston 96, Seattle 89
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Damien Pierce
Rockets.com Staff Writer
HOUSTON -- During his 10-plus seasons in the NBA, Tracy McGrady has been the NBA's scoring champ and the league's most improved player.
He's been auditioning for a new award of late -- Sixth Man of the Year.
"He can be the sixth man for the rest of the season," Rockets point guard Rafer Alston joked.
Back on the bench for a second straight game, McGrady once again provided a spark as he helped Houston hold off the pesky Seattle Supersonics for a 96-89 victory Monday afternoon in front of 15,264 fans at Toyota Center.
The Rockets (22-19) overcame a cold shooting effort and a few defensive lapses in the waning moments to collect their second straight win.
McGrady provided part of the boost. Playing in his second game since returning from a left knee injury, the Rockets' All-Star shooting guard noticeably limped through Monday's matinee. But he still managed to pump in nine of his 17 points in the fourth quarter.
McGrady's presence alone helped Houston survive against the Sonics.
"He wasn't moving very good, but he made a huge difference," Rockets coach Rick Adelman said. "He made a jumper. He made the right pass. That makes a huge difference and you can't underestimate that."
Not quite confident in his ability to drive by a defender or rise up for a shot, McGrady opted for a different strategy. He penetrated the defense to create looks for his teammates, settled for runners and made plays on the defensive end. He finished with five assists, six rebounds and a pair of blocked shots.
McGrady saw 30 minutes of action off the bench -- and he expects to continue to play a reserve role as long as his knee is bothering him.
"It was really bad," McGrady said of the pain in his knee. "Not only was I tight, but I was also feeling pain in my knee. It's going to be that way because I can't rest to let it heal all the way up. It's just something I'm going to have to tolerate. It was good to see that I played more minutes. I stayed out there for a good portion of the third quarter when I was really tired."
The Rockets struggled to shake the Sonics even with McGrady playing through the pain.
Despite getting a 30-point, 17-rebound effort from Yao Ming, the Rockets struggled to make shots, settling for a 42.5 percent clip. Houston made only 1-of-12 attempts from beyond three-point range.
That, however, wasn't their biggest problem. For the third time in four games, the Rockets watched a comfortable advantage disappear in the fourth quarter.
Houston appeared to be cruising after seizing a 13-point advantage early in the period, but the Sonics came storming back with a 13-6 run. The spurt reduced Houston's lead to 85-81 with 4:45 left to play.
Both teams traded buckets until Houston finally came up with a defensive stand in the closing minute. With his team trailing 91-85, Seattle rookie Jeff Green grabbed an offensive rebound after Wally Szczerbiak missed a three-pointer. Green tried to go back up with it, but was stuffed by Yao Ming. Seattle's Kurt Thomas came up with the loose ball, but like Green, he didn't get the ball past Houston's defense as McGrady swatted the shot away.
Following a timeout and another three-point miss by Szcerbiak, the Rockets iced the win when McGrady sank two free throws with 23.5 seconds left.
The Rockets were happy to get the win. But their finish still left something left to be desired.
"We didn't finish the game," Rockets coach Rick Adelman said. "We have to continue to guard, you have to get good shots and you have to be tough enough to finish plays. It was a very frustrating game to watch from that stand point. Sooner or later we're going to have to learn our lesson that when you get up, you don't relax. We gave up so many easy opportunities."
Luckily for the Rockets, Seattle didn't get that warm. The Sonics made only 42.4 percent of their shots. Rookie sensation Kevin Durant, the former University of Texas star, clanked 9-of-13 shots to finish with 12 points.
"I want to keep being aggressive and go to the basket stronger," Durant said. "I'm trying to be more of a ball handler and work on the pick-and-roll plays. Every level has been difficult for me to adjust to at the beginning. I don't think there is any pressure, I just try and have fun and keep learning. Try and make progress."
McGrady is making his own progress.
Despite laboring through Monday's peformance, the Rockets star provided his team with a lift off the bench.
Just like any good sixth man would do.
"That's my job," McGrady said. "It's different. You've got to approach the game in a different way. The speed of the game is already going on and guys have their legs and they have their rhythm. When I'm coming in off the bench, I'm struggling on one leg anyway trying to keepup with those guys."
