| Rockets Rout the Wizards Authored by Jason Linnard - February 17, 2005 - 1:45 am
4 All-Stars stepped on the Toyota Center floor Tuesday night, but only 2 stepped off as winners.
Tracy McGrady totaled 34 points, while Yao put in 23 of his won as the Rockets extended their season-high 8 game winning streak.
McGrady had gone 26-76 from the field over the previous four games, but he regained his shooting touch to help the Rockets rout the Wizards 123-93.
With this win, the Rockets move to 32-21, 1.5 games better than their record last season entering the All-Star Break. The 123 points scored was 1 shy of their season high, when they totaled 124 points against the Mavericks on Jan. 12.
Yao did very well in the paint last night, grabbing 9 rebounds and blocking 4 shots, but he also opened up some outside shots as the Rockets went 12-of-24 from the perimeter. They did not make one 3-pointer in their win against Portland on Sunday.
The Rockets took a lead they wouldn’t give up when they went up 30-23 on an 11-0 run.
After the Rocket’s lackluster start to the season, trades and other transactions have made a big difference. Since David Wesley joined the team in the Jim Jackson trade on Dec. 29, the Rockets have gone 19-6. They are also 26-13 since Bob Sura returned from back surgery.
The Rockets come back from the All-Star Break to a very tough stretch. They play 6 teams with .600-plus winning percentages in a span of 9 games. This includes Seattle twice, Phoenix, Dallas, San Antonio, and Sacramento. We’ll see if they can keep their current run going, as this span will test the Rocket’s longevity and ability to run with the big dogs.
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