| Rockets Skim By Mavs, Go Up 2-0 Authored by Jason Linnard - April 26, 2005 - 1:00 am
When Houston’s dynamic duo gets started, just get out of the way.
Tracy McGrady and Yao Ming combined for 61 points and 16 rebounds as the Rockets defeated the Dallas Mavericks 113-111. Dirk Nowitzki had 26 points, but was held to 8-21 shooting, and did not convert an attempt from the arc.
McGrady showed off his all-around playmaking tonight, falling two boards short of a triple-double. He had 10 assists, four of which came in the final period.
But the game could not have been won without the shooting of guards Bobby Sura and Jon Barry, who combined for 30 points on 10-16 shooting. They were 8-11 from the perimeter.
For the first 9 minutes of the game, all Houston points came from McGrady, Sura, and Yao, with Yao having 15 of Houston’s first 27.
Nowitzki had a mediocre first quarter, totaling only 5 points. But in the 2nd quarter, he scored 9 points in the first 4 minutes. He had 11 in the quarter.
In the 4th quarter, adrenaline began to pump harder than ever. Scores fluctuated, but the Rockets eventually stole the lead on two Bob Sura 3 pointers.
Jason Terry tied the game with a mid-range jumper, but after a Houston timeout, McGrady drove the lane, dished to Yao for the dunk to put them up 2 with: 26 left.
Dirk Nowitzki tied the game with a 14 ft jumper, but McGrady brings the ball up the court, pulls up and hits the 21 ft shot, putting the Rockets up 2 with: 2.2 left.
McGrady couldn’t help but grin, and he did all the way back to the bench.
Dallas in-bounded the ball to Michael Finley, who couldn’t convert on the 14 ft jumper at the buzzer.
“It was all heart, man. All heart, determination and fight,” said McGrady in a post-game interview. When asked of what he saw in Yao tonight, he responded with “I saw a guy who dominated in the first half…..took pressure off of me.”
Houston returns home for two games, beginning Thursday at 8:30 EST on TNT. |
