Tracy McGrady scored 47 points and the Houston Rockets got a
little revenge for last season's opening-round playoff loss by
beating the Utah Jazz 106-95 on Thursday night.
Houston Rockets center
Tracy McGrady (L) is double teamed by Utah Jazz guard Deron
Williams (8) and Utah Jazz forward Andrei Kirilenko in Salt Lake
City on Thursday. McGrady scored 47 points in Rockets
win.
Mike James added 15 points - two more than the Jazz reserves
combined - and Chuck Hayes had 13 rebounds for the Rockets, who
improved to 2-0 under new coach Rick Adelman and have yet to play a
home game this season.
Carlos Boozer had 30 points and 16 rebounds, and Mehmet Okur
finished with 16 points and 10 boards, but after dominating the
first quarter the Jazz tapered off in the second and never
recovered.
Yao Ming finished with 11 points and seven rebounds.
Deron Williams had 18 points and 13 assists, and Ronnie Brewer
scored 13 points for the Jazz, who led by 12 in the first quarter
before McGrady took over the game.
McGrady seemed intent on avenging another first-round knockout
in the playoffs, as the Jazz rallied from a 2-0 series deficit and
won the series in seven games. Even with Yao on the bench with foul
trouble and the Jazz knowing very well who was going to be getting
the ball, Utah couldn't stop McGrady.
Inside, outside or at the foul line, McGrady carried the
Rockets. He was 17-for-27 from the floor and 11-for-14 from the
line and added four assists.
The Rockets forced 20 turnovers while committing just 12, and
the Jazz didn't help themselves any by going 20-for-29 from the
foul line.
Every time the Jazz made a run in the second half, McGrady
stopped it.
Okur hit a short jumper to get the Jazz within 89-82, but
McGrady answered with a 3-pointer and did teammate Dikembe
Mutombo's finger wag while backpedaling on defense. The "no, no,
no" gesture seemed appropriate because the Jazz could not stop
McGrady when they needed to all night.
It also fired up the Jazz, but not quite enough. Utah closed
within five twice late in the fourth quarter, but no closer.
After Boozer cut the lead to 96-91, McGrady hit two free throws
with 2:53 remaining, then Yao added a layup that cooled off Utah's
comeback and quieted the fans in Utah's home debut.
In Miami, Tayshaun Prince scored a career-high 34 points and
matched a career best 12 rebounds as Detroit used a big second-half
run to beat Miami 91-80 in the season opener for both teams.
Chauncey Billups added 19 points and 11 assists for the Pistons,
whose 12-0 run over a 6-minute stretch midway through the second
half saw them take control. Rasheed Wallace scored 11 points for
Detroit.
Ricky Davis scored 23 points for Miami, which dropped its opener
for the second straight season.
Shaquille O'Neal didn't score in the first half and finished
with nine points for Miami, getting only six shots from the
floor.
In Seattle, Amare Stoudemire had 23 points and 11 rebounds, and
the Phoenix Suns rallied past Seattle SuperSonics 106-99.
Steve Nash had 18 points, including the clinching 3-pointer, and
12 assists, while veteran Grant Hill added 13 points, six rebounds
and five assists in his Suns debut. Phoenix won for just the second
time in nine season openers.
Seattle's Kevin Durant, the second overall draft pick, scored 27
points on 11-for-23 shooting. Chris Wilcox had 23 points and 11
rebounds for the SuperSonics, which blew a nine-point lead from the
third quarter, just a night after getting blown out late in its
opener at Denver.
(Shanghai Daily via Agencies November 3, 2007)
