Mavs beat Rockets 100-94, Yao had 30
Updated: 2007-11-22 14:35
HOUSTON - Yao Ming had 30 points, 15 rebounds and six blocks for the Rockets as the Dallas Mavericks rallied from a double-digit deficit for the second straight game to beat the Houston Rockets 100-94 on Wednesday night.
Devin Harris scored 22 points and converted a key three-point play in the closing minutes as Dirk Nowitzki shook off a slow start to score 18 points and grab 14 rebounds for the Mavericks, who overcame a 24-point deficit to beat Toronto on Tuesday night.
Tracy McGrady added 15 points and 12 assists in his first game back from a sprained right elbow that kept him out a week.
The Rockets led 74-57 late in the third quarter, and were up 90-84 after Rafer Alston sank a 3-pointer with 3:13 left in the game. Nowitzki drove for a basket 20 seconds later as the Mavs launched a finishing 16-4 burst.
Jerry Stackhouse sank a 3-pointer from a corner to cut the Rockets' lead to 91-89. Yao missed at the other end before Harris scored on a drive and took a hard hit from Yao with 34 seconds left. Harris hit the free throw to put the Mavs up 92-91.
McGrady missed a jumper and Stackhouse swooped in for the rebound. He was immediately fouled by Yao and sank both free throws at the other end with 23 seconds remaining.
Stackhouse hit two more free throws in the closing seconds for the Mavs, who've five in a row over Houston.
The Rockets have lost five in a row, their longest losing streak since March 2006, when they dropped six straight.
Houston led most of the way in this one before fading at the end.
McGrady, wearing a white protective sleeve on his elbow, missed his first two shots before hitting a mid-range jumper with 4:40 left in the first quarter. McGrady then drove past Stackhouse for a two-handed dunk that put Houston up 24-16.
Josh Howard had nine points in the first quarter - the rest of the Mavs missed 10 of 16 shots.
While McGrady rested on the bench, the Rockets maintained a lead through the first half of the second quarter. Houston led 36-35 when McGrady returned with 6:03 left in the half and a minute later, he blocked Trenton Hassell's layup try.
Harris hit a short jumper and sank two free throws to tie the game and Stackhouse finished a fast break with a layup to give Dallas its first lead, 41-39.
McGrady went 2-for-9 in the first half and the Mavs led 47-46. But Nowitzki was also off his game, going 3-of-6 for seven points.
The Rockets opened the second half with a 19-4 run, as Dallas missed 13 of its first 15 shots out of the break. Yao dunked off an assist from McGrady, sank a free throw and flipped in a short jumper to put Houston up 63-51.
Nowitzki hit a short jumper to stop the run, but Houston stayed in control.
McGrady banked in a 3-pointer and gave a playful shrug to the fans at courtside. Late in the quarter, Harris wrapped up McGrady on a drive and the two faced off for a moment as McGrady stepped to the free throw line. He split the pair to give Houston its biggest lead, 74-57.
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