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As the Rockets prepare for Thursday’s Game 3 at EnergySolutions Arena in Salt Lake City, Alston thinks there’s a good chance he’ll finally be on the court passing the ball rather than on the bench passing time.

"I’m pushing hard," Alston said of his rehab work. "I’m closer than I was two days ago. I’m doing things that I would have to do — slash, cut, being able to slide. Right now I’m pushing for Game 3."

The reasons for the Rockets’ first two losses are many, but the biggest is that the team has been shorthanded, forced to play without starters Alston and Yao Ming

Win or go home. Actually, win or go on the road and face steep odds that could result in you going home. And not playing again until next season. Or something like that.

Faced with the possibility of going to Salt Lake City down 2-0 to the Jazz, the Rockets produce a better effort than in Game One, but still lose 90-84. While the team is hopefully just thinking about one game at a time, others are readying their brooms, preparing for what they believe will be a sweep. [HoopsVibe]

Tracy McGrady bent over in exhaustion as the final seconds ticked away of another playoff loss.

The seven-time All-Star had 23 points, 13 rebounds and nine assists, but faltered again in the fourth quarter as the Utah Jazz beat the Houston Rockets 90-84 on Monday night to take a 2-0 lead in the best-of-seven series.
Deron Williams, who briefly left the game with an injury, finished with 22 points and Mehmet Okur added 16 points and 16 rebounds for the Jazz, who have won eight of the last 10 meetings with Houston.

Game 3 is Thursday night in Utah, where the Jazz went 37-4 during the regular season.

"It's great for us to come out the way we did and not settle for the one victory," said Williams, who re-aggravated a tailbone injury. "We wanted to get both of them, get greedy. We've just got to go back now and take care of business."

McGrady, who has never advanced past the first round of the playoffs, fell just short of his first postseason triple-double, but he went 0-for-4 from the field and scored only one point in the final quarter. He scored 20 points in Game 1, but went 0-for-3 from the field in the fourth quarter of Utah's 93-82 victory.

McGrady played 43 minutes and said he was tired at the end of Monday night's game, a combination of Utah's physical defense and his efforts to carry his team.

"I had no legs. I was on empty," McGrady said. "Banging with Matt Harpring, trying to rebound, trying to make plays for my team, trying to score, playing 43 minutes. That's a lot."

The Rockets still had their chances to win.

Luis Scola hit two free throws with 1:21 to go to cut Utah's lead to 85-82.

After Williams missed a driving layup, Houston's Bobby Jackson hit a 3-pointer that would have tied the game but Scola was called for an offensive foul away from the ball when he pushed Andrei Kirilenko.

McGrady blasted official Tony Brothers for the call and accused Kirilenko of exaggerating the contact.

"You can't call that," he said. "I like Tony Brothers, but that was a bad call. Very, very bad call. Three points down, crucial point in the game and Kirilenko flops. He flops and you call a foul on that? It was a bad call."

Kirilenko grabbed an offensive rebound on Utah's next possession and Kyle Korver flipped in a one-handed shot as the shot clock expired to put the game out of reach with 20 seconds to go.

Carlos Boozer added 13 points and Williams had five assists for the Jazz, who closed the game with a 14-8 run. Utah went only 17-24 on the road during the regular season, but the Jazz have won four straight playoff games in Houston, including the last two games at the Toyota Center in the first round last year.

"It's big for us," Boozer said. "We came in here trying to get Game 1. That was a tough task, but we accomplished it. And then Game 2 was tough, but we held our composure down the stretch and got a win."

Jackson bounced back from a 3-for-15 performance in Game 1 to score 18 points.

The Jazz led most of the way and were up 64-61 with 1:47 left in the third quarter when Williams limped to the locker room with a trainer after re-aggravating the injury that has bothered him for a week.

Ronnie Price, Williams' replacement, hit a 3-pointer just before the quarter ended to give Utah a 69-67 lead. Williams returned to the bench before the final quarter began.

He was back on the court with 9:18 left in the game, after Aaron Brooks blew by Price for a game-tying layup. McGrady went out for a rest when Williams came back and Williams drove for a layup with 7:41 left to put the Jazz up 76-74.

McGrady returned with 7:07 remaining and was fouled on a jumper with 6:39 left. He hit a free throw to tie the game at 76-all. Williams hit a short shot at the other end to put Utah back on top.

Kirilenko stole the ball from McGrady near the 5-minute mark and Williams made a free throw to give the Jazz an 81-76 lead. McGrady finished with five turnovers.

While the Rockets played better than they did in Game 1, they still had no answer for Williams, who hit the first three 3-pointers he attempted.

Boozer committed his second foul and went to the bench with 5:47 left in the first quarter, but the Rockets started committing careless turnovers that led to easy baskets and Utah stretched the lead.

Houston shot and rebounded better than it did in the first half of Game 1, but trailed by exactly the same score at the break, 47-41. Okur, who scored only four points in the opener, had 10 in the first half on Monday, including two 3-pointers in the final 35 seconds.

"My teammates created open shots for me and I felt real good," Okur said. "I was focused and I hit my shots."

Houston scored mostly inside in the first half, but went 0-for-7 from 3-point range.

The Rockets will need a near-miraculous comeback to win in the playoffs for the first time since the 1996-97 season. They can conjure hope from the fact that they handed Utah one of its four home losses this season -- but that was at the start of the regular season.

"It's not over yet," Okur said. "We're very happy to get two wins in Houston. We have to do the same things in Utah that we did in Houston and be ready to go after them at home."

Game notes
The Jazz have led at halftime in all nine playoff games with Houston dating to last season. ... Houston has lost its last four playoff series after dropping the first game. They haven't won a series after losing Game 1 since the second round in 1995, their second championship season, when they rallied past Phoenix in seven games. ... Reserve Chuck Hayes grabbed 10 rebounds for Houston.

Yao Ming off Crutches

Yao returned to Houston and was cleared to stop using crutches in his recovery from surgery to repair the stress fracture in his left foot.

"I just got agreement with Dr. (Tom) Clanton," Yao said before Thursday’s Yao Ming Roast and Toast to benefit the Leader’s Academy, a HISD charter school. "He said I could get rid of the crutches, which is very good news for me. I still need to wear the walking boot for a couple weeks, but at least I can walk by myself. My hands are not busy anymore."

If that is not quite the accomplishment he had hoped for this spring in the NBA or this summer in China, it is typical of how his life has changed.

HOUSTON -- Before departing on a recent road trip, Rockets star center Yao Ming swung by the team's video room with a special request.

He wanted a DVD featuring every highlight from Yi Jianlian's brief NBA career.

"He looks nice," Yao said after watching the disc.

On Friday night, Yao will finally get a closer look at China's next big thing in the NBA.

Before what is expected to be one of the largest television audiences in the history of the league, Yao will play against Yi for the first time in the NBA when the Milwaukee Bucks visit Toyota Center.

The two stars will be the first Chinese players to match up against each other since Dallas' Wang Zhizhi played against Denver's Mengke Bateer in 2002. But obviously, Yao vs. Yi has a bit more intrigue.

During a national telecast on China's CCTV on Saturday morning, nearly 150 million fans are expected tune into the game between the country's two biggest stars. The NBA is even throwing a huge viewing party -- complete with an American-style breakfast -- in downtown Beijing.

"After being in China for a couple of years, I finally appreciate how big Yao is," Rockets forward Shane Battier said. "It's going to be really cool to play knowing that so many eye balls are on this game. It really is a landmark occasion. But 20 years from now, it's going to be a common occurrence for Chinese players to be lining up against each other."

Yao is more than familiar with Yi's game.

Since training camp for the 2004 Olympic Games, Yao and Yi have formed the Chinese national team's formidable front line. Yi, a 7-footer, showed up to camp as a forward with good shooting range and athleticism.

The Rockets center said he knew in their first meeting that Yi would eventually be joining him in the NBA.

"I knew one day he would end up playing here," Yao said. "He has huge talent and he already showed part of it in his first four games."

Yi (pronounced Ee) has certainly shown why the Bucks made him the sixth overall pick in the NBA Draft.

The Chinese star has already emerged as a starter in the Bucks lineup, fitting into a starting five that features Michael Redd and Andrew Bogut. During his third NBA game, he showcased his potential by scoring 16 points and collecting eight rebounds to help the Bucks beat the Chicago Bulls.

But even with that progress, Yi has a long road to NBA stardom. He had a two-point performance against Charlotte in which he played only 15 minutes. The Bucks rookie also needs to add more bulk to his 239-pound frame and develop his low-post game.

Yao can relate to Yi's start. During his rookie season, Yao averaged 2.5 points and 4.0 rebounds in his first four games. He even joked Thursday that he was just hoping "the Rockets wouldn't send" him back to China.

Given that, Yao did offer Yi some advice upon his arrival to the United States.

"We talked to each other like twice when I got to the U.S.," Yi said. "(Yao said) just try to work hard (because the) first season is going to be not easy."

Despite Yi needing more time to develop his game and adjust to life in the NBA, the matchup against Yao has generated enormous fan interest in China. The Rockets have given media credentials to 14 Chinese reporters, which is double the amount that regularly covers the team. The game is expected to air on 19 different stations throughout the country.

Meng Wang, a sports reporter for Titan Sports who covers the Rockets and Yao, said Chinese fans have been clamoring about the potential matchup between Yao and Yi since the Bucks rookie was selected in the NBA Draft.

"It's such a big event," Meng said. "I think this a landmark (game). Two Chinese players start for two NBA teams. That means a lot. Because of this, more and more Chinese fans will watch the NBA and basketball will get bigger in China. This will encourage more kids to play basketball and, one day, there will be more Chinese players to come to the NBA."

Yao would certainly welcome the increased attention.

Despite all the hoopla and talk about how many viewers will be following Friday night's action, the Rockets center was actually a little disappointed to hear there wouldn't be more viewers in China.

He hopes more Chinese fans will be as anxious to see Yi as he was earlier this week.

"I heard it's going to be close to 200 million people watching," Yao said. "Hey, our country has 1.6 billion people. That's still a small part of it."

Can Steve Francis Accept Reserve Role On Contending Houston Rockets?


November 07 07

Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle reports on Steve Francis accepting his new role with the Rockets:

Rockets guard Steve Francis said he appreciated fans in Toyota Center on Saturday calling for him to get playing time, but that it would not and should not influence coach Rick Adelman’s

"It was unbelievable," Francis said. "The fans always embraced me, even when I wasn’t a member of the Houston Rockets. It meant a lot to me. The thing that is scary is what if I come in and miss my first two shots?

"I definitely love the support, but that should not make a difference to the coach’s decisions. I not going to say that it should, but do I want to play? Hell, yes."

"It’s not my decision," he said. "We’re 3-0 right now. Nothing is going to change. I’m just going to be patient and stay mentally strong. It’s hard."

My Quick Take: Fair or not, Francis has been tagged as selfish. Years ago, he pouted when drafted by the Vancouver Grizzlies. In Orlando, he complained when best friend Cat Mobley got traded to the L.A. Clippers. And New York was a disaster.

Give Francis credit. Five games into the season and he hasn’t seen the court. But the former Franchise has kept his mouth shut and handled his lack of minutes like a true professional.

Houston hasn’t given Francis much of a choice. The Rockets are 4-1. Last night, they beat the world champion San Antonio Spurs. And the team’s perimeter players are performing.

Right now, no minutes are available. However, Houston superstar Tracy McGrady is injury-prone and Francis could fill-in as a short-term, emergency replacement.

Will Francis, a former All-Star, accept his role as cheap insurance and wait for an opportunity to play? Time will tell.

Does Francis deserve minutes with Houston? Get at us in the comment box below with your thoughts.

HOUSTON, Nov. 6(AP) -- Late in the first quarter against San Antonio, Yao Ming was already exhausted.

He focused on simple thoughts to keep going and ended up with his best game of the young season.

Yao had 28 points and 13 rebounds to help the Houston Rockets snap a four-game, home-court losing streak to San Antonio with a 89-81 win over the Spurs on Tuesday night.

After playing 38 minutes in Dallas on Monday, Yao often struggled to catch his breath against the Spurs. The Rockets led 64-56 after three quarters and Yao started the fourth, trying to put his fatigue out of his mind.

"I don't have time to think about that,'' Yao said. "I'm just telling myself, pick up my leg and run to the next step.''

Yao scored seven points and grabbed two rebounds in the final quarter. He flipped in two shots over Tim Duncan, then hit two free throws in the final 2:37 to keep the Rockets in control.

"Every year, Yao is getting better,'' said Duncan. "The Rockets showed their confidence in him, when they go through him at the end of the game like they did tonight. He made some big shots and was tough to stop.''

Yao hit 12 of 24 shots and also had six assists, his most complete game under new coach Rick Adelman. He's reached 20 points and 10 rebounds in three of Houston's four games.

Bonzi Wells added 14 points and 15 rebounds for Houston, which controlled Duncan and outrebounded the sluggish Spurs 55-28. Duncan scored 14 and grabbed 10 rebounds, but went only 5-for-15 from the field.

The Rockets had a 25-4 edge in offensive rebounds and took 17 more shots than the Spurs.

"That's about how hungry we were to win the game,'' Yao said.

Tracy McGrady struggled with his shooting, too, going 4-of-14 and scoring only 12. McGrady had nine rebounds and dished out six of the Rockets' season-high 25 assists. McGrady was treating a huge blister on the bottom of his right foot after the game.

Manu Ginobili scored 23 and Tony Parker added 21 for the Spurs. Beyond Duncan, no other Spur had more than six rebounds.

"It was a huge advantage that we gave up,'' Ginobili said. "It's pretty hard to win like that.''

The Rockets built a 45-32 lead in the first half, frustrating Duncan and outrebounding San Antonio 35-15. Guarded well by the 7-foot-6 Yao for most of the half, Duncan missed 8 of 9 shots.

Yao only matched up with Duncan after Chuck Hayes got cut over his right eye a minute into the game and backup forward Luis Scola picked up three quick fouls.

The Rockets took an 18-11 lead when 41-year-old Dikembe Mutombo drove down the lane for an unlikely dunk.

Hayes got six stitches and returned with a bandage over his eye, but the Spurs finished the first quarter with an 8-0 run.

Houston missed 25 of its first 37 shots, then finished the half with a 9-0 run. The Spurs' halftime point total was only four better than the franchise record low for a first half (28), set in Houston in 2005.

With the 6-6 Hayes guarding him again to start the third quarter, Duncan dropped in a hook shot and sank two free throws as San Antonio pulled to within seven. Yao kept Houston ahead, dropping in soft jumpers or drawing fouls and sinking free throws.

"I have always admired his game since he came into the league,'' Ginobili said of Yao. "He's an unbelievable player. He can do everything. He was inspired tonight.''

The Rockets led 61-52 when Yao went to the bench for a rest with 1:56 left in the third quarter. McGrady, shadowed all night by defensive specialist Bruce Bowen, hit a 3-pointer in last minute of the quarter to put Houston up 64-55.

Yao was back at the start of the fourth quarter and the Rockets stayed in control. Luther Head shot an airball from 3-point range, but Yao caught it underneath and dunked with 8:48 remaining for a 72-61 lead.

Ginobili intercepted a pass and drove for a dunk over Yao with 4:31 left to cut Houston's lead to 77-68. Brent Barry scored on San Antonio's next possession, but Mike James sank a pull-up jumper with 3:28 left to restore the 9-point lead.

Ginobili picked off another pass near the 3-minute mark and Ginobili sank two free throws. Yao answered with consecutive turnarounds over Duncan. He added two free throws on the Rockets' next trip down the floor.

Shane Battier put the game away with a 3-pointer with 1:05 remaining to put the Rockets up 87-75.

Notes: The Rockets went 9-for-21 from 3-point range (43 percent). ... Former Rocket Robert Horry was on the Spurs inactive list. ... Wells earned his 29th career double-double. ... Duncan has double-doubles in three of four games this season.

http://sports.espn.go.com/broadband/video/videopage?&brand=null&videoId=3096547&n8pe6c=2

HOUSTON, Nov. 3 (AP) -- The Houston Rockets have a new-look, fast-paced offense under Coach Rick Adelman.

For a half on Saturday night, the defense looked as stingy as it did under Jeff Van Gundy.

Yao Ming had 21 points and 12 rebounds and Tracy McGrady added 20 points and six assists as the Rockets improved to 3-0 for the first time since the 1996-97 season with an 89-80 win over Portland.

Yao scored only eight points and McGrady only five the second half, but the Rockets stayed in control with their defense, forcing 18 turnovers and holding the Blazers to 41 percent shooting (31 of 76).

Portland started making baskets when the outcome was decided. The Blazers trailed by 15 at the break after shooting 29.7 percent (11 of 37) and committing 13 turnovers in the first half.

"We made 'em take tough shots, we contested a lot of jumpers, we kept them out of the paint,'' said McGrady, who had one of Houston's eight steals.

Brandon Roy scored 23 and former Texas star LaMarcus Aldridge added 20 for Portland, off to its first 0-3 start since the 1986-87 season.

Following a 47-point effort at Utah on Thursday, McGrady started 4-for-8, then went 4-for-15 the rest of the way. Yao went 2-for-7 in the second half and even missed a dunk.

The Rockets never needed big games from either All-Star because the Blazers were off-target from the start.

Houston opened with an 18-4 run as Portland missed 14 of its first 17 shots. Yao and McGrady scored 20 points together in the first quarter as Houston built a 25-12 lead.

In their first two games, the Rockets fell behind early in Los Angeles and Utah and rallied to win both times.

"We came out better,'' McGrady said. "The last two games, we've been kind of flat. For the most part, we came out ready to roll in that first quarter.''

Yao flipped in a turnaround jumper to start a 9-0 burst that pushed the lead over 20 early in the second quarter. Yao hit six of his first eight shots.

The Blazers cut Houston's lead to 15 before McGrady returned after a long rest. He hit two long jumpers, then drove through traffic for another basket to stretch the lead to 42-23.

"We need to get off to a better start,'' Roy said. "We can't dig such a big hole against a team that is as good as Houston.''

Channing Frye and Aldridge scored inside in the first minute of the third quarter as Portland closed the deficit to 11. The Rockets missed their first five shots before Chuck Hayes made a layup off an assist from McGrady.

The Blazers hit 7 of their first 9 shots after the break and Roy's pull-up jumper with 6:03 left in the third quarter pulled Portland to within eight, at 54-46. Out of a time out, McGrady found Luis Scola for an easy layup to restore the double-digit lead.

Portland missed its last eight shots of the third quarter and Houston led 62-46 heading to the fourth.

Though the Blazers couldn't cut into their deficit, Coach Nate McMillan liked what he saw from his team out of halftime.

"They came out with fire and fight and were much more aggressive in the second half,'' he said.

Roy scored to end the Blazers' drought, but Mike James answered with a long jumper from the wing. James was 3-for-7 from 3-point range and scored 17 for Houston.

The teams virtually traded baskets until Aldridge scored twice to cut the deficit to eight in the final two minutes. McGrady finished off Portland with a 3-pointer from the wing with 1:25 left that put the Rockets up 83-72.

The Blazers failed to reach 20 points in any of the first three quarters, then outscored Houston 34-27 in the fourth.

"I'm not satisfied with the way we executed down the stretch,'' McGrady said.

Notes: The only real suspense in the fourth quarter came when the fans started chanting, "We want Steve!'' hoping Steve Francis would check in. Adelman never appeased them. The Rockets signed Francis over the summer, but he has yet to enter the game. Adelman bristled when asked about it after the game. "I can't control that,'' Adelman said. "If people want to do that, that's part of the game, I guess.'' ... Martell Webster had 15 points and eight rebounds for the Blazers. ... Portland plays its home opener on Wednesday against New Orleans. The Blazers started the season with three straight road games for just the second time in franchise history.