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McGrady's layup leads Rockets past Lakers
(AP)
Updated: 2005-12-19 11:51
LOS ANGELES - Tracy McGrady's driving left-handed layup with 0.3 seconds left
lifted the Houston Rockets over the Los Angeles Lakers 76-74 on Sunday night.
Houston Rockets'
Tracy McGrady, center, tries to jump through the defense of Los Angeles
Lakers' Kobe Bryant, left, and Devean George, right, during the second
quarter of NBA basketball action, Sunday, Dec. 18, 2005, in Los Angeles.
[AP] | The right-handed McGrady drove around
Devean George at the top of the key and avoided Lamar Odom and Kwame Brown
before laying the ball in just before time ran out.
Brown had stolen the ball from McGrady and dunked with 19 seconds left to tie
the game.
The Lakers called time after McGrady's basket, but Smush Parker's long jumper
from the right corner as the buzzer sounded was short.
McGrady led Houston with 20 points, eight rebounds and four assists. David
Wesley added 18 points and rookie Luther Head scored 16 for the Rockets.
The Rockets (10-13) won for the seventh time in nine games despite the
absence of All-Star center Yao Ming, who missed his first game this season and
the third of his career because of a sore right big toe.
Kobe Bryant led the Lakers (13-11) with 24 points and six assists. Parker and
Brown each added 11 points for Los Angeles, which lost for just the second time
in nine games.
Baskets by Dikembe Mutombo and Juwan Howard gave the Rockets a 69-58 lead.
Luke Walton made a 3-pointer to trigger a 9-0 run, cutting Houston's lead to two
points midway through the final period.
That was as close as the Lakers would get until Brown's game-tying dunk.
The Lakers led 52-40 before the Rockets outscored Los Angeles 25-5 to finish
the third quarter for a 65-57 lead. Wesley had 13 points in the period after
scoring only two in the first half. McGrady added nine points and Head scored
eight in the quarter.
The Lakers outscored the Rockets 13-5 to finish the second quarter for a
42-31 halftime lead. Houston shot just 28 percent in the opening 24 minutes.
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