Rockets Grab Series Lead Over Utah, 3-2
HOUSTON — A change of scenery was just what the Houston Rockets needed to regain control of their playoff series with Utah.
Tracy McGrady had 26 points and a career-high 16 assists, and the Rockets beat the Jazz 96-92 on Monday night to take a 3-2 lead in their best-of-seven series.
Yao Ming scored 21 points, sealing the victory with two free throws with 11 seconds left. Yao also grabbed 15 rebounds, the last one in the closing seconds after Deron Williams missed a desperation 3-pointer.
Back home after two lethargic losses in Utah, the Rockets rediscovered their shooting touch, going 35-for-75 from the field (47 percent) and 12-for-24 from 3-point range. They also outrebounded Utah 42-39.
The Rockets can clinch their first postseason series victory since 1997 in Game 6 on Thursday in Utah. Utah dominated the first two games there and hasn’t lost to Houston at home since March 2005.
Carlos Boozer scored 26 points but had only eight rebounds, denied a double-double for the first time in the series. Derek Fisher added 17 and Williams had 13 for the Jazz, who’ve lost three straight Game 6s.
Utah’s last win in a Game 6 was a 103-100 victory over Houston in the 1997 Western Conference finals.
McGrady left the game in the first quarter with a hip pointer, but came back to score 20 in the final three quarters. He hit 11 of 25 shots and also grabbed four rebounds.
From the start, McGrady was more aggressive driving to the basket than he was in Utah.
He was fouled with 3:09 left in the first quarter, then drove for another layup with 2:40 left. A minute later, he was bending over, clutching his right side and asking coach Jeff Van Gundy to call a timeout.
McGrady limped off the floor with 1:14 left in the quarter, then went to the locker room with trainer Keith Jones, an ominous sign for the Rockets. McGrady missed 44 games over the last two regular seasons, mostly because of back problems, and Houston lost 35 of them.
This time, the seven-time All-Star returned to the floor a few minutes later and immediately checked back into the game. The Rockets said McGrady had a hip pointer.
McGrady missed his next three shots and Utah stretched its early lead to 37-27. Yao then flipped in two hook shots and McGrady sank a 3-pointer to cut Houston’s deficit to 44-40.
McGrady drove down the lane in the final minute of the half, then found Shane Battier in the corner for a 3-pointer that made it 44-43 at the break.
Luther Head, 1-for-6 from 3-point range in Utah, hit a pair early in the final quarter to give the Rockets a 76-75 lead. McGrady assisted on both baskets to pass his previous career high of 13.
Boozer’s free throw with 7:23 left cut Houston’s lead to 81-80. McGrady then drove for a highlight-reel, double-pump layup and Yao added two free throws with 6:10 remaining to put the Rockets up by five.
Kirilenko dunked, then found Boozer underneath to cut Utah’s deficit to one.
McGrady then swished a jumper from the free-throw line and scored on a back-door cut. Juwan Howard found Yao for a layup that put Houston up 91-84 with 3:58 to go.
Matt Harpring scored twice and Boozer drove around Yao for basket that cut the Rockets’ lead to one. Yao banked in a shot, but Boozer answered to make it 93-92.
Harpring missed a mid-range jumper with 20.5 seconds left and Rafer Alston rebounded. He split two free throws to put the Rockets up by two.
