Rockets Rookies Rally to Beat Blazers

Houston needs a page from Portland's book to create comeback win
By Katherine Thompson,  Newser Staff
Posted Jan 26, 2008 5:52 AM CST
Rockets Rookies Rally to Beat Blazers
Portland Trail Blazers center Joel Przybilla, right, hangs onto the ball during a scramble with Houston Rockets' Luis Scola, left, from Argentina, and Yao Ming during NBA second half basketball action in Portland, Ore., Friday, Jan. 25, 2008. Houston beat Portland 89-79. (AP Photo/Don Ryan)   (Associated Press)

When Tracy McGrady and Yao Ming weren't getting it done against the Trail Blazers, Rockets coach Rick Adelman decided to beat Portland at its own game, the Houston Chronicle reports. He sent in rookies Luis Scola, Aaron Brooks, and Carl Landry to lead the team to an 89-79 triumph, Houston's fourth straight.

The loss breaks Portland's 12-game home win streak, tarnishing the mystique of the suddenly dominant young team. For the Rockets, McGrady shot just 5-for-14 for a team-high 15 points, but was bailed out by Scola's 11 points and 12 rebounds, and Landry's 12 points and eight boards. "One thing about those guys, they're not afraid," said McGrady in praise of Houston's newbies. (More NBA stories.)

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