New York, NY (Best E Casino) - Yao Ming scored a season-high 36 points and grabbed 11 rebounds to lead the
Houston Rockets over the
New York Knicks, 101-92, at Madison Square Garden.
Rafer Alston added 20 points, eight assists and six rebounds for the Rockets, who have won four straight. Luis Scola tallied 19 points and Luther Head had 12 for Houston, which improved to 6-2 without injured star guard Tracy McGrady.
Yao hit 14-of-21 shots and went 8-of-9 from the free-throw line as the Rockets offense went through him nearly every time down the floor.
"We wanted to go to him every time we had the opportunity,"said Rockets head coach Rick Adelman. "We really didn't think they had anyone who could guard him."
Yao's defense also made New York's Eddy Curry almost invisible. One night after scoring a game-high 29 points and grabbing eight rebounds in a 105-100 win in Chicago, Curry was held to 12 points on 4-of-9 shooting in this game.
Jamal Crawford had 21 points to lead the Knicks, who failed to win consecutive games for the first time since capturing a season-high-tying two straight November 24-26. Nate Robinson had 16 points and Stephon Marbury tallied 15 points and six assists for New York, which has lost eight of nine overall and four straight at home.
New York head coach Isiah Thomas was ejected early in the fourth quarter for making contact with official Eric Lewis. Thomas was upset by a no-call, and while play was still going on, he walked onto the court and appeared to inadvertently make contact with Lewis, earning the automatic ejection.
"I thought Yao Ming had been in the lane for a long time," said Thomas, who said he spoke to officials about a possible three-second violation earlier in the game. "I wasn't trying to get ejected. I was trying to get a technical foul, cause I did want to bring it to their attention. I was close enough, in his ear, that he could hear me. I didn't bump him or anything like that."
Ahead 75-74 to start the fourth, Alston, a New York native, spearheaded a 12-2 run. Alston scored seven points during the run, which he capped with a jumper at the 6:44 mark for an 87-76 cushion.
Thomas was tossed during the run and New York's defense disappeared after that.
Every time the Knicks attempted to get close from there, it seemed the Rockets always had an answer, and mostly because of lackadaisical defense by New York.
After Crawford hit a three with 5:51 left to get the Knicks within 87-80, Shane Battier was not accounted for on Scola's missed jumper and had an easy putback.
Then, after Crawford's driving layup got the Knicks within 90-85 with 4:29 remaining, Head hit a wide-open three-pointer as New York failed to get back in transition.
Houston later scored six straight points to increase the lead to 101-90, and coasted to the finish.
Zach Randolph had 10 points and 11 boards for the Knicks, who have lost seven straight overall and five in a row at home to the Rockets. New York's last win against the Rockets came on November 18, 2004 at Houston. The last win at MSG was on February 25, 2003.
The night started slow for the Knicks, missing their first 12 shots from the floor. New York broke the slump when Randolph hit a lay-in with 5:55 left in the opening quarter.
Houston carried a 25-19 lead into the second, but the Knicks rallied in the stanza, scoring 34 points. Down 41-35, Robinson's three-pointer started a 13-2 run that gave New York a 48-43 lead. The Rockets managed to tie the game at 50 just seconds before the break, but Robinson's halfcourt heave at the buzzer sent the Knicks into the break with a 53-50 edge.
The third quarter was close throughout, but Houston went into the fourth with a 75-74 edge after Yao hit a pair of free throws with nine seconds left.
Game Notes
Thomas' ejection was his first this season and just his second technical foul...New York fell to 7-12 at home...Houston, playing the second of a two- game road trip, improved to 11-11 on the road.
