Houston Rockets Loses Without Tracy McGrady.
3/12/2006 San Antonio-- Michael Finley was stuck in a corner with the shot clock running down when he found an escape route along the baseline. Then he came face to face with another obstacle -- all 7-foot-6 of Yao Ming.
But Finley, a foot shorter than Yao, never stopped coming. His powerful dunk over the Houston Rockets' center energized the San Antonio Spurs, who went on to a 88-81 win on Sunday afternoon.
The Rockets played without star swingman Tracy McGrady, who could miss five weeks with a sore back. Trailing by 11 after three, Houston closed within 79-77 when Rafer Alston drove the baseline for a layup with 2:52 remaining. But the Spurs' Nazr Mohammed set a screen on Rick Brunson that allowed Finley to drive the baseline for the dunk over Yao. A minute later, Manu Ginobili tangled Yao's feet with a crossover before he threw down a left-handed dunk over the Rockets' center to make it 85-79.
Tim Duncan had 20 points and 10 rebounds for San Antonio, while Mohammed scored 11 and Beno Udrih 10. Yao had 25 points for the Rockets, 17 in the first half, and Alston scored 15. Luther Head added 13, including three 3-pointers, and Keith Bogans had 11. The loss kept Houston winless in 10 games against Southwest Division rivals.
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