Houston Rockets Loses Their Second in a Row.
3/13/2006 Houston-- Vince Carter drove down the lane, muscled in an off-balance layup and got fouled by Rick Brunson in the second quarter of New Jersey's 90-77 win over Houston on Monday night.
Jason Kidd had 11 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists, his sixth triple-double of the season. Kidd has 73 career triple-doubles and needs five to tie Wilt Chamberlain for third all-time. Cliff Robinson added 15 points for the Nets, who've won all 28 games they've led after three quarters.
Robinson hit two 3-pointers and Carter sank four. The Nets went 11-for-22 from the 3-point line, one shy of a season-high. Yao Ming scored 36 points for the Rockets, playing their third straight game without Tracy McGrady, who's out up to five weeks with another back injury.
Yao, who was averaging 27.5 points and 13 rebounds in 10 games since the All-Star break, went 9-of-17 from the field, most of them quick turnaround hook shots. He also went 18-for-20 from the free throw line and grabbed nine rebounds. The rest of the team, though, shot 17-of-59 from the field. The Rockets shot 17-of-55 over the final three quarters, when they were outscored 70-51.
Houston has lost two in a row after winning seven of the previous nine. The Rockets have lost two of three since McGrady was sidelined for the fourth time this season with a back injury. McGrady sat out for the 16th time because of his ailing back. Doctors say his latest injury resulted from a fall in the Rockets' win at Portland on March 5. McGrady had an MRI on Saturday and was undergoing more tests in the next two days, the Rockets said.
Houston dropped to 1-15 in the games McGrady has missed because of his bad back. David Wesley, the only Rocket who'd played in all 63 games this season, also sat out after cracking a rib in Sunday's loss at San Antonio.
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