Rockets-Warriors: Rockets Win To Get Back on Track

Well, once again the Rockets were without Tracy McGrady, as he apparently rolled his ankle in practice in a play involving Yao Ming. The incident only fueled the national sports media to speculate on the ongoing rumor that Tracy and Yao are not talking.

Local media and both Yao and Tracy have denied such rumors, so it is difficult to formulate an opinion on the matter just yet.

This didn't hurt the Rockets, as they were able to roll against the Warriors 110-93. They almost squandered yet another lead late in the game, but were fueled by a terrific second half effort by Ron Artest, in which he tallied 17 points.

Ron Artest stepped up enormously with 27 points, 12 of which came from behind the arc. He played his best game since coming back from injury, and is hopefully getting back on track.

Aaron Brooks filled in for Rafer Alston most of the game, as Alston was playing horribly on the offensive side. Playing 42 minutes off the bench, Brooks turned in 22 points and a season high nine assists. It was nice to see Brooks get his shot back, given his recent struggles the past two weeks.

Yao Ming manhandled the weak centers of the Warriors all game. He finished with 25 points and 11 rebounds, his 23rd double-double of the year.

Adelman went with a curious lineup for this game, choosing not to start Von Wafer, Tracy's previous replacement. Instead he went with a defensive lineup, starting Ron Artest at the 2, and Shane Battier at the small forward.

He probably wanted his two defensive stars on the court at the same time for most of the game to slow down the fast paced Warriors.

Another theory is that he wanted Artest in the game early, to set a physical pace on the weak interior defense of the Warriors. This proved to work, as both Andris Biedrins and Ronny Turiaf recorded their fifth fouls early in the third quarter, allowing the Rockets to shoot a high number of free throws.

The Rockets will look to build on this victory as they take on the Bulls this Tuesday in Houston. They need to start playing the type of basketball when both Artest and McGrady were injured, which was predicated on getting the ball to Yao, plus ball movement.