Yao Ming scored 22 points and grabbed 10 rebounds to lead the Houston Rockets past Milwaukee 85-81 on Wednesday in their final NBA game of 2008.
Using only seven players most of the way, the Rockets improved to 21-12, one-half game behind New Orleans in the Southwest division, while the Bucks tumbled to 15-18.
Two nights after being upset by Eastern Conference doormat Washington, the Rockets bounced back but nearly squandered a lead late in the game before holding off the Bucks, thanks largely to Chinese star center Yao.
PHOTO: AP
Milwaukee’s Michael Redd, who led the Bucks with 20 points, scored six points in a 10-4 run that lifted the visitors within 78-77 with 2:15 remaining in the fourth quarter.
But the fightback faded as the Bucks turned over the ball on their next possession and missed two 3-pointers in the final minute while the Rockets hit free throws down the stretch the seal the triumph.
Star guard Tracy McGrady, struggling with a sore knee, went only 3-of-10 for seven points from the field but added 10 assists.
PHOTO: AP
Ron Artest had 15 points and Argentine forward Luis Scola added 11 points and 10 rebounds.
MAGIC 113 BULLS 94
The Orlando Magic quickly bounced back to its best with a win over the Bulls on Wednesday, posting its eighth win in nine NBA games.
Having seen its seven-game winning streak end at Detroit on Monday, the Magic were on top of the Bulls early and went on to record a win that stretched its lead in the Southeast Division.
Rashard Lewis led seven Magic scorers in double figures with 21 points, Hedo Turkoglu added 18 points and nine rebounds, while Dwight Howard had 15 points and 14 rebounds for Orlando, who took a commanding 65-38 lead at halftime on Lewis’s 16 points.
Chicago shot just 42 per cent.
“It’s not being arrogant or cocky, [but] when we step on the floor we expect to win,” Magic point guard Jameer Nelson told reporters.
PISTONS 83, NETS 75
In Auburn Hills, Michigan, an undermanned Detroit prevailed over New Jersey in a defensive struggle.
Allen Iverson scored 19 points to top the points for the Pistons, who won a fifth straight game.
Both teams lost key players during the game. New Jersey’s Vince Carter was ejected for arguing a second-quarter call and Rasheed Wallace sat out the second half with a foot injury.
Detroit’s Richard Hamilton (groin) missed his third straight game, and Antonio McDyess sat out after injuring his ribs on Monday.
It was the Nets’ lowest score of the season.
NUGGETS 114, RAPTORS 107
In Toronto, Denver coach George Karl brought up his 900th regular-season victory as the Nuggets downed Toronto.
Nene scored 21 points to lead the Nuggets.
76ERS 100, CLIPPERS 92
In Los Angeles, Philadelphia held off Los Angeles to snap a four-game losing streak.
Andre Iguodala had 28 points, seven rebounds and seven assists for the Sixers.
The Clippers tied the game with three and a half minutes remaining but could not keep it up and lost their fifth successive game.
THUNDER 107, WARRIORS 100
In Oklahoma City, the home team notched just the fourth win of its miserable debut season, defeating Golden State.
Jeff Green scored 26 points, including 18 in the second half, and Kevin Durant added 25 in recording his fifth double-double of the season, adding 10 rebounds.
Golden State shot 54 percent from the field in the opening half, but failed to make a field goal in the first five minutes of the third quarter, allowing Oklahoma City to take control of the game.
By the time Cameron Menzies finally left the arena on Monday, the blood gushing from the gash on his right hand had trickled down his wrist, part of his forearm and — somehow — up to his face. Smeared in crimson and regret, and already mouthing sheepish apologies to the crowd, he disappeared down the steps, pursued by a stern-looking Matt Porter, the chief executive of Professional Darts Corp (PDC). The physical scars from Menzies’ encounter with the Alexandra Palace drinks table after his 3-2 defeat against Charlie Manby at the Darts World Championship would be gone within a few weeks.
Manchester United on Monday blew the lead three times to miss out on moving up to fifth in the Premier League as AFC Bournemouth would not be beaten in a thrilling 4-4 draw at Old Trafford. United have lost just once in their past 10 games, but Ruben Amorim would be frustrated as more points at home were frittered away despite arguably the best attacking display of his reign in charge. Amad Diallo and Casemiro gave the hosts a halftime lead either side of Antoine Semenyo’s equalizer. Two Bournemouth goals from Evanilson and Marcus Tavernier in seven minutes at the start of the
LOW-GOAL SHOOT-OUT: Of the nine penalties in the shoot-out, only three went in, with Flamengo’s Samuel Lino, and Vitinha and Nuno Mendes of PSG netting Matvei Safonov on Wednesday made four straight penalty saves in a penalty shoot-out to help Paris Saint-Germain beat Flamengo in the Intercontinental Cup final and win a sixth trophy of the year. The Russian goalkeeper was thrown in the air by his teammates after his exploits in the shoot-out, which was won 2-1 by PSG after a 1-1 draw after extra-time. It completed a trophy-laden 12 months for the French team, who had already won the Trophee des Champions, Ligue 1, the Coupe de France, the UEFA Champions League and the UEFA Super Cup — also on penalties against Tottenham Hotspur in
Italian Luca de Aliprandini described Saturday’s World Cup giant slalom at Val d’Isere as the hardest race of his life, coming two days after his Swiss partner Michelle Gisin suffered a heavy fall in training which required neck surgery. De Aliprandini finished 26th in the men’s event won by Loic Meillard, but the result paled into insignificance with two-time Olympic ski champion Gisin in hospital with injuries to her wrist, knee and cervical spine (neck). “It was Michelle’s wish that I race here. I couldn’t say no to her, but it was the toughest race of my entire life,” an emotional De
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