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McGrady, Rockets take on red-hot Suns

Jan 17, 2007 - 11:38 PM Phoenix (29-8) at Houston (25-14) 8:30 pm EST

HOUSTON (Ticker) - The Houston Rockets continue their test against the NBA's best when they host the red-hot Phoenix Suns on Wednesday. They will have to do it without Tracy McGrady.

Houston is coming off Tuesday's 109-96 loss to league-leading Dallas in which McGrady scored a season-high 45 points. But his chronic back problems acted up again, and he will sit out against the Suns.

The Rockets had their four-game winning streak snapped and fell to 9-3 without injured All-Star center Yao Ming. They had been able to thrive without Yao due to the brilliance of McGrady, who has eight games of 30-plus points during that stretch.

Now without Yao and McGrady, the Rockets take on the Suns, who have won 10 straight games and have the league's second-best record.

Phoenix is working on its second-double-digit winning streak of the season and is losing players more frequently than games. In Monday's breakneck 137-122 win at Memphis, Suns forward Kurt Thomas suffered an elbow injury and will be out four to six weeks.

Suns center Amare Stoudemire scored a season-high 42 points Monday. In the only previous meeting with Houston this season, he had 22 points and 15 rebounds in a 102-91 home victory November 29.