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Spurs can avenge rare home loss to Rockets

Jan 24, 2007 - 5:06 PM Houston (26-15) at San Antonio (30-13) 9:00 pm EST

SAN ANTONIO (Ticker) -- The San Antonio Spurs are not accustomed to losing at home to the Houston Rockets.

The Spurs can win for the eighth time in 10 contests and avenge the end of a 17-game home winning streak against the Rockets when the teams meet Wednesday.

In their most recent encounter, Houston won here for the first time since April 20, 1997 with a 97-78 victory over San Antonio on December 22. It was one of three times the Spurs have been held to less than 80 points this season.

Unlike the last matchup, the Rockets will again be without center Yao Ming, who is sidelined with a fractured leg. He led Houston with 22 points in the last meeting.

The Spurs managed to extend their winning streak against the Boston Celtics to 18 games with Monday's 93-89 victory. They have not lost to Boston since January 8, 1997.

Tim Duncan scored 21 points and Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker added 15 each for San Antonio, which nearly squandered a 23-point third-quarter lead before recording their ninth straight win in Boston.

Houston lost its third game in a row with Saturday's 121-113 defeat to the Denver Nuggets and is 6-4 in January.

Tracy McGrady scored 24 points with 10 assists and Juwan Howard added 21 and 13 rebounds for the Rockets, who had seven players score in double figures.