• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers

McGrady-less Rockets face Grizzlies

Dec 28, 2007 - 3:43 PM Houston (13-15) at Memphis (8-20) 8:00 pm EST

MEMPHIS, Tennessee (Ticker) - The Houston Rockets will have to right themselves in the foreseeable future without All-Star Tracy McGrady.

Yao Ming and the Rockets look to finish a four-game road trip at .500 when they face the lowly Memphis Grizzlies on Friday.

Houston dropped a 94-82 decision to Detroit on Sunday and also lost the services of McGrady, who left the second quarter after aggravating an ongoing left knee problem. The seven-time All-Star had an MRI earlier this week and it was announced that he would miss at least two games due to swollen tendons in the knee.

The Rockets are 0-3 without McGrady in the lineup this season and 2-12 the last two seasons.

The Rockets, who are 1-2 on their current four-game road trip, have won five of six vs. the Grizzlies.

Memphis, losers of three straight and 10 of 12, suffered a 116-98 loss to the New Orleans Hornets on Wednesday. Rudy Gay and Mike Miller each had 19 points for the Grizzlies, who allowed the Hornets to shoot 55.8 percent from the field.

"We gave less effort," said coach Marc Iavaroni of the Grizzlies, who are in last place in the Southwest Division. "We got less tough and we stopped doing the effort things, which is not the way to find yourself getting back into the game when someone is hot.

"We didn't get enough out of anybody."