• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers

Rockets go for second straight win without McGrady

Dec 29, 2007 - 3:09 PM Toronto (16-14) at Houston (14-15) 8:30 pm EST

HOUSTON (Ticker) - The Houston Rockets didn't need Tracy McGrady to win on Friday. They hope to continue that trend on Saturday.

Houston will go for its second straight win without their leading scorer when they host the Toronto Raptors.

The Rockets posted a 103-83 victory at Memphis on Friday as Yao Ming led six players in double figures with 22 points, 11 rebounds and five blocks. Rookie Luis Scola added a career-high 22 points off the bench as well.

"These superstars we have are great, they're unbelievable," Scola said. "But everybody has a bad game and everybody gets injured once in a while. You need to be able to win anyway."

It was a rare win for the Rockets without McGrady, who is out with tendinitis in his left knee. Houston is 1-3 without the seven-time All-Star this season, and just 3-12 over the past two seasons. McGrady is expected to return within the week.

It will be the sixth game on a season-long seven-game road trip for the Raptors, who are coming off a 93-83 victory at San Antonio on Friday, a win that snapped a three-game losing streak.

Jason Kapono scored 15 points to lead Toronto, which had 41 points from its bench in Friday's win.

Toronto won the first meeting, 93-80, at home on December 9 and have won the last two games against the Rockets in Houston.