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Rockets adjusting to life without McGrady

Jan 8, 2008 - 2:26 PM Houston (17-17) at Washington (17-15) 7:00 pm EST

WASHINGTON (Ticker) - Historically, the Houston Rockets have failed miserably without Tracy McGrady. Times might to be changing.

Likely playing their seventh straight contest without their leading scorer, the Rockets will go for their fifth win in that time when they travel to the Verizon Center to meet the Washington Wizards.

McGrady has missed the last six games due to tendinitis and a bone bruise in his left knee. While the Rockets are just 4-5 in the games without the seven-time All-Star in lineup during this campaign, that mark is much better than the 11-39 record they carried into this season since he joined the franchise prior to the 2004-05 season.

Yao Ming had 30 points, eight rebounds, six assists and four blocked shots and Houston received 41 points from their reserves - including a career-high 22 from rookie guard Aaron Brooks - in Saturday's 103-91 victory over the New York Knicks.

The Wizards posted two 20-plus point wins over the weekend - a 101-77 rout over the Milwaukee Bucks on Friday and 108-86 blowout win over the Seattle SuperSonics on Sunday. Washington received a combined 91 points in the two contests from leading scorers Caron Butler and Antawn Jamison.