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Brooks helping Rockets overcome Alston's injury

Dec 19, 2008 - 2:16 PM Sacramento (7-19) at Houston (16-9) 8:30 p.m. EST

HOUSTON (Ticker) -- With Rafter Alston sidelined, Aaron Brooks is making sure the Houston Rockets do not miss a beat.

Brooks and the Rockets try to earn back-to-back wins on Friday when they host the Sacramento Kings.

Alston missed Tuesday's contest against the Denver Nuggets with a strained left hamstring and Brooks, in his second season out of Oregon, took the veteran point guard's place.

Brooks scored 18 points, handed out six assists and had only two turnovers, leading Houston to a 108-96 victory, its third in four games.

The 23-year-old guard had plenty of help offensively as Yao Ming scored 32 points and Tracy McGrady totaled 20 points, 14 rebounds and 10 assists, recording his fourth career triple-double in only his third game after sitting out three contests with soreness in his left knee.

Alston is listed as day-to-day and Brooks should have another big game against the Kings, who have lost three of their last four games, including a 109-77 loss to the Portland Trail Blazers on Tuesday.

Sacramento helped interim coach Kenny Natt win his debut, forging a 118-103 victory against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Monday.

But the Kings made only 31.6 percent (24-of-76) of their shots from the floor on Tuesday and committed 17 turnovers while forcing just seven.