Nov. 13, 2005, 1:53AM Rockets unleash surprise McGrady returns with 35-point burst to scorch Nets By JONATHAN FEIGEN Copyright 2005 Houston Chronicle EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. - The next time they produce one of those Tracy McGrady shoe commercials, the ones in which they exaggerate the tall tales of his exploits beyond all reason, they can tell the truth. McGrady wrote a new script Saturday. He came back two weeks ahead of schedule from a back injury, couldn't shoot straight for a half — and then put on a stunning offensive display that ended the Rockets' three-game losing streak with a 99-91 win over the New Jersey Nets before 20,098 at Continental Airlines Arena. McGrady, after making just one of nine shots in the first half, scored 30 points in the second half — 20 in the fourth quarter — in his first game since he was helped off the Toyota Center practice court Nov. 4. McGrady finished with 35 points, 10 rebounds, three blocked shots and four assists, to say nothing of the Rockets' first win since he left. "I'm a scorer," McGrady said. "Once you get that feeling, I don't care what kind of defense they put on you, they're just at your mercy." He only hinted at was to come when he made five of eight shots in the third quarter, missing his only 3-pointer. In the fourth quarter, after the Nets had reduced a 17-point Rockets lead to three, McGrady dominated as few players can. "I was in amazement," Rockets rookie Luther Head said. "That was my first time seeing it up close and personal like that. I knew he was a great player, but man, he put on a show tonight." With the Nets as close as they had been since the first quarter, McGrady answered with a 3-pointer as he nailed all four treys he launched in the fourth quarter. He made seven of nine shots in the quarter, and when the Nets desperately sent an early double team to force him to give up the ball, he whipped passes to David Wesley and Jon Barry who whipped passes to one another for consecutive 3s of their own. Wesley, Jefferson chme in "That's something great players have that the rest of us don't," said Wesley, who had a season-high 15 points off the bench. "To get it from him after he's been out is an even bigger left. "He was hitting shots when he was guarded, over people, down the stretch when we needed big shots." Nets forward Richard Jefferson, the defender primarily assigned to McGrady, described him as "up there with Vince, A.I. and Kobe." Kobe Bryant and Allen Iverson are the NBA's top two scorers and McGrady has twice led the league in scoring, but Vince Carter spent a tempestuous night flinging fadeaways and bickering with officials. Carter, McGrady's distant cousin and former Toronto teammate, made just six of 14 shots for his 16 points. Despite a high-scoring second half, the Nets made just 39 percent of their shots, ensuring they could not keep pace when McGrady got hot. Still, the Rockets needed him to take over because they let another double-digit lead slip away. Fouls bench Yao The Rockets scored the first six points of the second half to take their largest lead, 17 points. They even kept that margin for a few minutes. But Yao Ming, who scored 18 points but played just 22 minutes, picked up his fourth foul and went to the bench. McGrady went to the bench in search of oxygen. And as is so often the case when McGrady or Yao sit down, the offense went with them. With the lead shrinking fast and the memory of three consecutive games lost down the stretch clear, McGrady returned to take over. "My back, it felt pretty good the whole game," McGrady said. "I didn't have any problems physically. I just needed little oxygen tanks. I was about to die out there. T-Mac figured he'd struggle "Coming to the game, I knew offensively in the first half, I was going to struggle. That's why I was concentrating more on getting everybody else involved, playing defense, rebounding, getting out and just making plays. I knew I was going to come out in the second half and get my shot up. It felt good and I just took over the game." With McGrady back to trigger or finish the offense and with three guards circling the 3-point arc around him, it looked better down the stretch than in any of the Rockets' first four games. "Their plan was just as good when a guy's 1-for-9," Rockets coach Jeff Van Gundy said. "But sometimes, that's how good McGrady is. "That's why you try to get great players. You're always trying to get them. It's hard to find them." The Rockets found theirs right where they left him, doing what he does best and without the imagination of television fiction. jonathan.feigen@chron.com -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Rockets Summary Ahead of schedule Tracy McGrady came back from his strained back about two weeks ahead of schedule, the Rockets announced. But he said he was being cautious with the injury. Had he been rushing, McGrady said, he would have played in Miami on Thursday. "I think what I have to deal with is the time that I've been out, six days. It's been tough to get back into great playing shape," McGrady said. "But as far as the pain and everything, I'm fine. No tightness. No pain. I'm injury-free. I could have played in Miami, but they wanted to give it another day. I think that was smart." Van Gundy assist Former Rockets forward Scott Padgett said he became a New Jersey Nets forward with a large assist from Rockets coach Jeff Van Gundy. Padgett had reached an agreement to sign with the Phoenix Suns, but the Suns reneged twice. "It was a last-minute thing," Padgett said. "( Robert) Traylor had his (medical) problems, and Jeff made a big call for me. He called him up and talked to Lawrence ( Frank, the Nets coach) ... and gave them a good word about me." Press row view For the first time this season, the Rockets were able to surround Tracy McGrady with three guards, and it worked down the stretch. Everything looks better when shots go in and the Rockets had 55.6 percent of their shots fall in the fourth quarter. But with Luther Head getting increased playing time, even moving ahead of Jon Barry on Saturday, the Rockets will likely go back to surrounding McGrady with shooters and let him play point power forward. Inside the numbers • 98.5 — Points per game for Rockets with Tracy McGrady. • 80.6 — Points per game for Rockets without McGrady. • 2-0 — Record with McGrady • 0-3 — Record without McGrady. • 3 — Rockets who had season-high scoring nights on Satur- day: McGrady (35), David Wesley (15) and Luther Head (nine). • 52 — Fouls called Saturday. JONATHAN FEIGEN
Thanks for the post. I had such a blast watching McGrady last night. I eventually just started cackling after every three he drilled. And he wasn't just making them he was DRILLING them. Now that he's back I am PUMPED for the Pistons game Friday. I hope we're the ones to end their streak.
