Rockets sweep Blazers series 100-84
(Agencies)
Updated: 2005-03-31 13:47

Yao Ming scored 29 points and Tracy McGrady had 26 points and 10 rebounds to lead the Houston Rockets to a 100-84 victory over the Trail Blazers on Wednesday night, completing a four-game sweep of the season series against Portland.

Houston Rockets center Yao Ming (11) looks at a loose ball as Portland Trail Blazers guard Sebastian Telfair (R) looks on during first quarter action of NBA game in Portland, Oregon on March 30, 2005. [Reuters]

McGrady's 3-pointer extended Houston's lead to 72-57 midway through the third quarter, and the Rockets went on to lead by as many as 25 points for their sixth win in seven games.

Houston, in fifth place in the West, went 3-1 on its road trip and will play six of its final 10 games at home.

McGrady had scored 44 points in the Rockets' 99-85 victory over Utah on Monday, showing no signs of a right hip strain that had been bothering him recently. It was his fifth game with 40 or more points this season.

With Houston's sizable lead, McGrady did not play in the fourth quarter against the Blazers.

The most intriguing matchup of the game was between 7-foot-6 Yao and Portland's 7-foot-3 Ha Seung-Jin. Jin was selected by Portland in the second round, 46th overall, of last year's draft. He is the first Korean to play in the NBA.

Yao schooled the 19-year-old rookie with physical play and a humbling blocked shot. Ha, who came in the game with 4:25 left in the first quarter, was appearing in just his 10th game for the Blazers.

Ha did not score, but had four rebounds in 15 minutes. Shareef Abdur-Rahim led Portland with 21 points.

Portland finished the season winless against the Rockets, the first time Houston has swept the Blazers since 1993-94.

The Trail Blazers snapped a seven-game losing streak with a 103-96 win over New York on Saturday before a 114-106 loss to Washington on Monday night eliminated Portland from the playoffs for the second straight year after a string of 21 straight seasons in postseason play.

The Blazers have lost 13 of 15 games under Kevin Pritchard, who took over on an interim basis after Portland fired coach Maurice Cheeks.

While the Blazers focus on young players, their veterans are recovering from injuries. Center Theo Ratliff had a sore shoulder and guard Derek Anderson had a sore back, and did not dress. Darius Miles injured his had against Washington on Monday, and did not play. Forward Zach Randolph (knee) and guard Nick Van Exel (arthritic left knee) are on the injured list. ... The Rockets improved to 22-15 on the road.

Close

Lakers defeat Knicks 117-107 Sharapova beat Henin Guess who? Diego Maradona!

Today's Top News     Top Sports News
KMT, CPC parties open historic cross-Straits dialogue         Chemical tanker crashes, killing 27         Beijing court hears wrangle on Viagra patent         71% of Chinese women sexually harassed?         Online voters oppose Japan's new role         Red dye a 'food for thought' for Chinese	England beat stubborn Azerbaijan 2-0       Film on Yao's rookie season set for US debut next week       Serbia & Montenegro grind out 0-0 Spain draw       Israel hold France 1-1       Police drop Rooney investigation       Schumacher hopes new car beats Renault