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Rockets suffer second loss without McGrady; Yao had 17
(AP)
Updated: 2005-11-09 14:09

HOUSTON - Steve Francis broke into a smile in the final seconds of the Orlando Magic's 76-74 victory over the Houston Rockets on Tuesday night. Yeah, it was definitely sweet to beat his former team.

rlando Magic guard Steve Francis leans on Houston Rockets center Yao Ming in the fourth period of NBA action en route to the Magic's 76-74 win over the Rockets in Houston November 8, 2005.
lOrlando Magic guard Steve Francis leans on Houston Rockets center Yao Ming in the fourth period of NBA action en route to the Magic's 76-74 win over the Rockets in Houston November 8, 2005. [Reuters]
Francis scored 27 points and had two assists to Jameer Nelson in the final two minutes as the Magic won for the first time in four games.

The Rockets (1-2) lost their second straight without Tracy McGrady, who's out three weeks with a back injury.

Francis played for Houston from 1999-2004 and was traded in a blockbuster deal that brought McGrady to Houston in June 2004. He was booed when he was introduced and almost every time he touched the ball on Tuesday night, but shrugged off the jeers to go 12-of-26 from the field.

Dwight Howard and DeShawn Stevenson each had 12 points and Nelson scored all 10 of his in the final quarter for the Magic, who won despite shooting 37.8 percent.

Yao Ming had 17 points for Houston, which looked shaky on offense for the second straight game without McGrady. The Rockets finished 26-of-70 from the field (37 percent).

The Rockets still had a chance to win, leading 71-67 after a layup by Rafer Alston with 2:06 left.

The Rockets double-teamed Francis in the closing minutes, but Francis twice dribbled into the lane and found Nelson open for 3-pointers that put Orlando up 73-71.
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