Rockets Beat T-wolves by 11

Despite a grimacing due to a sore left shoulder, Tracy McGrady scored 10 of his game-high 23 points in the fourth quarter to lead the Houston Rockets to a 97 to 86 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves.

"My shoulder bothered me a little bit," McGrady said. "I got a shot before the game. In the second half, I didn't feel it as much as I did the first half; so, I was fine the second half."

McGrady just missed a triple-double with 11 rebounds and nine assists.

Luis Scola scored 18 points and pulled down a career high 18 rebounds for the Rockets (49-23).

The Rockets dominated the rebounding battle as they outrebounded Minnesota 58 to 38.

Both teams struggled shooting the ball at the start of the game. The Timberwolves (18-52) missed four straight shots while the Rockets made just one of their first five shots. However, each team improved their shooting the rest of the period as Minnesota shot 10 for 17 the rest of the quarter and the Rockets shot 10 for 19.

"It was a tough game," said Rick Adelman. "Tracy came up big in the second half and Luis was great the whole game. Eighteen and eighteen."

The Rockets led 24 to 23 at the end of the first quarter. Rafer Alston scored 10 points in the period.

After Minnesota's Marko Jaric tied the game at 28 with a three-point basket early in the second quarter, the Rockets never trailed the rest of the ball game.

Nine players scored in the first half for the Rockets and the team led 46 to 42 at halftime. Alston's 10 first-quarter points still led the Rockets.

Former Rockets guard / forward Kirk Snyder scored nine points; grabbed five rebounds; and dished four assists in the first half.

McGrady scored seven points in the third quarter (2 for 7 from the field). Scola added seven points and five boards in the period. Scola keyed a 7-0 run with five points to help push the Rockets lead to 10 points (60 to 50) with 6:24 remaining in the third quarter.

The Rockets led 69 to 60 at the end of the third period.

The T-wolves trimmed the lead to two (72 - 70) with eight points from guard Rashad McCants.

McGrady went to work over the next three minutes and 35 seconds. T-Mac scored 10 points and picked up an assist to Bobby Jackson (for a lay-up) during a decisive 14 to 4 Rockets run to put the game away. The Timberwolves would get no closer than seven points (93 to 86) the rest of the game.

McGrady shot 2 for 8 in the first half 5 for 10 in the final period and 9 for 25 overall.

"I've been struggling with my shots in the first half," McGrady said. "Maybe I need to focus like I do in the fourth quarter. I just came seem to find the rhythm; but, the fourth quarter is usually when the best player has to step up and lead the team. I couldn't afford for us to lose this game; so, I had to impose my will on the game."

"It was definitely a lot tougher than we wanted;" Adelman said. "But, you have to give Minnesota credit -- they kept hanging in there."

The Rockets have the next three days before beginning a five-game road trip Sunday afternoon versus the San Antonio Spurs.

"It gives us a chance to kind of regroup before we go on the road," Adelman added. "We're going to be on the road eight days and five games; so, I think it's going to help us a lot. We'll be able to cover some things in practice and take tomorrow off and Friday and Saturday have a chance to go through some things and prepare for that trip. I think it is going to help us get refreshed."