Despite 18 first-half points by Tracy McGrady,
Houston fell to
Orlando 94-90 on Thursday. With Yao Ming hobbling off with a
sprained ankle, the Rockets were unable to earn a victory in their
final tune-up before the regular season.
Yao Ming took an early seat, and Dwight Howard took advantage.
Howard dominated the paint and scored 22 points and Carlos Arroyo
added 16 as the Orlando Magic posted a strong preseason
victory.
Howard collected 12.5 rebounds per game last season, ranking
second in the NBA behind Minnesota's Kevin Garnett. On Thursday,
the star forward grabbed 15 boards and shot 6-for-12 from the field
and 10-for-12 from the line.
The 7'5'' Yao left in the second quarter with a sprained right
ankle, leaving Howard to dominate the key.
Arroyo was 6-for-10 from the floor and handed out two assists in
23 minutes. Hedo Turkoglu added 10 points for the Magic, who shot
45 percent (39-of-86).
Along with T-Mac's 18 points, second-round pick Steve Novak
netted 10 for the Rockets, who shot just 38 percent (28-for-73) and
committed 20 turnovers.
(CRI October 27, 2006)
