Maybe the Rockets’ season isn’t slipping away just yet.
Yao Ming had 21 points and 14 rebounds as Houston beat San Antonio 83-81, the Spurs’ fourth loss in six games.
“What I could see was effort and how much we wanted this game,” Yao said.
Rafer Alston added 16 points as the Rockets beat the Spurs for only the fourth time in the last 13 meetings. McGrady, who was back after missing 11 games with a sore left knee, had nine points on 4-of-12 shooting.
“We not only played hard, we played smart and under control,” McGrady said. “We played together as a team.”
Tim Duncan had 24 points and 17 rebounds for San Antonio, which lost in Houston for the just second time in six visits. The Spurs outrebounded Houston 37-32 but went a costly 11-for-19 from the free-throw line.
“You put yourself in a position to win,” Duncan said, “but it didn’t happen.”
The Rockets led by 12 early in the second half but appeared headed for their third straight fourth-quarter collapse.
Houston led 80-79 when Luther Head missed a reverse layup before Yao rebounded and dunked while being fouled by Fabricio Oberto with 2:24 to go.
But Yao missed the free throw and Duncan hit a layup to cut Houston’s lead to 82-81. The Spurs had a chance to take the lead in the final minute, but Duncan missed a shot from the top of the key with 29 seconds left.
The Rockets played keep-away until McGrady found Yao underneath. Yao, an 86-percent free-throw shooter, got fouled, then missed both shots. Shane Battier rebounded the second miss and Alston hit a free throw with 2.4 seconds remaining.
Out of a timeout, Spurs reserve Matt Bonner missed a mid-range shot at the buzzer.
The Rockets committed seven turnovers, a season low for a Spurs opponent and the third-lowest total in Rockets history. Manu Ginobili added 21 points and Tony Parker had 16 for the Spurs, who shot 45 percent (32-of-71) but took 12 fewer shots than Houston.
McGrady was on the bench at the start and the Spurs hit six of their first seven shots. Head, McGrady’s replacement, kept the Rockets close with seven early points.
McGrady entered with 6:04 left in the first quarter. He missed his first shot, then scored on a drive and sank a 3-pointer to give Houston its first lead at 19-18. McGrady, wincing in pain during dead balls, left the game with 5:15 remaining.
