Nov. 18, 2005, 1:33AM
A comeback denied
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McGrady can't duplicate flurry from last season; Rockets drop 16th straight in S.A.
By JONATHAN FEIGEN
Copyright 2005 Houston Chronicle
SAN ANTONIO - For most of the night, Tracy McGrady couldn't shoot. This made sense because for much of the morning, with his back aching, he couldn't do much of anything.
Then McGrady nailed a 3-pointer with five minutes left and the Rockets were back where they were when he authored last season's miracle of 13 points in 35 seconds. They even seemed headed in that direction.
But once-in-a-lifetime shockers don't happen twice. Outplayed for most of the night, the Rockets came within a miracle of San Antonio, before the Spurs brushed the Rockets aside with an 86-80 win Thursday night that extended the Rockets' losing streak in San Antonio to 16 games.
"We had to face that won't happen all the time," Rockets center Yao Ming said.
But as desperate as hoping for another miracle might have been, it had been that sort of night, and, for a few minutes, McGrady made it seem possible.
"He scares me from the time I get up in the morning until the game ends," Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said. "He's done it game after game after game."
The Rockets had trailed by as much as 20 points; McGrady had made just four of his first 17 shots. But when the Spurs began the fourth quarter in the offensive funk that had afflicted the Rockets all night, the Rockets had a chance.
After his 3-pointer with five minutes left, McGrady nailed a jumper and then hit another trey. When he put together a three-point play with 2:24 left, the Rockets were within 80-74 and he had scored 14 points in 2 1/2 minutes.
That might not have been as sudden and was not as decisive as last season's run, but the way the Rockets played most of the night, the run was shocking.
"I wasn't even thinking about (last season's run against the Spurs)," McGrady said after scoring 23 of his 27 points in the second half. "I was just trying to get back in the game. That was my main thing, just get some shots up. But as far as making the shots and thinking about last year's comeback, it never crossed my mind."
McGrady often has said he never considered what he was doing last season while he was doing it. And Thursday he also had to contend with the back strain that had made him questionable to play Thursday.
"If only you knew how I felt out there," McGrady said. "The condition I'm in and facing a guy like Bruce Bowen ... I had a tough night at work. Bruce Bowen is one of the premier defenders in this league. If I'm not 100 percent the way I feel — I'm not complaining or anything, but on a fresh night he's going to make your night miserable."
McGrady found his touch, but the Rockets never could stop, or slow, the Spurs' jets, Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker.
When the Spurs missed, they beat the Rockets to the rebounds. When the Rockets were within six, Ginobili and Parker sliced through the lane, drawing fouls and making six free throws to close out the win.
"They drove by us at will, pick-and-rolled us and got whatever they wanted," Rockets coach Jeff Van Gundy said. "We couldn't keep them out of the paint. They just dominated us driving the ball. And then, when we had our chances, we couldn't get a defensive rebound."
Jon Barry made a 3-pointer to help the Rockets stay within seven points with 32.5 seconds left, but when he missed his next trey attempt and fouled Parker chasing the rebound, the Rockets were out of time.
But this game was not lost in the final minute. The Spurs were so much quicker and so strangled the Rockets' offense in the first half that San Antonio had more layups (16) than the Rockets had field goals (13).
Yao had 18 points in the first half, so the Spurs began sending double-team help, and he had one in the second half. The starters other than McGrady and Yao made three of 16 shots for eight points.
"I think we executed a lot, but not enough to beat really good teams," guard David Wesley said. "We're killing ourselves, throwing the ball away, messing up sets, giving up offensive rebounds, things that get you beat."
That said, the Rockets might have performed a miracle after all just to have made it close.
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Bruce is so important to our team its not even funny! The guy is as important I'd say as either Tony or Manu. He may not score the points, but if you take into account all the points the player he is guarding doesn't make, he is head and shoulders above everyone else. This guy is golden.
Who knows more about b-ball?
TMac or implacable?
Well said!
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