McGrady leads Rockets past Bucks

Yao Ming scored 23 points despite shooting 10-of-24 with seven rebounds and Rafer Alston added 12 points with nine assists for the Rockets, who have won two straight and three of four.

Houston shot 49 percent from the field.

Michael Redd led all scorers with 34 points, 12 from free throws for the Bucks, who have dropped two in a row.

Charlie Bell contributed with 22 points off the bench and five assists while Dan Gadzuric grabbed 12 boards in the loss.

The game remained tight for most of the first quarter, with each team trading the lead, but Dikembe Mutombo put Houston up by five with a tip in and lay up at the 3:24 mark. McGrady then hit a three and followed up with a jumper and two free throws as the Rockets ended the opening frame with a 26-17 lead.

Milwaukee cut within four, 39-35, on a jumper by Brian Skinner with 3:51 left in the second, but Houston increased its lead on a pair of Mutombo free throws and a jumper and layup by McGrady for the 10-point advantage. The Rockets went into halftime with a 48-39 lead.

It was much of the same in the third as Houston went up 73-50 with just under three minutes remaining. Chuck Hayes capped a 14-4 burst with a layup as the Rockets led 76-58 after three frames.

Redd opened the fourth with eight points, but the Bucks could only cut the gap to four with little time left despite outscoring Houston, 28-17.

Game Notes

Milwaukee’s Charlie Villanueva had eight points...Mutombo finished with 10 points...Milwaukee shot 47 percent from the field...Houston turned the ball over 14 times, compared to 11 from Milwaukee...Houston was 8-of-16 from three- point range...The Rockets have won three of their last four in Milwaukee...Attendance was 16,102.