Yao and Rockets to meet Iverson and 76ers

The Rockets fell in double overtime on Sunday to the Toronto Raptors, 101-97, at the Air Canada Centre.

Yao Ming scored 20 points and hauled down 12 rebounds and Steve Francis posted 25 points and seven boards. Cuttino Mobley scored 19 as the Rockets lost for just the second time in seven games.

Francis comes into tonight’s contest leading the Rockets in both scoring (20.3 ppg) and assists (4.6 apg), while Yao is Houston’s top rebounder (9.3 rpg).

Houston is 2-2 on the road this season.

The short-handed 76ers ran out of gas on Saturday, dropping a 91-88 overtime decision to the Cleveland Cavaliers at Gund Arena.

The Sixers played without starters Kenny Thomas (bruised lower back), Glenn Robinson (left ankle) and Derrick Coleman (strained left knee). Coleman has missed the last two games, Robinson has missed three in a row and Thomas has been out of the last four contests with his injuries.

Allen Iverson scored 19 points for the Sixers, but made only 8-of-29 shots from the field. Marc Jackson scored 19 points and pulled down 15 boards for Philadelphia, which lost for just the second time in five games.

Center Samuel Dalembert added 10 rebounds against Cleveland.

On January 15, 2002, Iverson scored a career-high 58 points in Philadelphia’s overtime victory over the Rockets. It is career-high for the All-Star guard as well as the most points Houston ever allowed to an opposing player.

Iverson is off to a great start this season, averaging a team-best 29.7 points per-gam to along with 7.4 assists per-contest, which also leads the 76ers.

The 76ers are 2-2 as the host this season.

Houston has won four of the last five meetings between the teams, winning both games last season.

Philadelphia leads the all-time series, 55-51.