Post by ball4life on Dec 29, 2005 17:50:51 GMT -5
OKLAHOMA CITY -- Houston Rockets forward Tracy McGrady rushed out of the Toyota Center at halftime of Tuesday night's game against the Utah Jazz to be with his fiancee for the birth of their son.
"It's a beautiful thing, but I've got a story to tell him when he gets older," McGrady said before Wednesday night's game against the Hornets. "I was rolling in the first half and we were finally winning, and then I get this call.
"I pretty much expected to be there (hospital) all night (after the game), but talking to the doctor about the situation, he was like she is going to have this tonight."
Laymen Lamar McGrady weighed seven pounds at birth. After his son's birth, McGrady rushed to the airport to catch the Rockets' charter flight to Oklahoma City.
Without McGrady, who scored 21 points in the first half, the Jazz defeated the Rockets 82-74.
STILL OUT: Hornets forward Bostjan Nachbar missed his 14th consecutive game Wednesday because of a strained right knee.
Initially, Nachbar was expected to return eight days ago, but after going through a workout, he experienced pain that forced the delay.
"It just didn't heal the way we thought it would," Hornets coach Byron Scott said. "But for the last two days, he went up and down the floor and didn't have any pain. So we know we're much closer to getting him back.
"He'll have to go through a full contact practice before he is put back on the active roster."
ADJUSTING WELL: Former Hornets guard David Wesley said the shift from shooting guard to point guard has gone smoothly.
Wesley is averaging 9.2 points and 3.2 assists for the Rockets.
"I played point guard before when the Hornets were still in Charlotte, (N.C.)" Wesley said. "I'll do anything to help the team."
At the start of Wednesday's game, Wesley started out guarding Hornets shooting guard J.R. Smith.
NOT AMONG THE TOP 10: The Hornets have slipped from seventh to 11th in the league's latest attendance figures after a crowd of 7,302 showed for the Dec. 16 game against the Phoenix Suns at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center in Baton Rouge.
The Hornets are averaging 17,636 per game, with five sellouts.
SHOOTING OUT OF SLUMP: Hornets forward Desmond Mason had been in a slump, hitting three-of-14 shots from the field for a combined 11 points in the past two games.
But Mason had a good start against the Rockets, making three of five shots for eight points in the first quarter. He had 12 points at halftime.
INJURY PROBLEMS: The Rockets have been decimated by injuries.
Guard Rafer Alston is out with hairline fracture of his right fibula, guards Derek Anderson and Jon Berry have strained calf muscles, guard Bob Sura is sidelined with a knee and back problem and center Yao Ming is out indefinitely after requiring surgery for an infection in his left big toe.
"Playing good enough to win is difficult, but injuries are not difficult," Houston coach Jeff Van Gundy. "When you have them as a team, either you are going to be strong-minded or weak-minded.
"Hopefully we'll be strong-minded."
"It's a beautiful thing, but I've got a story to tell him when he gets older," McGrady said before Wednesday night's game against the Hornets. "I was rolling in the first half and we were finally winning, and then I get this call.
"I pretty much expected to be there (hospital) all night (after the game), but talking to the doctor about the situation, he was like she is going to have this tonight."
Laymen Lamar McGrady weighed seven pounds at birth. After his son's birth, McGrady rushed to the airport to catch the Rockets' charter flight to Oklahoma City.
Without McGrady, who scored 21 points in the first half, the Jazz defeated the Rockets 82-74.
STILL OUT: Hornets forward Bostjan Nachbar missed his 14th consecutive game Wednesday because of a strained right knee.
Initially, Nachbar was expected to return eight days ago, but after going through a workout, he experienced pain that forced the delay.
"It just didn't heal the way we thought it would," Hornets coach Byron Scott said. "But for the last two days, he went up and down the floor and didn't have any pain. So we know we're much closer to getting him back.
"He'll have to go through a full contact practice before he is put back on the active roster."
ADJUSTING WELL: Former Hornets guard David Wesley said the shift from shooting guard to point guard has gone smoothly.
Wesley is averaging 9.2 points and 3.2 assists for the Rockets.
"I played point guard before when the Hornets were still in Charlotte, (N.C.)" Wesley said. "I'll do anything to help the team."
At the start of Wednesday's game, Wesley started out guarding Hornets shooting guard J.R. Smith.
NOT AMONG THE TOP 10: The Hornets have slipped from seventh to 11th in the league's latest attendance figures after a crowd of 7,302 showed for the Dec. 16 game against the Phoenix Suns at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center in Baton Rouge.
The Hornets are averaging 17,636 per game, with five sellouts.
SHOOTING OUT OF SLUMP: Hornets forward Desmond Mason had been in a slump, hitting three-of-14 shots from the field for a combined 11 points in the past two games.
But Mason had a good start against the Rockets, making three of five shots for eight points in the first quarter. He had 12 points at halftime.
INJURY PROBLEMS: The Rockets have been decimated by injuries.
Guard Rafer Alston is out with hairline fracture of his right fibula, guards Derek Anderson and Jon Berry have strained calf muscles, guard Bob Sura is sidelined with a knee and back problem and center Yao Ming is out indefinitely after requiring surgery for an infection in his left big toe.
"Playing good enough to win is difficult, but injuries are not difficult," Houston coach Jeff Van Gundy. "When you have them as a team, either you are going to be strong-minded or weak-minded.
"Hopefully we'll be strong-minded."
