Rockets beat Wizards for 8th win in row
(Agencies)
Updated: 2005-02-16 14:33

Tracy McGrady scored 34 points and Yao Ming had 23, leading the Houston Rockets to their eighth-straight win with a 123-93 victory over the Washington Wizards on Tuesday night.

Houston Rockets center Yao Ming (11) of China grabs the rebound from Washington Wizards center Brendan Haywood (33) in the first quarter Tuesday, Feb. 15, 2005, in Houston. [AP]

The Rockets' streak is their longest since March of 1999 and the best active streak in the league. It's also a franchise record for consecutive wins before the All-Star break.

Houston never trailed after the first quarter and Washington couldn't get closer than nine in the second half.

Houston shot 59.5 percent on 50-of-84 shooting for its second-highest point total of the season. The offensive output is a game removed from an 81-80 win over Portland on Sunday where the Rockets shot just 31 percent and squandered a 16 point lead.

Washington has lost five straight on the road.

The Rockets also rebounded from a bad 3-point shooting performance, hitting 12-of-24, after going 0-for-11 against the Trail Blazers.

Antawn Jamison had 23 points and Jarvis Hayes added 21 for the Wizards, but both shot just 9-of-17.

The Wizards were 35-of-84 for 41.7 percent shooting and were just 27.3 percent on 3s.

The Rockets took a lead they would not relinquish on an 11-0 first-quarter run, erasing a 23-19 deficit to go up 30-23.

Consecutive 3s by John Barry stretched the lead to 46-35 with 8:06 remaining in the first half. Houston led 62-49 at halftime.

Gilbert Arenas, who had averaged 31 points in the last three games, scored 11 on 3-of-14 shooting.

Houston has 19 wins since David Wesley joined the team on Dec. 29, which is the most in the NBA over that stretch.

Juwan Howard and Wesley scored 18 each and Scott Padgett added 13, and went 3-of-3 from 3-point range.

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