Duncan leads Spurs past Rockets 99-81
(Agencies)
Updated: 2005-02-24 14:15

Tim Duncan scored 30 points and Tony Parker added 22 to lead the San Antonio Spurs to a 99-81 win over Houston, their first over the Rockets in three tries this season.

A 15-foot jumper by Tracy McGrady pulled Houston to 75-74 with about seven minutes left in the game. But Parker led the Spurs on a 24-7 run down the stretch to secure the win in a game marked by physical play by both teams.

Houston Rockets center Yao Ming (11), of China, scores as San Antonio Spurs defenders Tim Duncan (21), Manu Ginobili (20), of Argentina, Tony Parker (9), of France, and Rasho Nesterovic (8), of Slovenia, look on during the first quarter in San Antonio, Wednesday, Feb. 23, 2005.[AP]

Parker went 3-for-4 in the fourth, including a rare dunk that came on a breakaway after his season-high fifth steal of the night.

San Antonio is now 24-1 at home this season, including its last 16 straight going back to early December.

The loss was the second in a row for the Rockets, whose eight-game winning streak ended Tuesday night against Seattle.

Houston played without starting point guard Bob Sura, who has a bad back.

Manu Ginobili scored 18 points for the Spurs, who played their first game at home since late January. Duncan finished with 11 rebounds.

San Antonio, trailing 45-42 at the half, took a 60-59 lead when Parker grabbed a defensive rebound and took it all the way in for a reverse layup past McGrady at 5:38 of the third.

Duncan scored 11 points and Parker made all three of his shots and added three assists in the period, which ended with the Spurs ahead 71-66.

McGrady, who almost single-handedly defeated San Antonio in December by scoring 13 points in 35 seconds, had 22 points for Houston and Yao Ming scored 20 and Juwan Howard 16.

Ginobili opened the game with a 3-pointer and Parker made two driving layups to give San Antonio a 9-4 lead in the game's first two minutes. The Rockets followed with their own 9-4 run, with a 19-foot jumper by McGrady tying the score at 13-all.

Houston led 26-21 after one as the Spurs missed six of their final eight shots of the period.

The Rockets made only five field goals in the second and at one point missed six straight shots, but San Antonio couldn't wrest away the lead.

Down 40-34 late in the second, Parker made a pair of free throws and a layup to cut Houston's lead to two. But Yao hit a 14-foot turnaround jumper and foul shots by Jon Barry and Howard put the Rockets up 45-38, matching their biggest lead of the half.

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