--When Tracy McGrady arrived in Los Angeles, he had led the Rockets in scoring in three consecutive games, scoring more in each as he pushed his average to 22.
After two games in Staples Center, he left town 1-for-LA, scoring five points in his two games in town. He followed his 0-for-5 night against the Clippers by going 1 of 11 against the Lakers and called it the worst weekend of his career. "It was rough," McGrady said. "It was probably the two worst games of my career. When you play a long time like that, you're going to have some games like that. Unfortunately, I had two in a row.
"I had the flu (on Friday). I was pretty bad off the other day. Tonight was just a bad game."
--Desperate for offense wherever they could find it, the Rockets needed Carl Landry to get on the court and stay there.
The problem, however, has been with the staying there part.
In four games, he has averaged 4.5 fouls and 4.5 points.
In the other three games, he averaged .67 fouls and 15.33 points. Against the Clippers on Friday, he missed his first three shots and traveled, then made 6 of his remaining 11 shots and finished with 20 points. Against the Lakers, he made 6 of 10 shots, scoring 12 points. He had one foul in the two games.
"I went back to the drawing board," Landry said. "I watched some film with some of the coaches and sat down and tried to review why I was getting fouls the last few games and why things were happening the way they were. I tried to adjust and respond.
"It was just ways (to avoid fouls), footwork and seeing the man and the ball at the same time, little things like that, the principles. I needed to adjust and get better in those areas."
QUOTE TO NOTE: "I think it was the worst game we have ever had." -- Yao Ming on Sunday's 29-point loss to the Lakers.
