--F Shane Battier had his best offensive game of the season, making 8 of 11 shots, including 4 of 6 3-pointers, to score 23 points. Battier, who had made just 2 of 9 shots in his previous two games, had an 8-0 fourth-quarter run to bring the Rockets to within two.

--G Trevor Ariza had 28 points and five steals but slowed in the second half. He had 10 points after halftime, but made just 3 of 8 shots, missing all three of his 3s. After matching his career-high for steals in the first half with five, he did not get another.

--F Carl Landry finally cooled off, and it was a drastic change. After making 33 of 46 shots in his previous four games, and scoring in double figures in seven-consecutive games, he made just 1 of 6 shots, scoring just two points with just three rebounds.

MEDICAL WATCH:

--G/F Tracy McGrady (left knee) has been working his way back from microfracture knee surgery, participating only sporadically in practice. He is scheduled for an MRI on Nov. 23 before he will be cleared to return to full participation.

--C Yao Ming (left foot) is expected to miss the season after extensive surgery to repair a fractured bone and reshape the operation of his foot to remove stress on the area.