San Antonio opened the season without last season's leading scorer, Manu Ginobili, because of offseason ankle surgery. Things got worse for the Spurs when point guard Tony Parker went down with a severe left ankle sprain in a Nov. 7 game against Miami.

Though they still had Tim Duncan in the middle, the Spurs struggled without their top perimeter players, opening the season 2-5 for their worst start since 1996-97. San Antonio, however, has rebounded to win seven of its last eight games, even though it wasn't until this week when Ginobili and Parker returned.

Ginobili came back Monday and Parker rejoined the team far earlier than expected Friday night, when the Spurs (9-6) defeated Memphis 109-98 in their first game with all three stars who have led them to three championships in the last six seasons.

Duncan had 11 points and 12 rebounds, Ginobili scored 14 points in 21 minutes off the bench, and Parker added 15 points and seven assists in just 17 minutes Friday.

"It feels great. It's great to be back," Parker said. "When you're out for three weeks you only think about getting back on the court, and try to have fun and try to help the team win."

Spurs coach Gregg Popovich was just as excited as his All-Star point guard.

"His rhythm looked good," he said. "He's back."

That doesn't bode well for the Rockets (10-6), who lost their first game against their Southwest Division rivals 77-75 on Nov. 14. Despite playing with all three of its top offensive threats in McGrady, Yao Ming and Ron Artest, Houston recorded a season-low point total against the injury-plagued San Antonio club, which outscored the Rockets 12-0 in the final 4:20.

Houston could have a hard time getting revenge if McGrady can't play Saturday. The two-time league scoring champion missed the team's last game Wednesday because of pain in his surgically repaired left knee. His status for this game is uncertain.

The Rockets missed him Wednesday, when they were outscored 27-16 in the fourth quarter of a 91-90 home loss to Indiana. They led by as many as 10 in the fourth before losing on Danny Granger's tip-in with 13 seconds remaining.

"To lose a game like that just makes my stomach hurt," said Yao, who had 19 points and 10 rebounds but shot 5-for-14 from the field.

Though it was a disheartening defeat, the Rockets are at least somewhat encouraged after having Shane Battier in the lineup for the first time this season. Battier, who finished third in last season's Defensive Player of the Year voting, had five points and seven rebounds in 29 minutes in his first game since sitting out training camp and the first four weeks of the season with inflammation in his left foot.

"I felt OK," said Battier, who was 2-for-6 from the field. "I'm still unaware of my movement and my body and obviously, my shot wasn't very good."

Battier came off the bench only twice last season, both times against the Spurs so he could match up against Ginobili, the Sixth Man of the Year. Ginobili averaged 17.5 points and shot 42.9 percent (9-for-21) in those games.