Rockets lose 89-88 to Hornets: Yao had 18
(Agencies/Chinadaily.com.cn)
Updated: 2005-10-28 11:28

After a 3-pointer by Nachbar, Barry was called for a foul and then a technical for arguing the call. Brown made the technical foul shot to pull the Hornets within 84-83.

Claxton made two free throws with 1:12 left to put the Hornets up 87-86, and Luther Head responded on the other end with a driving layup.

Rasual Butler and Wesley traded misses from 3-point range, and that set up the final play.

Smith finished with 18 points for New Orleans, Nachbar scored 17 and Claxton added 14. Brown and David West, who left with a sprained right ankle in the fourth quarter and didn't return, had 13 points each.

Derek Anderson scored 18 points to lead Houston, which was without Tracy McGrady for the second straight game because of tendinitis in both of his knees. Yao and Howard contributed 16 points each.

Desmond Mason, the former Oklahoma State star New Orleans acquired in a trade with Milwaukee on Wednesday, arrived late in the first quarter and got a warm ovation from the crowd of 15,063.