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Yao, Scola lead Rockets past Bulls 107-100

Wednesday, February 4, 2009 , Posted by Linda at 11:13 AM

HOUSTON – Yao Ming scored 28 points, Luis Scola scored 13 points and matched a career high with 18 rebounds, and the Houston Rockets beat the Chicago Bulls 107-100 on Tuesday night.

Houston Rockets' Carl Landry, center, goes up against Chicago Bulls' Andres Houston Rockets' Carl Landry, center, goes up against Chicago Bulls' Andres Nocioni (5), of Argentina

Aaron Brooks scored 18 and Tracy McGrady added 16 for the Rockets, who've won six straight and 11 of 12 games against the Bulls.

Luol Deng scored a season-high 28 and Ben Gordon scored 20 for Chicago, which had a three-game winning streak snapped.

The Rockets led by 13 after three quarters, but started 1-for-5 with two turnovers in the fourth. Andres Nocioni's 3-pointer with 8:13 left finished an 11-3 Bulls' run to cut Houston's lead to 82-77.

Yao dunked, got fouled by Joakim Noah and converted the free throw to end Chicago's spurt. Carl Landry hit a free throw with 7:23 left and Yao scored again a minute later to restore the Rockets' double-digit lead. Chicago cut the deficit to six in the final minute, but Brooks drove for a layup with 28 seconds left to seal the win for Houston.

The Rockets never trailed in a game for the fifth time this season.

Yao had two blocks and a basket in the first two minutes of the game. He also drew two quick fouls on Noah, sending him to the bench for 7-foot Aaron Gray.

The Bulls also missed their first 10 shots before Derrick Rose drove for a layup with 7:32 left in the first quarter. But Yao picked up his second foul with 7:06 left in the quarter and was replaced by the 6-9 Landry.

McGrady electrified the crowd with a driving, left-handed dunk, looking spry again after sitting out Saturday's win over Golden State with a sprained left ankle.

But the Rockets led only 20-18 after one quarter, despite the Bulls' 24 percent shooting. Chicago stayed close by going 8-for-14 from the free throw line.

Yao started the second quarter and the Rockets maintained their narrow lead. Houston built a seven-point lead, but Yao picked up his third foul with 5:48 left in the half and went to the bench again.

The Bulls finished the half with an 11-2 run and trailed only 48-45.

With Chicago focusing on Yao, Scola scored seven points early in the third quarter to help stretch Houston's lead to 65-57. The Bulls hit only two field goals over the last six minutes of the third quarter and trailed 79-66 heading to the fourth.

Rose had 12 points and seven assists in his first game since spraining his left foot in the Bulls' 122-111 win in Phoenix on Saturday.

Notes:@ Scola has 15 double-doubles this season. ... Bulls leading rebounder Drew Gooden sat out again with a strained groin he sustained against New York on Jan. 19. "He's still got some soreness there," Chicago coach Vinny Del Negro. "We'll just deal with it as a day-to-day thing." ... The Rockets are 18-1 this season when Yao scores 20 points or more.

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