Tracy Mcgrady

Tracy McGrady sank a three-pointer in his season debut, Luis Scola and Aaron Brooks scored 23 points apiece and the Houston Rockets defeated Detroit, 107-96, ending the Pistons' five-game winning streak. Rookie Chase Budinger had 16 points and 12 rebounds in his first start for the Rockets, who shot a season-high 54.7% from the field. Trevor Ariza served a one-game suspension and that gave Coach Rick Adelman a chance to start Budinger and bring McGrady off the bench for his first action since Feb. 9. The seven-time All-Star entered at the 7:44 mark of the first quarter and missed his first shot, a 20-footer from the wing.

There Kobe Bryant stood laughing with Pau Gasol over a miffed alley-oop lob. There the bench looked sharp as an actually cohesive unit. There Metta World Peace drove the lane and threw a one-handed dunk. The Lakers' 86-78 victory Tuesday over the Atlanta Hawks featured several facets the team hardly displays on a regular basis. And not just the first appearance at a Lakers game this season of Vanessa Bryant, Kobe's estranged wife, who sat behind the team bench and later was seen outside the locker room.

Tracy McGrady is getting a chance to rejuvenate his career with a team hoping for a rebound of its own. McGrady and the Detroit Pistons have agreed to a $1.3-million, one-year contract, a person familiar with the negotiations told the Associated Press on Tuesday. The person spoke on the condition of anonymity because the deal hasn't been announced. McGrady, a seven-time All-Star and two-time scoring champion, has played just 65 games the last two seasons with Houston and New York because he had major surgery on his left knee in the middle of the 2008-09 season.

A timely rally, Jered Weaver's ongoing brilliance and 24 hours in July may have saved the Angels' season.… Until their sixth-inning uprising Wednesday night, Howie Kendrick & Co. appeared destined for dusting in the American League West by the stampeding Texas Rangers.… Now it looks like a race.… Weaver's an ace in spades.… Repeatedly stranded Dodgers baserunners who are said to be in "scoring position" have come...

Tracy McGrady's dazzling Knicks debut couldn't stop the surging Oklahoma City Thunder, which got 36 points from Kevin Durant and beat New York, 121-118, in overtime Saturday night for its eighth straight victory. Durant made the go-ahead jumper with 16 seconds left in his 27th consecutive game with at least 25 points, the longest streak since Allen Iverson also did it in 27 in a row, Jan. 12-March 9, 2001. The last longer streak was by Michael Jordan, 40 straight in 1986-87. McGrady had 26 points in his first game since New York acquired him Thursday from Houston.

"Come on--I'm 24." Tracy McGrady, Orlando Magic guard, when asked whether the ongoing Olympic qualifying tournament will fatigue him for the NBA season.

* at Dallas 107, Houston 98: Asked to provide instant offense as a sixth man for the Mavericks this season, Jason Terry did so against the Rockets, scoring 31 points and guiding a late 14-4 run that sent Houston to its first loss in four games. Tracy McGrady had 35 points and eight assists for the Rockets.

'Ten thou. That's a lot of money. I'll have to get me another autograph-signing session to pay that.' Tracy McGrady, Orlando Magic guard, on a recent $10,000 fine from the NBA for kicking the ball in frustration

Clippers tonight VS. DETROIT When: 7:30. Where: Staples Center. On the air: TV: Prime Ticket. Radio: 980. Records: Clippers 1-8, Pistons 2-6. Record vs. Pistons (2009-10): 2-0. Update: Of note to Clippers fans: On the Pistons' roster is none other than Tracy McGrady. McGrady worked out for the Clippers and the Bulls during the summer before landing in Detroit. He is averaging 3.2 points and 1.8 assists in eight games.

Tracy McGrady ignored the boos and the angry crowd. And won. Playing in Orlando, Fla., for the first time since his trade last summer, McGrady had 27 points to lead a balanced attack and the Houston Rockets beat the Magic, 108-99, Thursday night. Yao Ming added 20 points, and Bob Sura had 19 points, a season-high 11 rebounds and nine assists. "I didn't want to come out and make it a Tracy McGrady show, jacking up shots and playing outside the offense," said McGrady, who made eight of 21 shots.

Now for the Hysteria Meter and the Curse of the Raised Ticket Prices. The former is ESPN.com's Chris Sheridan's takeoff on Knicks Coach Mike D'Antoni noting local "hysteria. " The latter is the New York Daily News' Frank Isola , noting the nose dive following the announcement of their 49% price increase. Next, the D'Antoni Countdown? With the Knicks unable to run his offense and playing no defense before owner James Dolan traded most of their players for Carmelo Anthony ?

Triple-overtime games are as rare in the NBA as bomb scares, but the Lakers experienced both on Feb. 2, 1969.? In the Lakers' last triple-overtime game in Los Angeles before Tuesday's victory over the Phoenix Suns, they lost to the then-San Francisco Warriors despite the efforts of Wilt Chamberlain , who finished with 23 points and 35 rebounds.? The last two periods were played while police and firefighters searched the premises after an unidentified caller to the Forum switchboard said a bomb had been planted inside the arena.?

Clippers tonight VS. DETROIT When: 7:30. Where: Staples Center. On the air: TV: Prime Ticket. Radio: 980. Records: Clippers 1-8, Pistons 2-6. Record vs. Pistons (2009-10): 2-0. Update: Of note to Clippers fans: On the Pistons' roster is none other than Tracy McGrady. McGrady worked out for the Clippers and the Bulls during the summer before landing in Detroit. He is averaging 3.2 points and 1.8 assists in eight games.

One foot in, one foot out. Or in the case of injured Baron Davis , it was more like one knee in, one knee out. The Clippers decided they had had enough of that delicate tap dance and put something of a timeline on the process. Clippers Coach Vinny Del Negro said before Friday night's game against the Detroit Pistons that he expected the point guard will be out of the lineup until about Thanksgiving. "We're going to give him a couple of weeks to get right and see where he is after that," Del Negro said.

Tracy McGrady is getting a chance to rejuvenate his career with a team hoping for a rebound of its own. McGrady and the Detroit Pistons have agreed to a $1.3-million, one-year contract, a person familiar with the negotiations told the Associated Press on Tuesday. The person spoke on the condition of anonymity because the deal hasn't been announced. McGrady, a seven-time All-Star and two-time scoring champion, has played just 65 games the last two seasons with Houston and New York because he had major surgery on his left knee in the middle of the 2008-09 season.

at Indiana 121, Oklahoma City 101: Danny Granger scored 32 points to help the Pacers win for the third time in four games. Kevin Durant was held to 16 points on four-for-16 shooting for the Thunder, who had won six of seven. at Cleveland 104, Detroit 79: J.J. Hickson and Anthony Parker combined for 20 points in the decisive third quarter, and the Cavaliers completed their first season sweep of the Pistons since going 6-0 against them in the 1979-80 season. Cleveland has won 10 straight against Detroit, including last season's first-round sweep in the playoffs.

Milwaukee 83, at New York 67: Andrew Bogut had 24 points and 20 rebounds, his third career 20-20 game, and the Bucks won their third straight and swept the three-game season series. Tracy McGrady had 15 points in his second game with the Knicks, who shot 33.8% from the field in their season-high seventh straight loss. at Washington 101, Chicago 95: Andray Blatche had 25 points and 11 rebounds for the Wizards, who have their first three-game home win streak since April 4-12, 2008.

Not everyone made out The Cavaliers got Antawn Jamison in their attempt to keep LeBron James . . . the Knicks got a second maximum slot in their attempt to steal LeBron . . . the Rockets turned Tracy McGrady into Kevin Martin . . . and the Wizards sent players everywhere, apparently because it felt good. Nevertheless, things weren't so eventful everywhere. Let's check out some prominent backwaters, er, teams: Lakers -- The Bulls, intent on creating a maximum salary slot, asked the Lakers if they'd take Kirk Hinrich for the expiring deals of Adam Morrison and Jordan Farmar . The Lakers, dismayed at projections whittling last season's $40-million profit to $15 million, said they would take Hinrich's $8.5-million-a-year deal if they could dump Sasha Vujacic's $5.2-million-a-year deal.