(Sportsbooks) - The
Houston Rockets kick off a short two-game road swing Friday when they arrive in Oakland to take on the
Golden State Warriors.
The Rockets won for the third time in four games Tuesday when Yao Ming scored 24 points and pulled down a season-high 19 rebounds, and Houston rallied with a huge run in the fourth quarter to beat the Atlanta Hawks, 92-84, at the Toyota Center.
Ron Artest had 19 points and nine rebounds for the Rockets, who have won four overall and four straight at home.
Luis Scola chipped in 12 points and 10 rebounds, while Rafer Alston totaled 12 points and six assists for Houston. Shane Battier scored 10 for the Rockets, who used a 22-2 spurt in the fourth quarter to take over the game.
The Rockets, who are 7-5 on the road this season, may get a lift tonight with the return of star swingman Tracy McGrady. McGrady, who has missed the last seven games with soreness in his left knee, was able to practice this week and is listed as questionable for tonight's game.
Artest, however, will sit with a sprained right ankle and Yao, who is suffering from some kind of illness, is listed as probable.
The Warriors, meanwhile, won their second straight game on Wednesday when Stephen Jackson scored 21 points and doled out eight assists and Marco Belinelli had a season-high 15 points, as Golden State pulled away in the fourth quarter for a 119-96 victory over the Bucks in Oakland.
Andris Biedrins added 18 points and 14 rebounds for the Warriors, who have won two in a row on the heels of a nine-game slide and improved to 4-5 at ORACLE Arena. C.J. Watson logged 19 points and Anthony Morrow 16 for Golden State, which had seven players in double figures.
Forwards Corey Maggette (sore hamstrings) and Brandan Wright (flu-like symptoms) are questionable for Golden State,
The Rockets, who topped the Warriors in Houston 131-112 earlier this month, have won three straight over Golden State after dropping their previous four meetings.
