Tracy McGrady returned to the Rockets’ lineup on Tuesday night after missing seven straight games with a back injury, but Houston fell short in Indiana, losing 81-76. Not only did Yao Ming miss the game for Houston, but Jermaine O’Neal did not play for Indiana because of the flu. Houston had a tough night. They shot a whopping 36% from the field, turned the ball over 21 times, and lost in the rebounding column 53-48.

For Indiana, Al Harrington was the star of the night with 23 points and 14 rebounds. Jamaal Tinsley chipped in 17 points, 6 boards, and 4 assists, Danny Granger scored 13 off the bench, and Jeff Foster grabbed 16 rebounds.

Despite a ton of flaws for Houston tonight, some guys did a decent job. Tracy McGrady, in his comeback game, score 19 points and dished 5 assists. He did turn the ball over 7 times and shoot 7-22, however. Shane Battier posted a double-double with 14 points and 10 rebounds, while Rafer Alston score 15 and stole the ball 5 times. Bonzi Wells also made some solid contributions off the bench, as he went for 11 points and 6 rebounds.

Player of the Game: Shane Battier

14 points, 10 rebounds, 3-6 3FG

Next Game: Tonight (12/27/06) @ New Jersey at 6:30 pm.

Houston Rockets star G/F is reportedly probable for tonight’s game in Indiana. He has been practicing at a fair pace for the past four days, and apparently he is ready to go. Let’s hope this is true and he does come back tonight, because with Yao out now, the Rockets need “T-Mac” the most now.

In Saturday’s loss to the Los Angeles Clippers, Yao hurt his knee early in the game (mid-first quarter) by getting his leg caught under Tim Thomas after attempting to block a shot. Tests were run, and it turns out that he fractured the bone under his right knee. It is reported that Yao will miss at least 6 weeks with the injury. The organization is hoping that surgery won’t be needed, but if it is, a procedure will most certainly be done.

This is really a bad time for the Rockets. Yao has been playing extremely well this season, and Tracy McGrady has yet to return to the lineup. The Rockets are really counting on the health of Tracy McGrady for the next two months or so. Without either McGrady or Yao, it will be very tough to continue to win in the tough Western Conference. Let’s hope Yao is okay, and let’s hope McGrady comes back soon.

On Saturday, the Rockets dropped a game at home to the Los Angeles Clippers, in a frustrating win. Not only did the Rockets lose 98-93 on their home floor, Yao got hurt early in the game (knee) and did not return. More info will come later.

Tim Thomas led the way for LA with 21 points and 6 rebounds, while superstar Elton Brand went for 16 points, 7 rebounds, and 4 assists. Young star Shaun Livingston score 10 points, grabbed 6 boards, and dished out 7 helpers. Corey Maggette gave the Clippers some solid bench production, as he scored double figures. The Clipper defense held the Rockets to only 40% shooting, and they run away with a nice road victory.

For Houston, this was a bad news night. Not only is McGrady out, but now Yao is hurt as well. It seems as though injuries will always plague the Rockets. On the game, Shane Battier stepped up big time to try and will his team to victory after Yao went down, but it wasn’t quite enough. Battier poured in a season high 28 points, while Head chipped in 22. Rafer Alston also joined the 20+ club, and he helped out with 21 points on a low shooting percentage. Outside of those three, there is nothing to write home about for the Rockets tonight. The bench shot the ball terribly (a combined 4-21), and they suffer a tough loss.

Player of the Game: Shane Battier

28 points (season high), 6 rebounds

Next Game: Tuesday (12/16/06) @ Indiana at 6:00 pm.

On Friday night, the Rockets took out the San Antonio Spurs in an excellent 97-78 road win. The Rockets played some good defense, they won the rebounding battle, and they got some real solid contributions off the bench from guys like Bonzi Wells (15 points, 7 rebounds), Juwan Howard (14 points, 4 rebounds), and young John Lucas III (9 points). Shane Battier played some excellent defense tonight, Luther Head distributed and moved the ball very well, and Yao played a pretty good game. This was a big win for the banged up Houston Rockets, let’s hope wins like this continue in Houston.

Player of the Game: Yao Ming

22 points, 7 rebounds, 2 blocks

Next Game: Tomorrow night (12/23/06) vs. LA Clippers at 7:30 pm.

Rockets star Tracy McGrady, who has been battling back pains, could play tonight in San Antonio (which is on ESPN, game starting at 8:00 pm ET). It is not a definite, but it is a possibility. Through 20 games so far this year, McGrady has averaged 19.2 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 6.3 assists per game. That isn’t quite the Tracy McGrady we all know, but it is possible that the new ball could have a major affect on his shooting percentages. We’ll see how he responds when the old ball comes back on January 1st. If he can come back at a status anywhere close to what he was 2 years ago, that would be huge for the Rockets.

More updates will come once more information is released.