Rockets lose game and Yao...LeBron does it by himself

Sunday, December 24th 2006, 8:35 am

By: News On 6

UNDATED (AP) The Houston Rockets are moving to Plan B. Already without Tracy McGrady for seven games because of back spasms, the Rockets are facing at least the next six weeks without center Yao Ming, who suffered a broken bone beneath his knee in last night's 98-93 loss to the LA Clippers.

The Rockets say they hope Yao's injury will not require surgery. Yao was having an All-Star season, averaging 27 points and 9 rebounds.

Yao is gone until at least mid-February and faces his third injury rehab in a year.

Last December, he underwent surgery for a toe infection and missed 21 games. In April, he broke his left foot in Utah and missed the final four games of the season.

In the rest of the N-B-A:

-- LeBron James scored 19 points in the 4th quarter and finished with 32 in carrying the Cleveland Cavaliers past Orlando, 86-83. James single-handedly outscored the Magic 19-18 in the 4th quarter.

-- Kevin Garnett had 29 points and a season-high 19 rebounds and the Minnesota Timberwolves beat the Indiana Pacers 78-71 to snap a four-game losing streak. Minnesota won despite shooting 39 percent from the field.

-- Philadelphia trounced the New York Knicks, 98-77. Andre Iguodala scored 20. Newly acquired point guard Andre Miller added 9 points and 11 assists.

-- Jason Kapono gave Miami a spark off the bench with a career-high 27 points and the Heat beat the Golden State Warriors, 105-92. Dwyane Wade added 18 points and 8 assists.

-- Tony Parker scored 19 points and the San Antonio Spurs shot 62.9 percent in their 112-77 rout of the New Orleans Hornets.

-- Nazr Mohammed had 19 points and 10 rebounds to help the Detroit Pistons beat the undermanned Atlanta Hawks, 108-81. Atlanta was missing five players due to injury, including four of its six leading scorers.

-- Mehmet Okur scored 20 points, including a go-ahead 3-pointer with 36 seconds left, and the Utah Jazz beat Memphis, 100-97. Okur added a pair of free throws with 2.5 seconds to secure the victory.

-- Ben Gordon scored 18 of his 23 points in the 2nd quarter and the Chicago Bulls routed the Charlotte Bobcats 115-76 for their 13th victory in 15 games.

-- Mo Williams had 32 points, 8 rebounds and 8 assists and the Milwaukee Bucks beat the New Jersey Nets 115-104 for their season-high fourth straight victory.

-- Seattle beat Toronto 110-97 to end a six-game losing streak. Ray Allen scored 28 points after missing nine games with a bone contusion in his right foot.