Houston Rockets' Yao Ming (11), of China, and Luther Head (2) try to block New York Knicks' Jamal Crawford as he goes to the basket during the fourth quarter of NBA basketball action Monday, Nov. 20, 2006.   Nov. 21 - Just when the Knicks finally started to solve Yao Ming, Tracy McGrady stepped up. Two stars was one too many for struggling New York on Monday night.

 

Yao had 26 points and nine rebounds in another strong game against the Knicks, and McGrady added 24 points in the Houston Rockets' 97-90 victory over New York.

 

McGrady scored 15 points in the second half, including six during a decisive 10-1 surge in the fourth quarter. He also made three of Houston's 10 3-pointers.

 

"I think somewhat in the past two games that teams are trying to drill Yao a little bit too much," McGrady said, "and I've kind of been deferring too much to him in the second half, or the fourth quarter, rather. I just wanted to insert myself on the offensive end."

 

Rafer Alston finished with 17 points for the Rockets, who beat the Knicks for the fifth straight time, their longest winning streak ever during the series. Houston coach Jeff Van Gundy improved to 7-1 against his former team and remained unbeaten as a visiting coach on his old home floor.

 

"It's always special," Van Gundy said. "It's an honor to walk out on the floor on Madison Square Garden. That never gets old. Not when I was here and certainly when you only get to do it once a year."

 

The Knicks did a better job on Yao than last time, when he collected 35 points, 17 rebounds and seven blocked shots in the Rockets' 104-93 victory in Houston on Nov. 10. The 7-foot-6 Yao was only 6-of-14 from the floor -- with one miss coming when 5-foot-9 Nate Robinson blocked him in the closing seconds of the third quarter.

 

"I was blocked by a 5-3 guy before, so that's not a record," Yao said.

 

The Rockets have won four straight at Madison Square Garden -- all since Van Gundy became Houston coach.