HOUSTON -- Yao Ming scored 15 points, Ron Artest added 13 in his first game against his former team and the Houston Rockets beat the Sacramento Kings 95-90 in an exhibition game on Friday night.
Yao played 27 minutes before twisting his right ankle and leaving for good with 3:07 left in the third quarter. The Rockets said the injury was minor, but coach Rick Adelman didn't take any chances with the All-Star center, who's missed chunks of the last three seasons with injuries.
The Rockets also played without Tracy McGrady, who's still bothered by a sore left knee. McGrady has played only one quarter in the preseason.
Aaron Brooks scored 23 points in McGrady's place and Luis Scola grabbed 10 rebounds for Houston. Artest, acquired in a trade with the Kings in August, played only 18 minutes, all in the first half. Kevin Martin scored 19 points and Brad Miller had 10 points and nine rebounds for the Kings.
Most of the team's projected starters played the bulk of the first quarter. The one exception was Brooks, usually Houston's backup point guard.
Former Rockets guard Bobby Jackson entered with 2:09 left in the first quarter. Jackson, who played for the Kings from 2000-05, returned to Sacramento in the Artest trade.
Artest scored all 13 of his points in the opening quarter to help the Rockets take a 30-20 lead.
Both coaches used most of the second quarter to take a look at their reserves. Kings rookie Donte Green sank a 3-pointer with 6:25 left in the half, but Houston still led 39-28. Memphis originally drafted Greene, the Rockets acquired him in a trade and then sent him to the Kings in the Artest deal.
Sacramento shot 24 percent from the field (6-for-25) in the second quarter and the Rockets led 52-37 at the break. The Kings' starters opened the second half with a 15-4 run. Houston's starters were all on the floor except for Artest, who was replaced by Mike Harris. The Rockets missed 8 of their first 10 shots after halftime and Brad Miller's basket from the baseline cut the lead to 56-52.
Brooks scored 10 points in the final quarter to help the Rockets hang on. D.J. Strawberry finished a fast break with a dunk with 2:22 left to put the Rockets up 93-86.
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