Yao leaves with cut over eye.
November 28th, 2008 Posted in NBA basketball newsYao leaves with cut over eye. Houston center Yao Ming left the Rockets’ game against Indiana on Wednesday night with a cut over his right eye, then returned after getting four stitches.
The Pacers’ Troy Murphy hit Yao with his right elbow on a drive to the basket with 5:27 left in the first quarter. No foul was called, but Yao hit the floor and trainer Keith Jones came off the bench to check on him.
Yao walked off the floor with a white towel pressed against the cut.
The Rockets were already playing without Tracy McGrady, who was inactive with a sore left knee. Shane Battier made his first start of the season for the Rockets after missing training camp and Houston’s first 15 games with inflammation in his left foot.
Yao returned to the Rockets’ bench with about a minute left in the first quarter, wearing a bandage over his eye. He was back on the floor for the start of the second quarter.
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McGrady out, Battier in for Rockets.
Houston Rockets star Tracy McGrady was inactive Wednesday night against Indiana with a sore left knee, but forward Shane Battier was expected to make his season debut after recovering from inflammation in his left foot.
McGrady said before the season that his knee was not fully healed after offseason surgery. He started Houston’s first 15 games and is the Rockets’ second-leading scorer, averaging 15.6 points.
Houston coach Rick Adelman said McGrady’s knee is “a day to day situation.” The Rockets’ next game is Saturday against San Antonio.
“The important thing for us is we have to move on, we have to play this game tonight and see what happens after that,” Adelman said.
Battier only returned to full practices last week after missing training camp with the foot injury, also the result of offseason surgery. Adelman said he was hoping Battier could play “15 to 20″ minutes on Wednesday night.
Battier averaged 9.3 points and 5.1 rebounds last season.
