Whether you're a Rockets fan or not, this is just depressing: Tracy McGrady was forced out of last night's game against the Thunder after his left knee simply "gave out." It's the same knee that bothered him for much of last year and eventually required surgery to remove loose bodies in May. From Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle:
"Tonight, I went back to square one, like before even surgery. I've always been feeling it, but tonight, before that particular play, I came up and it just gave out on me. I've been trying to work my way into playing shape and strengthen my leg. I've never been 100 percent. I've just been hoping playing on it would put me over the edge and I won't have any more pain, but it hasn't worked."
He's scheduled for an MRI today but didn't sound optimistic following the game, saying, "until further notice, I'm going to have to shut it down." Although he didn't admit it, it's possible the knee has bothered him for awhile: he's averaging just 16.7 points per game this year, down nearly five points from last year, and has been held to single digits four times in the last six games.
Even if McGrady gets good news, the Rockets aren't completely in the clear: both Ron Artest and Yao Ming tweaked their ankles last night, although neither expect to miss any time. Injuries are part of the game, and when you think about it, the Rockets might be better off if their three stars get all of their bad luck out of the way at the same time. But the way things have gone the last few years, the Rockets tend to have more bad luck than most.
