NBA Wire Notes | McGrady, Yao hurt in Rockets loss

The Houston Rockets were running on fumes Sunday night, then lost their two best players while playing the NBA's hottest team. The result wasn't a surprise.

Richard Hamilton scored 17 points and Antonio McDyess and Rasheed Wallace added double-doubles, helping the Detroit Pistons beat the shorthanded Rockets 94-82.

"Our defense is getting to be extremely solid," Pistons coach Flip Saunders said. "We turned it up in the third quarter. We've been doing that a lot lately."

The Rockets were playing their fourth game since Tuesday, and to make matters worse for the Rockets, Tracy McGrady didn't come out for the second half after aggravating a sore knee, and Yao Ming sat out the last 15 minutes after needing four stitches to close a facial cut. Yao appeared to sustain his cut in a collision with teammate Luther Head.

"We saw Tracy limping, and we tried to turn up the offense and the defense," McDyess said. "When he left the game, we really turned it on."

Bryant trade buzz

Phil Jackson reiterated Sunday that the Lakers do not intend to trade Kobe Bryant and brought up the topic of Bryant's 2008 option to end his Lakers contract as the "natural situation" for Bryant to leave if he is dissatisfied. Jackson dismissed Bryant's Saturday revelation that New York was among four cities (with Chicago, Dallas and Phoenix) on his approved trade list entering the season, saying before the game: "He's just being kind to New York. ... There wasn't a serious issue. That wasn't a team mentioned."

About ever trading Bryant, Jackson said: "No. There just isn't any comparable situation, so it's like a moot point. It's like giving up a diamond for some garnets."

Jackson smiled as he pronounced the last word the way Kevin Garnett's name is pronounced.

NOTES

• In Orlando's loss to Boston, Hedo Turkoglu's three-pointer in the first quarter gave him 6,000 in his career.

• Cleveland assistant Hank Egan, 70, had bypass surgery Saturday morning, and coach Mike Brown said there is no timetable for Egan's return to the team.

• Knicks coach Isiah Thomas said before Sunday's game he isn't sure when Stephon Marbury will return. The point guard has missed seven of the last eight games as he copes with the Dec. 2 death of his father.