Rockets guard Rafer Alston pulled a right groin muscle in Saturday's practice and was held out of Sunday's game, the first he has missed due to injury since the 2005-06 season.

Steve Francis got the start, his first since he had a season-high 28 points last season with the Knicks in Toronto. Luther Head, who was out with the flu Friday in New Jersey, played 11 minutes off the bench.

"I tried to explode to the rim to dunk it, and when I came down, my groin tweaked," Alston said. "That's how (Tracy McGrady) wants me to tell it. Then he tells me I had no reason to try to dunk the ball. The joke was 'Why you trying to explode to the rim. Just do your floater.'

"Something just tightened up. Keith (Jones, trainer) told me to take it off."

But McGrady did not let go.

"He was trying to dunk in practice," McGrady said. "He was trying to be like me in my old days, when I was here (Toronto)."