Tracy McGrady, who missed the second half of Wednesday's loss to Orlando and was inactive for Thursday's game, does not feel any improvement in his sore left knee.

But he is hopeful the rest will enable him to play at Chicago on Saturday.

"Nothing's changed," McGrady said. "I was optimistic about (playing Thursday). Keith (Jones, the Rockets' trainer) told me the best thing to do is give it another day, and we'll try again on Saturday. So that gives me two days to treat it and get the medicine in there."

McGrady does not want to have an MRI exam because he is fearful of discovering a more serious injury. Jones said the MRI is not necessary and that there have been times that he has sent McGrady for tests the player did not want.

"It's happened before," Jones said. "He said, 'I don't want the MRI,' and I said, 'Let's get it anyway' and he does. He doesn't fight us. But right now, in talking to the doctors, they don't see a need for it."

"It's a bone bruise. There's not any swelling, no deformity, no clicking. We're treating a bruise. Any time you get hit on the knee or around the knee, it's going to be sore. Only the guy who got hit knows how sore."

"Tracy McGrady has shown he'll play. It's obviously bothering him. We're treating him, doing everything we can to give him the best opportunity to get back out there safely."