Tracy McGrady had 26 points and a career-high 16 assists, and the Rockets beat the Jazz 96-92 on Monday night to take a 3-2 lead in their best-of-seven series.

Yao Ming scored 21 points, sealing the victory with two free throws with 11 seconds left. Yao also grabbed 15 rebounds, the last one in the closing seconds after Deron Williams missed a desperation 3-pointer.

Back home after two lethargic losses in Utah, the Rockets rediscovered their shooting touch, going 35-for-75 from the field (47 percent) and 12-for-24 from 3-point range. They also outrebounded Utah 42-39.

The Rockets can clinch their first postseason series victory since 1997 in Game 6 on Thursday in Utah. Utah dominated the first two games there and hasn't lost to Houston at home since March 2005.

Andrei Kirilenko's tearful meltdown last Sunday over his reduced role and poor play may have prompted some not in-the-know to speculate the Jazz might consider trading their starting small forward from Russia this offseason.

But Jazz coach Jerry Sloan ? his club still involved in a first-round NBA playoff series with Houston ? squashed that notion before Saturday's late-starting Game 4.

"That's all people talking," Sloan said.

"I mean, people can say anything they want ? which they do, and I don't have a problem with that, other than I would appreciate people being a little more fair and honest about it instead of off-the-cuff stuff that's not true."

The truth, Sloan suggested, is that Kirilenko is a critical component of a Jazz core he hopes to have together for years to come.

"I don't look to trade players," he said. "That's when people (other teams) come in and they think you're gonna have ... a fire-sale."

Mehmet Okur broke out of his scoring slump with 16 points, stifled Yao Ming defensively, and the Jazz evened their first-round series with a 98-85 victory over the Rockets on Saturday night in Game 4.

Deron Williams added 25 points, including 11 in the third quarter. Utah outscored Houston 33-17 in the period and again flustered the Rockets into a listless second half while tying the series at two games apiece.

The Jazz shot poorly again and rushed on offense a few times, yet coach Jerry Sloan was about as tickled as he gets.

Utah's defense was good enough to overcome any offensive struggles, and the Jazz beat Houston 81-67 Thursday night to cut the Rockets' lead to 2-1 in their playoff series.

The Jazz held the Rockets without a field goal for 10 minutes in the second half and didn't allow Houston's reserves to score a single point. Yao Ming scored 26 and Tracy McGrady had 24 points for Houston, but only two other Rockets scored.

Houston has defended their home court, winning Game 2 against the Jazz 98-90 and putting Tracy McGrady in a good position to finally get out of the first round.

The Rockets now lead the series 2-0, with games 3 and 4 to be played in Utah.

The Rockets were able to overcome a 41 point, 12 rebound game by Carlos Boozer, while McGrady led the Rockets with 31 and 10 rebounds.  The second portion of Houston's 1-2 punch, Yao Ming, finished with 27 points and 9 rebounds.

A lack of playing time in Game 1 of the Jazz-Rockets series left Utah's highest-paid player in tears.

"I want to play 48 minutes," Andrei Kirilenko said Sunday after practice in Houston. "I want to play and I want to be on the court."

Kirilenko, who was paid $12.3 million this season, played 16 minutes and scored two points in Utah's 84-75 loss to Houston on Saturday. Game 2 is Monday night in Houston.

Coach Jerry Sloan yanked the Russian from the lineup after he missed a jump shot from nine feet.

All signs point to Raptor coach Sam Mitchell being named the league's coach of the year for 2006-07 and being honored before Game 2 of Toronto's Eastern Conference playoff series against the New Jersey Nets, the Toronto Star writes.

The league announced last night it would announce the coach of the year winner tomorrow and the league likes to allow the various winners their moment in the sun in front of a home crowd.

In a straw poll of writers and broadcasters who vote on the award, Mitchell had a slight edge on Utah's Jerry Sloan and Avery Johnson of the Dallas Mavericks.

In the past, the league has made sure the winner of any significant post-season award has been honored before his team plays.

Neither the Jazz nor the Mavericks play tomorrow night.

Maybe Tracy McGrady just needed a minute to adjust.

Playing with homecourt advantage for the first time in his career, the seven-time All-Star had just one point at halftime before scoring 16 points in the third quarter to lead the Rockets to 84-75 win over the Jazz on Saturday night in Game 1 of their first round playoff series.

McGrady, who scored 23 points, was 0-for-6 in the first half. Before his outburst, the Rockets relied on Yao Ming, who finished with 28 points and 13 rebounds.

C.J. Miles, who is in the last season of a two-year contract, said he would like to remain with Utah.

Miles earned a base salary of $664,209 this season is a restricted free agent. The Jazz has the right to match any offer from another team.

"I hope I've shown them what I can do and with another year in summer league, who knows?" Miles said before Friday night's game against the Mavericks. "I would like to be here next year because everybody on this team is like my brother."

Utah retired Adrian Dantley's No. 4 on Wednesday, hanging it from the rafters.

"He started it all. The other guys all came later," said Frank Layden, Dantley's former coach.

"I waited a long time," said Dantley, who played with the Jazz from 1979 until 1986.