Even though the Houston Rockets planned to limit Tracy McGrady's minutes when he returned to the lineup, he wouldn't hear of it.

He's already seen how inept his team is when he isn't on the floor.

McGrady returned from a five-game absence and played 40 minutes Friday night, scoring 35 points as the Rockets snapped a seven-game losing streak with a 109-108 double-overtime victory over the Chicago Bulls.

"I would have griped about (being taken out) because we were playing so well," McGrady said. "We wanted to win this game. I was really going to talk (coach Jeff Van Gundy) into leaving me out there, even though they wanted to keep my minutes down."