After he was benched less than four minutes into the game Saturday, Rafer Alston shouted at Rockets coach Jeff Van Gundy. Minutes later, guard Tracy McGrady spoke with Alston, and Van Gundy had Alston sit next to him for a few minutes before putting him back in the game, with each describing the incident as minor.

"It was not wrong to come out of the game," Alston said. "I'm never upset with anything Coach decides to do, especially with minutes. I'm frustrated with the way I've been playing."

Van Gundy also downplayed the incident.

"Certainly, we'd be better served not to have any of that," Van Gundy said. "But that's a mere footnote to a (butt)-kicking. He shares no more culpability than to not being able to guard the post or throwing the ball all over the gym."