Rockets beat Mavs, go home with 2-0 lead

With Shaq and Kobe broken up, get ready for the era of Yao and T-Mac. It arrived in Game 2 of the playoffs.

Yao Ming scored 33 points on 13-of-14 shooting – with his only miss arguably being more of a turnover – and Tracy McGrady added 28, but it was their spectacular baskets in the final 1:07 that mattered most in Houston’s 113-111 victory over the Dallas Mavericks on Monday night in Dallas, for a 2-0 lead in the first-round series.

The Rockets trailed 102-95 with 5:36 left, but McGrady began a go-ahead run of six straight shots with another of his amazing jumpers. When the Mavericks tied it at 109, the dynamic duo came through again, with McGrady driving to the rim, then slipping the ball to Yao for an easy dunk with 1:06 left.

Dallas tied it again, though, when Dirk Nowitzki – who broke out of his series-long slump midway through the fourth quarter – faked McGrady several times and nailed a jumper from around the free throw line with 10.4 seconds left.

McGrady, however, never hesitated. Not even looking to the bench for a possible timeout, he inbounded the ball, got it back right away and went to the top right of the 3-point line. Setting up behind a Yao screen, he buried a long 2-pointer, then made a sneering gesture as the Mavericks called time.

Given one last chance to salvage a split at home, Dallas failed when Michael Finley missed on a decent look from near the top of the key.

The series moves to Houston for Game 3 on Thursday night.

Pacers 82, Celtics 79

Reggie Miller still had a big shot left in his 39-year-old body.

Miller hit a 13-footer for Indiana’s last basket, capping a 28-point game and leading the Pacers to an 82-79 win over host Boston that tied their playoff series at one game each

It was quite a comeback for the Pacers and Miller, who hit just one of seven shots and scored seven points in Boston’s 102-82 opening win Saturday night.

Paul Pierce led the Celtics with 33 points.

The best-of-7 series shifts to Indiana on Thursday night for Game 3.

Mavs’ coach Johnson fined $10,000

Dallas Mavericks coach Avery Johnson was fined $10,000 by the NBA for his postgame exchange of words with official Joey Crawford following a loss to the Houston Rockets in Game 1 of their playoff series.

Johnson began berating Crawford in the final minutes of Saturday’s game, which Houston won 98-86. When time expired, Johnson had a few more things to say as he walked off the court.

Crawford laughed as he walked off in the other direction and Johnson came back at him. A Rockets security official helped pry Johnson away.

The punishment was described as being for “failing to leave the court in a timely manner.”

NBA fines Mobley for obscene gesture

Sacramento guard Cuttino Mobley was fined $15,000 by the NBA for making an obscene gesture toward fans at the end of the Kings’ Game 1 playoff loss at Seattle.