SEATTLE — Tracy McGrady scored 30 points, and the Houston Rockets beat theSeattle SuperSonics 117-94 Saturday night to spoil Kevin Durant’s home debut.

McGrady, entering his 11th NBA season, was 10-of-20 from the floor and madeall nine free throws. McGrady, who did not play the final 17 minutes, had seenlimited time during the preseason because of a sore knee.

Shane Battier added 19 points.

Durant, the No. 2 pick out of Texas who was averaging 16.8 points in hisfirst four exhibition games, finished with 25 points on 9-of-20 shooting.Delonte West, scoring 12 second-period points, finished with 22. Center RobertSwift had 10 points.

With the season opener in 10 days, Sonics coach P.J. Carlesimo restedforward Chris Wilcox and guard Earl Watson and tried to limit the minutes forrookie forward Jeff Green, this year’s fifth pick out of Georgetown. But Green,who has a sore knee, entered three minutes into the game and played 22 minutes.He scored five points.

The Sonics were coming off Thursday’s 126-106 loss to Los Angeles, withCarlesimo saying “we went so far backward in the Lakers game … we need tomaintain a level of consistency.”

But the Sonics (1-4) did not make much progress. They now have allowed 106.8points per game, third worst in the league. The Rockets, with a vastly moreexperienced roster, reached their exhibition high for points. Houston (3-1)built a 13-point lead, 22-9, with three minutes left in the first quarter.

Durant gave the Sonics their only lead of the game, 2-0, hitting his firstshot 30 seconds in. Three minutes elapsed before he touched the ball again asthe Rockets galloped away.

West, hitting his first seven shots, briefly snapped the Sonics back in thesecond period. He hit back-to-back buckets early in the quarter to bring theSonics back within 26-23. The Rockets then outscored the Sonics 33-19 to led59-42 by intermission.

Aaron Brooks, a Seattle native who was Houston’s first-round draft choice(26th pick) out of Oregon, was given a warm reception when he entered the gamewith 1:32 left in the first. He played 18 minutes and scored 12 points.

MILWAUKEE — Mo Williams had 20 points and 12 assists, and the MilwaukeeBucks beat the Minnesota Timberwolves 106-97 in a preseason game on Saturdaynight.

Michael Redd added 18 points, Andrew Bogut and rookie forward Yi Jianlianeach had 15 and Bobby Simmons 10 in what could be a preview of Milwaukee’sstarting lineup.

Yi, the sixth overall selection in the 2007 NBA draft, had his best game sofar. In 28 minutes, he was 6-of-9 from the floor and grabbed 12 rebounds in histhird start for the Bucks (3-2).

Rookie forward Corey Brewer led Minnesota (2-4) with 27 points, Al Jeffersonadded 21, and Marko Jaric 14.

Brewer, taken one pick after Yi, made his second start for the Timberwolves.He shot 10-of-15 and had six assists in his best preseason outing.

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DENVER — Denver Nuggets guard J.R. Smith was suspended for the first threegames of the regular season “for conduct detrimental to the team.”

Nuggets player personnel director Mark Warkentien declined on Saturday tospecify Smith’s transgression.

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MACAU — Dwight Howard scored 17 points to help the Orlando Magic beat theCleveland Cavaliers 100-84 on Saturday and sweep a two-game preseason seriesbetween the NBA teams in China.

Howard and Cavaliers star LeBron James both sat out the fourth quarter.James and Larry Hughes led Cleveland with 14 points.

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WORCESTER, Mass. — The NBA preseason game between the New Jersey Nets andBoston Celtics was canceled after one half Friday night because of damp courtconditions at the DCU Center.

Boston led 36-33 at halftime when the game was called because ofcondensation forming from ice beneath the floor. The 25-year-old city-ownedfacility is home to the AHL’s Worcester Sharks, an affiliate of the San JoseSharks.

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DALLAS — Mavericks forward Josh Howard was suspended Friday for the firsttwo games of the regular season, punishment for a fight with Sacramento centerBrad Miller earlier in the week.

Howard was ejected from an exhibition Tuesday against the Kings afterdelivering a forearm to the back of Miller’s neck. He also pushed Miller, whohad shoved Dallas guard Devin Harris to the ground.

NBA Executive Vice President Stu Jackson said Friday that Howard escalatedthe confrontation by running across the court toward Miller and engaging withother Kings’ players.

The Mavericks open the season at Cleveland on Oct. 31.

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INDIANAPOLIS — Reggie Miller won’t be chasing the NBA championship thateluded him during his 18-year career.

He decided against a comeback bid at 42 years old with the Boston Celtics.Instead, the former Indiana Pacers star might announce some of their games.

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BAKERSFIELD, Calif. — Kobe Bryant returned to the lineup and scored 20points, 16 in the third quarter, to lead the Los Angeles Lakers to a 126-106victory over the Seattle SuperSonics on Thursday night.

Bryant sat out the second and fourth quarters, but scored 12 straight forthe Lakers in the third. He seemed to play to the pro-Lakers crowd, hitting ajumper with fans chanting “Kobe! Kobe!”

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SEATTLE — Lawyers for the Seattle SuperSonics and the city of Seattleargued before a federal judge Thursday about whether the dispute over the team’slease at KeyArena should be resolved in court or in arbitration.

The arguments were technical and revolved around competing sections of thelease agreement. One says that the length of the lease is not subject toarbitration. The other says only the Sonics can go to court over the contract.

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DENVER — The Denver Nuggets signed veteran guard Mike Wilks on Thursday.

The 5-foot-10 Wilks has played five NBA seasons with Atlanta, Minnesota,Houston, San Antonio, Cleveland and Seattle. He averaged 3.6 points and 1.7assists in 47 games with Seattle last season.

In 214 career games, he has averaged 2.5 points and 1.2 assists.

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