HOUSTON, May 5 (UPI) -- Tracy McGrady dominated in the second half and scored 37 points Thursday night as Houston kept its season alive with a 101-83 drubbing of Dallas.
The Rockets forced a seventh and final game in the opening round playoff series, a contest that will be played in Dallas on Saturday.
The Mavericks rallied from a seven-point halftime deficit to take a one-point advantage going into the fourth quarter.
But with their season on the line, the Rockets took Dallas apart in the final period. The Mavericks were limited to 13 points in the quarter.
After hitting half their shots in the first period, the Mavericks wound up making only 37 percent of their field goal attempts for the game.
Houston was able to pull away despite a mere seven points from center Yao Ming.
Dallas was led by 21 points from Jerry Stackhouse and 19 by Dirk Nowitzki.
The winner of Saturday's game will take on Phoenix in the second round. The Suns will have had more than a week off when they meet either the Rockets or Mavericks.
