LOS ANGELES — Tracy McGrady followed a bad play with a very good one. It gave Houston an improbable victory.

McGrady's driving left-handed layup with 0.3 seconds left lifted the short-handed Rockets to a 76-74 win over the Los Angeles Lakers last night.

The Rockets (10-13) won for the seventh time in nine games despite the absence of All-Star center Yao Ming, who missed his first game this season and the third of his career because of a sore right big toe.

The right-handed McGrady drove around Devean George at the top of the key, and avoided Lamar Odom and Kwame Brown before laying the ball in just before time ran out.

Brown had stolen the ball from McGrady on the previous Houston possession and drove for an uncontested dunk with 19 seconds left to tie the game.

The Rockets went right to McGrady without calling a timeout, and he ran the clock down before making his move.

"I knew it was in my hands," McGrady said.

Rockets coach Jeff Van Gundy said before the game that he didn't know when Yao will return.

"It's not a one-game thing," Van Gundy said.