Rockets coach Jeff Van Gundy wants to open up the NBA draft lottery to all 30 NBA teams in an effort to keep teams from losing intentionally to hopefully secure the No. 1 pick.

"I think every team should have an equal chance at winning the lottery, from the best team all the way down," Van Gundy told The Houston Chronicle. "I don't want to accuse anyone of anything. I would say to take away any possible conflict of interest, everyone should have an equal chance at the top pick all the way down. That way there would be absolutely no question by anybody about anything.

"If it's better for the game, they should do it. I never quite understood why losing is rewarded, other than [for] parity."

According to The Chronicle, Van Gundy presented his proposal to the NBA, but wasn't taken seriously.

The Houston Rockets last night clinched a playoff spot in the West with a 106-87 win over Milwaukee, the Houston Chronicle is reporting.

Kobe Bryant's Lakers jersey is the cream of the NBA jersey crop in the United States ... and now China. Sales of Kobe's No. 24 displaced Tracy McGrady as China's most popular seller. Rankings are based on sales from the start of the season through the All-Star break.

The Lakers' star has the top-selling jersey there, while sales of Yao Ming's jersey in his home country continue to fall, according to results released by the NBA on Tuesday.

Bryant moved up three spots to replace Tracy McGrady, Yao's teammate with the Rockets, atop the list. McGrady slipped to third, while Yao dropped three spots to sixth.

With the Rockets back in Houston, guard Bonzi Wells was back with the team ? but not on the active roster.

Wells did not travel last week and has not played since Feb. 28. He is listed as questionable with a sore right foot, but said last week he was not hurt.

"No status change," coach Jeff Van Gundy said. "It's obviously something I think he's handled exceedingly well. He doesn't like it, nor should he agree with it. But his attitude has been great. ...

"I wasn't going to bring it up. He brought it up. I was going to let it ride, but I'm seconding it. This is not 'Is he not better than guys?' ' It's right now I'm going with what I think is fitting well. I don't want to force-feed a ninth guy (into the playing rotation)."

Yao Ming scored 24 points and grabbed 10 rebounds to lead the Rockets to a record-setting 124-74 rout of Philadelphia here Sunday.

The 7-foot-6 center sat out the entire fourth quarter as did teammate Tracy McGrady, who added 21 points and eight assists as the Rockets imposed the 76ers' most lopsided home loss in their 58-year history.

"I've never been a part of anything where we beat a team by 50 points," said McGrady. "We did a great job of shutting everything down as far as their offensive end.

Luther Head hit a 3-pointer with 12.2 seconds left and Yao Ming deflected a pass and created a game-sealing steal as the Houston Rockets beat the Los Angeles Clippers 109-105 on Wednesday night.

Elton Brand scored a season-high 37 points for Los Angeles and drove for a dunk with 1:01 left that put the Clippers up 105-104.

Yao was whistled for an offensive foul barreling down the lane, but Brand missed a shot from the wing to give Houston another chance.

Tracy McGrady, who led the Rockets with 21, drew the defense to him and found Head wide open in the corner for the go-ahead 3-pointer.

Guard Kirk Snyder was healthy and Bonzi Wells (sore right foot) was unable to play, but Snyder was placed on the inactive list after having had his minutes drastically cut Wednesday.

With Wells out, Snyder had played 18 minutes in Denver, 29 minutes against San Antonio and 14 minutes against Cleveland, before playing only the last five minutes Wednesday.

His time increased by Tracy McGrady's early foul trouble against the Nuggets and a need for an extra guard against L eBron James on Monday.

"How do I put this kindly?" coach Jeff Van Gundy said. "We had a disagreement at practice today about how hard he was working and his response put him on the inactive list."

Asked if the move was only for Friday, Van Gundy said: "I don't know. I don't know how he's going to work tomorrow."

Rockets center Dikembe Mutombo had to leave Wednesday's game in the fourth quarter after a collision with the Celtics' Michael Olowokandi. But Mutombo said he will be able to play Friday against the Nets.

"It scared me," Mutombo said. "I'm going toward the end of my career. I don't want to walk away like that. I have a flash memory of watching Charles Barkley getting carried out (in Philadelphia). That got in my mind. But I think I'm going to be able to play on Friday.

"It's a little bit sore. It got hit from the inside. Sometimes when you get hit like this, you don't know how you will feel the next day. I'm just praying I will wake up and feel better than I'm feeling now. It's swelling a little bit."

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."

Yao Ming is expected to return for the Houston Rockets on Monday against the Cleveland Cavaliers.

The 7-foot-6 center has been out since breaking his right leg on Dec. 23 and has missed the last 32 games. He was medically cleared to play by the Rockets' team doctors and moved to the active roster on Sunday.