McGrady in another meltdown

It shouldn't take Tracy McGrady long to figure out what the headlines will say a few days from now: "T-MAC SUFFERS ANOTHER POST-SEASON WASHOUT!" "McMELTDOWN!" "T-MAC SACKED!"

Another year, another first-round flame-out is on the way.

Pity the $20 million-a-year player that doesn't bring home championships.

McGrady, who is on the verge of his seventh playoff series without advancing, took a brave step last post-season. Rather than getting surly and defensive, he said the Rockets' post-season success was up to him.

"It's all on me," he said.

Houston blew a two-games-to-none lead and lost to Utah in the first round.

By this year he adopted a more team-oriented approach, saying they were all in it together. Still, after Monday's loss that put the Jazz up 2-0 in this best-of-seven series, he seemed to understand nothing has changed. It's still on him.

"It is what it is," said McGrady, regarding the two-game deficit.

And what it is is proof positive that T-Mac isn't the next Michael Jordan, because Jordan won championships and McGrady just wins scoring titles. He lost in the first round once in Toronto, three times in Orlando and is approaching a third first-round exit in Houston.

Nothing to show for his work but a grimace.

The Rockets will have to win at least twice in Salt Lake — where the Jazz lost only four games all season — to move into the second round.

"There's nothing I can do about it but go out there and do what I did tonight and lead my team," he said on Monday. "I just fell short. I don't care about the criticism."

Truthfully, McGrady does care. Nobody wants to be labeled a failure. Yet he isn't building a very strong case this post-season. He is 16-43 from the field overall and has made no baskets and scored just one point in the fourth quarter.

But before scorning him like an oil executive or a reptile (if there's a difference), consider this: The man is hauling an injury-depleted team through the playoffs against heavy odds.

It's not like there are a lot of options.