"Aaron Brooks arrived in the Rockets' locker room with shoes on both feet for the first time since his Nov. 6 sprained ankle, prompting Yao Ming to shout, "No boot."

"We're in a race," said Brooks, who was cleared to remove the protective boot on his left foot Sunday. "We're neck and neck. Maybe we'll come back together."

If Brooks can come back at the earliest projected time, it would Dec. 4 against Chicago. If Yao comes back in his minimum rehab time, it would be the previous day, though he is expected to need time to work on his conditioning.

Hoping to come back as soon as he is cleared, Yao has been running on an Alter-G treadmill that controls the amount of weight he puts on his feet."