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ESPN.com - Duncan, Spurs welcome Rockets' Yao to NBA

Discussion in 'Houston Rockets: Game Action & Roster Moves' started by Rockets34Legend, Oct 24, 2002.

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  1. Rockets34Legend

    Rockets34Legend Contributing Member

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    I don't think this is posted anywhere else...

    http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/recap?gameId=221023024

    SAN ANTONIO (AP) -- Yao Ming's NBA debut ended in an exhibition loss Wednesday night, but the 7-foot-5 center's welcome to the league was a memorable one.

    Seconds after entering the game and setting foot on the SBC Center court, Yao took a pass in the low post and made a decisive move to the basket. But as his outstretched right arm rose above the rim, San Antonio 7-footer Tim Duncan, the league's MVP last season, slid over and launched the newest Rocket with a hard body bump that left him sprawled on the floor.

    ''It's about what I thought it would be,'' Yao said of the physical play after the Spurs rallied for an 80-79 victory. ''I felt like a rookie.''

    San Antonio center David Robinson said Yao's initiation, three days after his arrival in the United States, was a good lesson in how the NBA works.

    ''He's getting thrown right into the fire, and against one of the tallest teams in the league,'' Robinson said. ''It was a good challenge for him tonight.''

    Duncan added: ''He handled the ball well and showed some touch. ... He'll end up being a good all-around player, but it always takes time.''

    Yao's final line: six points on 1-for-5 shooting from the field and 4-for-4 from the free throw line, four rebounds, four fouls and three turnovers in 13 minutes.

    The first of those points came after Duncan roughed him up. Yao, the league's No. 1 draft pick this year, calmly stepped to the line and made two soft, arching free throws that put the Rockets up 28-23.

    Five minutes later, as the second quarter was winding down, Yao returned to his spot near the end of the bench. He had added a fadeaway jumper to those foul shots, helping Houston to a 44-38 halftime lead.

    But San Antonio battled back from an 11-point second-half deficit for the win.

    Duncan finished with 27 points and 13 rebounds, while Stephen Jackson scored 17 points for the Spurs. Cuttino Mobley led the Rockets with 18 points, while Steve Francis added 15 and Eddie Griffin 14.

    After sitting out the third quarter, Yao replaced Griffin at 11:10 of the final quarter. Twelve seconds later, the Rockets had a point taken off the scoreboard when Yao stepped into the lane too early on a free throw by Mobley.

    He made other mistakes, like rifling a pass to a phantom baseline cutter, but his teammates only had encouragement for him. He leaned way down to listen to some guidance from Francis, and after he picked up his fourth personal by blocking David Robinson, guard Juaquin Hawkins gave him an impromptu footwork lesson.

    The 6-8 Jackson ended up with a memory of his own -- dunking over Yao late in the game.

    ''For him to be under there and me to get him, I'm definitely happy about that,'' Jackson said.

    With three minutes remaining, Kelvin Cato came into the game and Yao sat down for the night.

    Yao was with China's national team until Oct. 13, when it was upset by South Korea in the Asian Games championship game.

    After working out an agreement with the China Basketball Association that will guarantee his home country the right to bring him back for international tournaments, Yao received his visa and reported to the Rockets on Sunday.

    With the regular season starting in a week, Yao still has a lot to learn to fit into Houston's offensive and defensive schemes.

    ''Getting the first-game jitters out of the way is great,'' Rockets coach Rudy Tomjanovich said. ''Everyone is excited about him being here, but now it's time to play basketball. ... My gut feeling is that he will be able to handle this stuff.''

    Yao said he was nervous going in, but he eventually settled down and quickly started learning.

    ''When you watch it on TV it seems really easy,'' he said of the NBA. ''But when you are actually out there playing, it is extremely difficult.''

    -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    So I'm guessing he did get dunked on?? :confused:
     
    #1 Rockets34Legend, Oct 24, 2002
  2. Franchise2001

    Franchise2001 Contributing Member

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    OMG :mad:

    Watch the replay, Ming never jumped and didnt even have a hand up.... so how is this being dunked on?
     
    #2 Franchise2001, Oct 24, 2002
  3. moomoo

    moomoo Member

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    i could've sworn he jumped AND put a hand up. hold on. lemme go rewind my tape...brb
     
    #3 moomoo, Oct 24, 2002
  4. moomoo

    moomoo Member

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    Yup, he got dunked on. He DID jump, and he DID put his hand up. However, Yao was out of position, sort of pushed under the basket by Robinson, and was partially screened by Robinson, giving Jackson more room for the dunk.

    Yao needs to work more on defensive positioning, maybe? I'm not great at b-ball fundamentals, especially in the post. Maybe someone with more knowledge who has the tape can give a better assessment.
     
    #4 moomoo, Oct 24, 2002
  5. steelvirgin

    steelvirgin New Member

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    He is No.1 but still not super star now

    He has to learn how to help others
    and he has to be used to do some dirty works

    Top players are doing same things
     
    #5 steelvirgin, Oct 24, 2002
  6. LongTimeFan

    LongTimeFan Contributing Member

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    I guess it depends on your definition of being dunked on. Yao came over from weakside and appeared to be in front of rim, just about impossible to block. I wouldn't call it being dunked on, but hey EPSN claimed J-Will dunked on him. :rolleyes:
     
    #6 LongTimeFan, Oct 24, 2002
  7. Holden

    Holden Member

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    ..that was not being dunked on.
    my personal Holden definition of being dunked on is..the defender takes all of his effort to block the shot and stop the basket. he didnt do that. he half@ssed it..he was in the general vicinity and jumped but on his way up he looked like he knew the end result...he wasnt dunked on.. you want dunked on...look at kevin johnson dunking on hakeem....this was not a dunk on...
     
    #7 Holden, Oct 24, 2002
  8. gr8-1

    gr8-1 Contributing Member

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    **** happens. The shorter guy has the shortest distance to the goal. I expect 6'6" gus to dunk on him. Think about it.
     
    #8 gr8-1, Oct 24, 2002
  9. cujo

    cujo Member

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    It's gonna happen eventually, who cares..he's not immune to it. He's gonna be playing against the best players in the world. Remember when what's his name dunked on Hakeem....that's being dunked on, but who cares. If it happens all the time, then it's a problem.
     
    #9 cujo, Oct 24, 2002
  10. DallasThomas

    DallasThomas Contributing Member

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    Wait...according to rockets.com, Houston won tonight:confused:


    Courtside Box

    TODAY'S GAME
    Spurs 93
    Rockets 96
    Final
    Recap | Box Score


    NEXT GAME
    Thursday, Oct. 24
    7:30 pm
    vs. Sixers
    TV: Ch.51


    PREVIOUS GAME
    Final
    Magic 96
    Rockets 101


    I like this version better:D
     
    #10 DallasThomas, Oct 24, 2002
  11. lalala902102001

    lalala902102001 Member

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    OK, Yao did get dunked on.

    So what? Everyone in the NBA gets dunked on every now and then. It's no big deal.

    Yao Ming didn't have a very good shooting game tonight, but we all know he can shoot it. He had some foul troubles. That's something that every rookie needs to adjust to, especially for someone who's from a foreign country and only had two practices with the team. The important thing is that Yao has played his first game. Like Rudy said, it is important for him to get that excitement and nervousness out of his system. From now on, we can focus on basketball.
     
    #11 lalala902102001, Oct 24, 2002
  12. Rockets34Legend

    Rockets34Legend Contributing Member

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    Hey Dallas, it would of been nice w/ that score...:D
     
    #12 Rockets34Legend, Oct 24, 2002
  13. airforce

    airforce Member

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    1-for-5 shooting .......Its too bad! Not real Yao!
    nervous? tired? He needs readjustment.
     
    #13 airforce, Oct 24, 2002
  14. smoothie

    smoothie Jabari Jungle

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    he only had 1 practice. give him a chance.
     
    #14 smoothie, Oct 24, 2002
  15. ricerocket

    ricerocket Member

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    Exactly why Rudy said he would play him before he really was ready. Rudy wanted him to get the debut over early and shake any nervousness. He responded well under the total circumstances and the events of the last 3-4 days. So he didn't post 20-10-3-3. Give it time... :rolleyes:
     
    #15 ricerocket, Oct 24, 2002
  16. AlwaysClutch

    AlwaysClutch New Member

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    That Houston boy yolked the ____ out of Yao Ming. It doesnt make you anyless of a good fan to give someone else they deserve.
     
    #16 AlwaysClutch, Oct 24, 2002
  17. RocksMillenium

    RocksMillenium Contributing Member

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    Huh!? :confused:

    We'll see what Stephen Jackson is saying when he's playing 5 minutes a night and Yao is All-World. He'll always have that night when he allegedly threw down on Ming.
     
    #17 RocksMillenium, Oct 24, 2002
  18. The Fever

    The Fever Member

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    Jackson dunked it on Yao's head! There is no denying that. Yao got to him a little late, but he was still directly underneath Jackson when he flushed it. That constitutes getting dunked on.

    It happened last night and it will happen again. But, by the end of the season, Yao will have more blocked dunks than he will have been dunked on. It was just Jackson's night last night, that's all. Since it is preseason, it doesn't even matter.
     
    #18 The Fever, Oct 24, 2002
  19. RocksMillenium

    RocksMillenium Contributing Member

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    I don't think Yao got dunked on, but really who cares? It's Stephen Jackson and it's a meaningless game. People are just saying Yao got dunked on because he's the #1 pick and it was his first game.
     
    #19 RocksMillenium, Oct 24, 2002
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