It's great to see Yao go from a Larue Martin type bust to a "phenom". By Sekou Smith sekou.smith@indystar.com December 19, 2002 HOUSTON -- The NBA marketing department was out in full force in anticipation of Yao Ming's coming out party in his NBA regular-season debut Oct. 30 against the Indiana Pacers at Conseco Fieldhouse. Turns out they had the right opponent but the wrong date. Yao, the 7-5 Chinese phenom and No. 1 overall pick in the June draft, saved his true breakout game against the Pacers for the Rockets' 95-83 win Wednesday night at the Compaq Center. What made the loss worse for the Pacers is that All-Star forward Jermaine O'Neal went down with a hyper-extended left knee with 2:23 play. O'Neal had already suffered a mild sprain to the knee late in the first half, but played through the pain throughout the second half, keeping the Pacers in the game with his team-high 27 points. The initial fear of the Pacers medical staff is that O'Neal sprained ligaments in the knee, but no details were provided after the game. He's scheduled to have an MRI this morning to determine the extent of the damage. O'Neal and Brad Miller collided knee-to-knee on the play that caused the injury, a Yao drive to the basket that drew three Pacers towards him. It was just one of many plays made by Yao (game-high 29 points and 10 rebounds), who dominated the game in stretches and was serenaded repeatedly by the raucous home crowd of 13,281. The fact he was a bigger factor this time around didn't surprise anyone, including Pacers coach Isiah Thomas, who commented before the game that Yao makes Houston a "legitimate contender" for the Western Conference title. "Don't be surprised if they come out of the West," Thomas said an hour before the game." Yao went scoreless in 13 minutes in that season opener, a 92-81 Pacers win . But Wednesday night it was Yao who stretched the Rockets' lead with three straight baskets during a crucial second-quarter run that broke the game open. And it was Yao in the second half, when the Pacers gradually chipped away at Houston's lead, who kept his team ahead by establishing his position in the post. If he didn't hit a turnaround jumper or a hook, he got fouled and made the free throws. He atoned for his horrid NBA debut long before that, however, by making his presence felt in the paint early and often. Houston outrebounded the Pacers 19-11 in the first half. Yao had six before the break. That sluggish finish by the Pacers in the second half of Tuesday night's loss at Dallas Tuesday, carried over to the first half against the Rockets. But the Pacers used a 10-2 run to start the third quarter, cutting Houston's 10-point halftime lead to just four with 8:57 to play in the quarter. O'Neal, already wearing a protective pad over his left shin, limped his way to 10 points in the third quarter to keep the Pacers in the game. He provided a spark during that 10-2 run with a two-handed dunk over Yao. His turnaround jumper on the previous possession started the run.
I simply have no more words for the big man...I mean he doesn't even leave me giddy after a performance like this. Maybe I just expect him to be able to do this against anybody. Certainly, I'm no polypheus and I don't think he's peaked. But man, to think that he can still get better!! And the fact that he keeps putting on performance after performance when he's on national TV, he's been in the US for two months...I don't think he'll have any trouble with playoff pressure. I will pray everyday for the health of Yao Ming and that US-Sino relations stay friendly!!
Smart bball !! I dont know if u guy have observated .as i thought, the best part of the game is 4th q. ming had attracted all the pacers to the left hand side court. A smart rox player ,if i am not wrong, is Rice. cut to right, and no Pacer NOT even one being there. And he scored. I can bet that Pacers feel hopeless that very moment. They defeat Rox crazily. keep runing, keep play aggresively, but when they recognize all these are helpless. they lost the confidence. And the game became easier for Rox. So well done Rox. play big and play smart.
Oh, man! Derock you have already made 279 postings (inc. a funny play)! You joined this group early this month. You've achieved more than Yao has, in my eyes.
Here's more reasons why I respect Isiah. Let's turn back the clock to the Rockets 1st meeting with Indy on 10/30 On Yao Ming: "You’ve got to remember what this young man has been through the past two, three months. He has played a lot of basketball and he’s only been with Houston about 10 days. Under the circumstances, he handled himself well. Give him time, give him time. I think we need to be patient with him." And here's SMOOTH Stevie Franchise making his comments back then!!! On Yao Ming: "We are not worried about what the fans think. They are going to have to have patience. He did not play particularly well today. We have 81 more to go. This is a learning tool for him as well as us. He has no choice but to get better, he wasn’t a factor today. He will tell you that himself. But we believe in him and know he will get better."
