HOUSTON -- Amare Stoudemire might not have wanted to admit it. But he had something to prove in Wednesday's showdown with fellow rookie Yao Ming. Mission accomplished. Yao's Rockets won the game, but Stoudemire had 24 points and 13 rebounds to show he deserves to be mentioned with the 7-foot-5 Chinese center in any Rookie of the Year discussion. Yao, who might have had his mind on Friday's upcoming duel with Shaq, finished with a lackluster 11 points and seven boards. "Not really," Stoudemire said after the game when asked if he was extra motivated by facing Yao. "Every game I feel I have to play 100 percent, regardless of whether it's Yao Ming, Tim Duncan or Kevin Garnett." Stoudemire, the No. 9 pick in last June's draft, didn't exactly dominate Wednesday's matchup. Though Yao didn't put up big numbers, his size on defense helped limit the Suns to 32.9 percent shooting and an eight-point second quarter from which they never recovered. As Suns head coach Frank Johnson pointed out afterward, "You don't get many looks near the basket when Yao is in there." But from the start it was clear that it was going to be Stoudemire's night. He took it hard to the basket early and often, getting his defender, Eddie Griffin, in foul trouble and racking up nine points and four rebounds by the end of the first quarter. Meanwhile, Yao looked tentative, hitting just one of six shots and finishing with two points and a rebound. Flashing quick feet and soft hands, Stoudemire continued the assault in the second half. He had an emphatic dunk over Yao. He also soared high to put back an offensive rebound for another score. After one dunk, he pumped his arms in a clear sign that he was amped. Stoudemire did commit a costly mistake in the final minutes, though. With his team trailing 100-96 with just 17 seconds left, the 20-year-old tried to force a pass to teammate Stephon Marbury under the basket. The ball sailed out of bounds, and the Suns' final hopes were dashed. "We were looking for a back door for Stephon, and he [just missed]," Johnson said. "That's a situation where he's going to learn." Stoudemire hasn't received near the hype or media attention that Yao, the No. 1 overall pick, has so far this season. Though Stoudamire leads all rookies in rebounding (9.3) and ranks fourth in scoring (12.8) -- just a shade behind Yao -- he has largely been stuck in the immense shadow of the Chinese giant. With so much talk going in to this week about Yao's impact on the NBA -- and his long-awaited upcoming meeting with Shaq -- Stoudemire had reason to feel slighted. Even before the game, Yao seemed to sense it. As he sat at his locker, Yao was asked what he thought about the physical nature of the NBA game. "If there aren't more players like Stoudemire in the future, I think I can last," he joked. After the game, Rockets coach Rudy Tomjanovich put an arm around Stoudemire as they walked off the court together. "He really is something," Tomjanovich said. "The good thing about tape is you can run it back and say, 'My God, I can't believe he leapt from the top of the key and dunked it.' He's amazing. That kid has got amazing confidence. "He's got the heart that Dream [Hakeem Olajuwon] had. He's like Shawn Kemp early in his career. And he's unpolished right now. I told him after the game, 'You're going to be a great player.' Then I said, 'Wait a minute, you're a very good player now.'" It wasn't a victory. But for Stoudemire, it will have to do for now. http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news/cnnsi/20030116/outofyaosshadow.html
