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[USA Today] Tim Duncan, "He made some big shots and was tough to stop."

Discussion in 'Houston Rockets: Game Action & Roster Moves' started by Rob English, Nov 7, 2007.

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  1. Rob English

    Rob English Member

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    http://www.usatoday.com/sports/basketball/nba/2007-11-06-rockets-spurs_N.htm

    High praise coming from two great players....

    "I have always admired his game since he came into the league," Ginobili said of Yao. "He's an unbelievable player. He can do everything. He was inspired tonight."

    "Every year, Yao is getting better," said Duncan. "The Rockets showed their confidence in him, when they go through him at the end of the game like they did tonight. He made some big shots and was tough to stop."

    Yao's double-double helps Rockets roll vs. Spurs

    HOUSTON (AP) — Late in the first quarter against San Antonio, Yao Ming was already exhausted.

    He focused on simple thoughts to keep going and ended up with his best game of the young season.

    Yao had 28 points and 13 rebounds to help the Houston Rockets snap a four-game, home-court losing streak to San Antonio with a 89-81 win over the Spurs on Tuesday night.

    BOX SCORE: Houston 89, San Antonio 81

    After playing 38 minutes in Dallas on Monday, Yao often struggled to catch his breath against the Spurs. The Rockets led 64-56 after three quarters and Yao started the fourth, trying to put his fatigue out of his mind.

    "I don't have time to think about that," Yao said. "I'm just telling myself, pick up my leg and run to the next step."

    Yao scored seven points and grabbed two rebounds in the final quarter. He flipped in two shots over Tim Duncan, then hit two free throws in the final 2:37 to keep the Rockets in control.
    FIND MORE STORIES IN: San Antonio | Spurs | Tim Duncan | Houston Rockets | Tracy Mcgrady | Manu Ginobili | Bonzi Wells

    "Every year, Yao is getting better," said Duncan. "The Rockets showed their confidence in him, when they go through him at the end of the game like they did tonight. He made some big shots and was tough to stop."

    Yao hit 12 of 24 shots and also had six assists, his most complete game under new coach Rick Adelman. He's reached 20 points and 10 rebounds in three of Houston's four games.

    Bonzi Wells added 14 points and 15 rebounds for Houston, which controlled Duncan and outrebounded the sluggish Spurs 55-28. Duncan scored 14 and grabbed 10 rebounds, but went only 5-for-15 from the field.

    The Rockets had a 25-4 edge in offensive rebounds and took 17 more shots than the Spurs.

    "That's about how hungry we were to win the game," Yao said.

    Tracy McGrady struggled with his shooting, too, going 4-of-14 and scoring only 12. McGrady had nine rebounds and dished out six of the Rockets' season-high 25 assists. McGrady was treating a huge blister on the bottom of his right foot after the game.

    Manu Ginobili scored 23 and Tony Parker added 21 for the Spurs. Beyond Duncan, no other Spur had more than six rebounds.

    "It was a huge advantage that we gave up," Ginobili said. "It's pretty hard to win like that."

    The Rockets built a 45-32 lead in the first half, frustrating Duncan and outrebounding San Antonio 35-15. Guarded well by the 7-foot-6 Yao for most of the half, Duncan missed 8 of 9 shots.

    Yao only matched up with Duncan after Chuck Hayes got cut over his right eye a minute into the game and backup forward Luis Scola picked up three quick fouls.

    The Rockets took an 18-11 lead when 41-year-old Dikembe Mutombo drove down the lane for an unlikely dunk.

    Hayes got six stitches and returned with a bandage over his eye, but the Spurs finished the first quarter with an 8-0 run.

    Houston missed 25 of its first 37 shots, then finished the half with a 9-0 run. The Spurs' halftime point total was only four better than the franchise record low for a first half (28), set in Houston in 2005.

    With the 6-6 Hayes guarding him again to start the third quarter, Duncan dropped in a hook shot and sank two free throws as San Antonio pulled to within seven. Yao kept Houston ahead, dropping in soft jumpers or drawing fouls and sinking free throws.

    "I have always admired his game since he came into the league," Ginobili said of Yao. "He's an unbelievable player. He can do everything. He was inspired tonight."

    The Rockets led 61-52 when Yao went to the bench for a rest with 1:56 left in the third quarter. McGrady, shadowed all night by defensive specialist Bruce Bowen, hit a three-pointer in last minute of the quarter to put Houston up 64-55.

    Yao was back at the start of the fourth quarter and the Rockets stayed in control. Luther Head shot an airball from three-point range, but Yao caught it underneath and dunked with 8:48 remaining for a 72-61 lead.

    Ginobili intercepted a pass and drove for a dunk over Yao with 4:31 left to cut Houston's lead to 77-68. Brent Barry scored on San Antonio's next possession, but Mike James sank a pull-up jumper with 3:28 left to restore the 9-point lead.

    Ginobili picked off another pass near the 3-minute mark and Ginobili sank two free throws. Yao answered with consecutive turnarounds over Duncan. He added two free throws on the Rockets' next trip down the floor.

    Shane Battier put the game away with a three-pointer with 1:05 remaining to put the Rockets up 87-75.

    Notes: The Rockets went 9-for-21 from three-point range (43 percent). ... Former Rocket Robert Horry was on the Spurs inactive list. ... Wells earned his 29th career double-double. ... Duncan has double-doubles in three of four games this season.
     
    #1 Rob English, Nov 7, 2007
  2. punk dee

    punk dee Member

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    Two great players? Yao aint a rookie, he is a superstar! He don't need their praises.
     
    #2 punk dee, Nov 7, 2007
  3. dedong22

    dedong22 Member

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    we used to have special quotes section on rockets.com, but disappeared this year....
     
    #3 dedong22, Nov 7, 2007
  4. JeopardE

    JeopardE Contributing Member

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    No wonder T-Mac's shooting is off. Says he had a huge blister under his foot. Hope he gets that thing taken care of before the next game.
     
    #4 JeopardE, Nov 7, 2007
  5. NO NAME

    NO NAME Member

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    +1 :D
     
    #5 NO NAME, Nov 7, 2007
  6. el_locoteee

    el_locoteee Member

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    That most be his new shoes.
     
    #6 el_locoteee, Nov 7, 2007
  7. onethreeeleven

    onethreeeleven Member

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    Tim Duncan > Yao


    uh oh I think I just got banned...
     
    #7 onethreeeleven, Nov 7, 2007
  8. ClutchCityReturns

    ClutchCityReturns Contributing Member

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    That's funny because I just looked down at the gruesome blister I have on my right pinky toe. The skin is basically shaved off the top of it. Not to mention the sizable blister on my left heel. I got them on Saturday playing in some shoes that I never really broke in.

    Anyway, my point is that I went and played for more than 2 hours straight tonight just for fun. No band-aids or gauze or anything, just my usual pair of shoes. I didn't even think about the pain until I took my socks off later. My game certainly wasn't effected by it.

    So was TMac's? That seems weak to me.
     
    #8 ClutchCityReturns, Nov 7, 2007
  9. WNBA

    WNBA Member

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    "Hayes got six stitches and returned with a bandage over his eye,........."

    prop to Rockets doctor. that was a quick surgery.
     
    #9 WNBA, Nov 7, 2007
  10. devin23

    devin23 Member

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    Nah, we aren't THAT biased. But yea, I guarentee you'll be flamed. :D
     
    #10 devin23, Nov 7, 2007
  11. onethreeeleven

    onethreeeleven Member

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    If I broke an arm, I would probably run a 100m dash just as fast as if I hadn't. But if say Michael Johnson broke an arm, he would probably be slower.
     
    #11 onethreeeleven, Nov 7, 2007
  12. rockets34

    rockets34 Member

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    Of course Duncan is going to sing yao's praises after being thoroughly dominated by him on both ends of the floor. He was really exposed for the jump shooting, no post moves having stiff that he is today against yao. Everytime he was posted up against yao it became more and more apparent that other than a weak jump hook that he throws up as a prayer hoping to flop enough to draw a foul his most effective offensive weapon is a basic standing face up jump shot. He honestly is the most overrated big man in the history of the game. Kind of like david robinson actually, decent jump shooter who you can't throw it to on the block even against single coverage and expect a bucket. If yao got the kind of one on one coverage we gave duncan tonight he would have gone for 50.
     
    #12 rockets34, Nov 7, 2007
  13. ClutchCityReturns

    ClutchCityReturns Contributing Member

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    You're basically saying that injuries/ailments have less effect on the performance of an amateur athlete than on a professional athlete.

    That makes absolutely no sense.
     
    #13 ClutchCityReturns, Nov 7, 2007
  14. ShadyMcGrady

    ShadyMcGrady Contributing Member

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    Amateurs work until they get it right. Professionals work until they can't get it wrong. ;)

    But yeah not defending T-Mac's poor shooting, it never says anywhere T-Mac blames the blister, but maybe it's a different situation than yours. Or maybe it does effect his play. After all, professionals have everything honed to the tiniest detail, whereas where you are playing for fun it might not really matter all that much (the pain).

    He was still running and driving it in and all that. Just saying.

    Anyways Yao pwned.
     
    #14 ShadyMcGrady, Nov 7, 2007
  15. robbie380

    robbie380 ლ(▀̿Ĺ̯▀̿ ̿ლ)
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    you are my new favorite poster here
     
    #15 robbie380, Nov 7, 2007
  16. vmac

    vmac Member

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    It must be those ugly new Adidas shoes. I think those are called TS Light. I think they no longer make signature shoes for players which is sad. I loved the T-Macs especially the T-Mac 4 & 5. Damn Adidas if those shoes were the reason for the blisters on T-Mac's foot and thus causing him to shoot poorly. It could have cost him another player of the week award and the rockets the Dallas game. On the brigth side, at least we got Yao going.
     
    #16 vmac, Nov 7, 2007
  17. SmitingPurpleEm

    SmitingPurpleEm Member

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    Seems like a fairly weak excuse. My bball shoes suck so every time I play I end up with blisters on my foot.

    Whatever, we won, and he did a good job setting up his teammates so it's not like he was doing nothing.
     
    #17 SmitingPurpleEm, Nov 7, 2007
  18. The Ming Dynasty

    The Ming Dynasty Contributing Member

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    WGAS - we won - isn't that all that really matters. :rolleyes:
     
    #18 The Ming Dynasty, Nov 7, 2007
  19. ferrarif1286

    ferrarif1286 Member

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    should of ride yao last night too
     
    #19 ferrarif1286, Nov 7, 2007
  20. doublehh03

    doublehh03 Member

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    he played against a world class defender and defensive team. he's playing at the highest level of basketball. he's jumping off the ground for his J prollie than u can jump at your highest peak. he's playing against world class athletes. you're playing against what? kids? people who go to the gym?

    if i had a sore ankle, i can still go out and play ball in my IM league and sitll be effective.

    u think if an NBA player played w/ a sore ankle can dominate like he usually can?

    cmon now, u know better than that.

    the physicality/speed/athleticism of the NBA, well just does not compare to the grounds a BBS member plays on ok?
     
    #20 doublehh03, Nov 7, 2007
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