[Houston Chronicle] Rockets Ride Yao to Win, Center Scores 38 Points

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/sports/bk/bkn/3763659.html

"That's our bread and butter right there," Bogans said. "If I catch it on the wing, I'm going to look to get the ball to Yao. That's how it is."

Rockets ride Yao to win
Center scores 38 points, helps hold off Wizards

By JONATHAN FEIGEN
Copyright 2006 Houston Chronicle

There were no double teams, no fronts, no swarms of defenders surrounding him with every move. Yao Ming could barely believe it.

Scoring seemed so easy that after Yao spun around the Wizards' Jared Jeffries and flipped in a nothing-to-it scoop, Jeffries jogged back up court smiling and shaking his head as if convinced there was nothing he could do.

Yao thought so, too. And that was the problem that nearly caught the Rockets from behind, until Antawn Jamison missed a last-second 3-pointer at the buzzer as the Rockets held on for a 105-103 win before 16,993 at Toyota Center on Friday night.

After building a 15-point third-quarter lead and a 10-point lead with less than three minutes remaining, the Rockets survived when Yao scored one last time as he had been most of the night, putting in a tough, fadeaway 14-footer with 53.2 seconds left, giving him a season high-tying 38 points.

"Everything was easy and we started playing like the game was over," Yao said. "They started to full-court press and we should have attacked them."

The Wizards' press helped turn things around. It helped bring them back into the game early in the fourth quarter and Yao back to the court. But the Rockets were scoring so easily, it did not seem likely to matter.

The Rockets' Luther Head began the game with one of his best shooting nights of the season and finished with 20 points on 8-of-11 shooting, making two of three 3-pointers. Rafer Alston made six of 10 shots for his 19 points.

After making 51.9 percent of their shots Wednesday, the Rockets made 55.7 percent Friday, their best shooting night in Houston this season. Even the dancers were dunking.

No stopping Yao

But no one was scoring as easily as Yao. After the Wizards came back from the 15-point deficit to within a point, Yao put in four consecutive shots in an 11-2 Rockets run. He passed to a cutting Rick Brunson for a layup, and Stromile Swift scored inside for a 101-91 lead with 3 1/2 minutes left.

But Yao was so happy to have a game without the usual pack of defenders sent to stop him, he rushed to beat the double teams he assumed would come and turned the ball over three times in the last 2 1/2 minutes.

"I was pretty surprised that a lot of times they did not come to double-team," Yao said. "I like that. I hope every night they do that."

With center Brendan Haywood out with back spasms, the Wizards decided to take their chances with Yao to keep the Rockets' other shooters in check. Only Alston and Head also scored in double figures.

"We did the best we could with Yao with the small lineup we played with," Wizards coach Eddie Jordan said after Yao made 15 of 25 shots. "We made Yao miss some shots, and I was proud of our team."

It might say something about Yao that he can make 60 percent of his shots and score 38 points and the opposing team's defensive performance can make its coach proud.

But Yao did struggle in the final minutes until Keith Bogans was determined to get the ball to him to go one-on-one and Yao put in his last jumper.

"That's our bread and butter right there," Bogans said. "If I catch it on the wing, I'm going to look to get the ball to Yao. That's how it is."

Still, the Wizards had a chance at the win. Jeffries put in a follow with 16.7 seconds left and after Alston was immediately fouled, he made one of two free throws, giving the Wizards a chance to shoot for the win.

Gilbert Arenas went for the game-winner, but Alston poked the ball loose.

Strip by Alston

"That was a good strip," Alston said. "I told him I wasn't going to let him get off that 3."

Said Arenas, "Like I was telling the ref, if the defender swipes at the ball and the ball goes up in the air, that means it's a foul."

But the Wizards got the ball to Jamison. Ryan Bowen slipped, and the Wizards had a shot for the win rattle out.

"That one felt good and earlier those that didn't feel good went in," said Jamison, 12-of-25 for 28 points.

But after coming that close to letting a win slip away, the Rockets were more stunned that they had a night with Yao left relatively alone.

"That's the first time I've seen that," Bogans said. "I guess they wanted to stay out on the perimeter and guard us and guard him one-on-one. I guess they see that's kind of hard to do."

Like Jeffries earlier, Bogans shook his head and smiled.

jonathan.feigen@chron.com

ROCKETS SUMMARY
Yao shoots, Rockets win

As much as the Rockets would seem to have the potential to be overmatched when facing the league's top-scoring teams, such as the Wizards, they usually do better than when playing against the more up-tempo teams that let them get more in the open court.

As with so much with the Rockets, that goes back to Yao Ming.

"When Yao shoots the ball more, we have a chance to be a more efficient offensive team," Rockets coach Jeff Van Gundy said. "That's because for the most part he's going to shoot 50 percent and above, and get to the free-throw line, and close shots near the basket even missed are harder to translate into transition points, which allows you to get your defense set."

With that, he offered part of next season's blueprint when the Rockets expect to have Yao and Tracy McGrady together.

"I thought (McGrady) was doing that right before he was hurt, being very aggressive and assertive but more efficient, and getting Yao more shots so that we can shoot a percentage that can win in this league," Van Gundy said.

McGrady made 40.6 percent of his shots this season, averaging 24.4 points and 4.8 assists. The Rockets' 43.2 percent shooting is 29th in the NBA.

Respect for Arenas
The Rockets' schedule had them going through some of the league's best players, from LeBron James and Ray Allen this week to Kobe Bryant on Sunday. But Rockets coach Jeff Van Gundy said the Wizards' Gilbert Arenas, fourth in scoring behind Bryant, Allen Iverson and James, is among the league's best, if not most celebrated stars.

"I hear the talk about the best player in the league," Van Gundy said. "You can certainly make the case he's having the best year of anybody in this league."

Rockets guard Rafer Alston, who spent the majority of the game on Arenas, said the key defensively is to make him work for his points.

"He puts up a high volume of shots," Alston said. "Like any guard that is a high-scoring player, you want him to get his average, but on a lot of shots. If he is scoring 25 points, but takes 28, 29 shots to get it, then you've done your job."

Last Word
"We're going to get Yao (Ming) as many touches as we can. Sometimes teams double- and triple-team him, but we're always going to try to get him the ball as much as possible."

— Guard Luther Head

Inside the numbers
• 16 — Rockets wins in 19 games this season when scoring 100 or more points.
• 62 — Rockets points in the first half, their second most in a first half this season.
• 64 — Rockets points in the first half in their previous game.
• 112.3 — Rockets points averaged in the past four games against the Wizards.