Rockets break 11-year losing streak in Orlando -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- RECAP | BOX SCORE | GAME LOG | GAMECAST ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) -- The Houston Rockets can once again look forward to visiting central Florida. Francis Yao Ming scored 17 of his 23 points in the first half and grabbed 11 rebounds as Houston broke an 11-year losing streak in Orlando by beating the Magic 91-81 Wednesday night. "The last time we won here, Snoop Dogg was still a puppy," said relieved Rockets coach Rudy Tomjanovich. The last time the Rockets won a regular-season game in Orlando was Dec. 22, 1991. For the record, the rap musician was then 19 years old and two years away from releasing his first album. Yao let his presence be known early, sinking a first-quarter layup over Shawn Kemp then shouting ``And one!'' when the foul was called. He shot 8-of-14 en route to his 11th double-double of the season and second of the week. "It was definitely part of the plan to get the ball inside," Yao said through an interpreter. Steve Francis scored 12 of his 16 points in the third quarter and Cuttino Mobley had 14 points, nine rebounds and five assists. Eddie Griffin added 12 points, nine rebounds and four blocked shots, and Glen Rice had 10 points as all five of Houston's starters reached double figures. The Magic, who had won 14 of 15 from Houston, shot 35.6 percent, including 4-for-15 on 3-pointers. They also had nine shots blocked, eight in the first half. "Yao, Eddie and (Kelvin) Cato did a marvelous job down there inside as we were out playing defense on the guards," Francis said. "That's what you need; you need a front core of your defense and also a back end, a last line of defense." Tracy McGrady scored 27 points but shot 10-for-26. Mike Miller was 3-for-17 -- missing his last 13 shots -- for eight points. Darrell Armstrong had 14 points and Pat Burke 11 off the bench. "We took a lot of mid-range shots, which you should take against a big team, but when they don't fall early each shot becomes tougher," Orlando coach Doc Rivers said. "I thought by the third quarter our guys were guiding every shot they took." Houston closed the first half with a 15-2 run for a 10-point edge at the break. Yao had the burst's first eight points and Moochie Norris sank a shot clock-beating 3-pointer to put the Rockets up 49-39. Orlando cut its deficit to six points early in the third quarter, but the Rockets then put the game away with a 13-4 run. Francis scored eight points in the tear, and his jumper with 2:41 left in the period gave Houston a 67-53 lead. The Rockets led by as many as 18 in the final quarter. Orlando played its sixth straight game without injured forward Grant Hill, who is beset with chronic tendinitis in his left ankle. He has missed 11 of Orlando's 37 games, while playing 10 minutes or less in three others. Game notes Houston shot 25-for-26 from the foul line, making 20 straight free throws to open the game. Maurice Taylor's miss with 5:43 remaining broke the streak. ... Before the game, Houston waived injured forward Pete Mickeal. Mickeal, who hadn't played this season, was placed on the injured list with foot problems on Oct. 28. Courtesy of ESPN - http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/recap?gameId=230108019 ============================================== Had to believe he said that after a dunk. It looks like he is adopting fine to the American "style of play". Just imagine him doing likewise to Shaq......argggggrrhhh.
Oh god, did Rudy just use Snoop Dogg in his quote? I think Yao wasn't celebrating/trash-talking. He was probably just making it clear to the ref that he thought he should get continuation on the play, and that the basket should count. I didn't see the play... but that's my interpretation.
I think Yao could have done worse to Kemp... Maybe if he followed up his "And One!" with "and I'm not talking about hamburgers, Shawn" or "and I'm not talking about illegitimate children, Shawn"
Great. Next thing you know, Yao will be breaking plays to run 1-on-5 iso's, doing 5 crossover dribbles, massaging the ball and finally jacking up threes just before the shot clock goes off. Oh, and thanks for the Kemp video. Kemp was freakin incredible. After watching that video, I'd say you're right, Amare's got nothing on a young Kemp. How pathetic Kemp is now though.
OH. MY. GOD. I guess I never realized how great Kemp was back in the day! Its absolutely sick to think of Shawn Kemp as the same person right now!
I hope that Yao will get more aggressive against more physical teams by fighting his way down low so he can get more dunks. The guards need to help him out by penetrating and dishing so he can finish hard.
I'd forgotten how good kemp was when he came out, after watching that video though, it's a shame how far he's come (in the wrong direction)
That video didnt even include his all time nastiest dunk... I think it focused on his early years. I remember that back in the day, Shawn Kemp was the ONLY player that I wished wore a Rox jersey. Not Charles Not Jordan Kemp looked like he was going to own the Basketball world...then came Cleveland.
From what I remember, it wasn't so much Cleveland as it was having extended idle time due to the lockout that season. Right?
It is just sad that Kemp allowed himself to sink like this. When Kemp was in Seattle with GP, man he was unstoppable, 50 pts night in and night out. Sigh....
Looks like SF and CM etc has successfully brainwashed him. I hope they didn't teach him many other things as well for example...
Oh about Kemp, I dunno if anyone read the newest (maybe last week's? Bret Favre Cover) Sports Illustrated, they had a great article on Stanley Roberts. Roberts was Shaq's teammate at LSU, and was also 7, but could shoot and move much better. Roberts was actually supposed to be better than him etc etc etc. Kemp's story word for word. Good read pick it up.
Yao probably never even said that, and if he did, i would hardly call it trash talking. He probably said something in Chinese but reporters will hear what they want to hear...
I don't know why all that Kid Kemp video is in this thread, but as far as Yao Ming's "and one" trash talk, I'd say that's pretty thin for trash talk. Some of the boardsters are grasping for weaknesses in Ming's total game.
After he became a fat ass, Kemp said that he had bulked up for the more physical play of the Eastern Conference... He actually had some decent years in Cleveland. He had about his career averages in almost every statistical category, but he was just on a really bad team, so he took most of the blame. Plust, that is when the stories about all his illegitimate children came out. It was when he got to Portland that his career really started going in the crapper...
Every child is legit. That fact they are here solves the legitimacy problem. No child deserves that label.
