http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/sports/4329869.html Nov. 13, 2006, 12:02AM Yao something to watch Rockets center dominates Shaq in blowout of defending NBA champion Heat By JONATHAN FEIGEN Copyright 2006 Houston Chronicle MIAMI - All that "best center in the league" stuff was fun, a nice verbal hug for Yao Ming from his teammates. Though increasingly difficult to argue, it is sort of an honorary title. This was more tangible, more meaningful. The Rockets demonstrated something they hope is more revealing Sunday when they not only had the NBA's best center, they were better than the NBA's best team. With Yao carrying them through a fourth-quarter surge past the NBA champions, the Rockets rolled to a 94-72 statement of a win over the Miami Heat before 19,600 at AmericanAirlines Arena, including 500 screaming, singing Rockets season-ticket holders. With Sunday's win, the Rockets have beaten last season's NBA Finals teams — Miami and Dallas — by a combined 53 points. "The big fella is playing at his best," Rockets guard Tracy McGrady gushed. "I don't know if he can get better. He's phenomenal out there, man. "Now, I know what it feels like to sit back and watch a great player right before your eyes. Guys I played with in the past got caught up in the moment of just watching something great. That's what I'm doing right now, watching something great." While the Heat spent half the game trying to get Yao's name right on the scoreboard, Yao took another huge step into his prime and past Shaquille O'Neal in winter. Yao followed his 35-point, 17-rebound, seven-blocked-shots performance on Saturday with 34 points on 11-of-19 shooting and 14 rebounds, eventually running O'Neal off the court as the lead swelled in the Rockets' most prolific quarter of the season. Yao scored 14 points in the Rockets' 34-point fourth quarter, making six of his seven shots on everything from a nifty fast-break scoop to a 17-foot baseline turnaround as the shot-clock buzzer sounded as he pumped his fists above his head in triumph. "Every time I score against him, I'm happy like a kid," Yao said of O'Neal. "I feel like a kid getting candy on Halloween because it's really too hard to score against him. Too hard. He's just great. "He is the dominant center in this league, even at his age (34). He's not the same in the regular season as he is in the playoffs. Like last year. If it was the playoffs, I would have seen a totally different Shaq. I would say the regular season doesn't matter. Maybe one day I could meet him in the Finals." O'Neal was not nearly as complimentary. "He's still pretty much the same," O'Neal, who had 15 points and 10 rebounds, said. "He hit a lot of tough shots tonight, and when you're playing against a guy like that, 7-6, 7-8, you're not going to block his shot." Ever prideful, O'Neal said he paid no mind to the Rockets' declaration that Yao is the NBA's best center. "It really doesn't motivate me," he said. Dwyane Wade, who made eight of 22 shots for his customary 24 points, said, "We know who the best center in the league is." The only blemish on the Rockets' rout was losing forward Chuck Hayes who hyper-extended his left knee in the third quarter and is doubtful to play Tuesday against the Spurs. Yao, sporting an 18-inch gash down his right arm, only appeared damaged. "I didn't see Shaq behind me," Yao said. "I can't see everything. I felt like I get hit everywhere. I got hit in the eye and when I opened it, I was on the ground already." He got up in time for the Rockets' 11-0 surge to end the third quarter and start the fourth. Shane Battier hit a runner on the baseline before Rafer Alston sank a 3-pointer, the Rockets' first trey after 11 consecutive misses from beyond the arc. Luther Head slipped in a reverse off a Yao handoff and Yao began the fourth quarter with a drive and a jumper to give the Rockets a 64-56 lead. With that, the Rockets began to roll as McGrady — who had 12 points on 6-of-18 shooting and eight assists — shifted into playmaker mode. McGrady had assists on five of six Rockets baskets as the Rockets, after making 36.7 percent of their shots through three quarters, made 81.3 percent in the fourth. "When Mac is attacking, he's as good a playmaker as there is in the league," Rockets coach Jeff Van Gundy said. "I don't know how he sees what he sees, but I'm sure glad he sees what he sees because I can't see what he sees." Now McGrady, having declared Yao the NBA's best center, said he is happily watching Yao prove it. His team seemed to prove something, too. ROCKETS SUMMARY By JONATHAN FEIGEN Copyright 2006 Houston Chronicle Learned lesson As much as Rockets coach Jeff Van Gundy must cringe when his players declare Yao Ming to be the NBA's best center a day before the Rockets are to face the Heat and Shaquille O'Neal, he could not complain too much, having done something similar. "I had an occasion I said something about Michael Jordan," Van Gundy said, recalling in January 1997 when he called Jordan "a con man" for befriending players before whipping them. "We lost by one and he had like 50 (51). The next day we were in Indiana. I remember ( John) Starks and a couple other two-guards said, 'When you say stuff, you're not the guy who ends up having to guard him.' When you don't have to be on the front line to defend the fury of someone as special as O'Neal, it's a little easier to say. "I learned just because you have a strong opinion about something it doesn't mean you have to share it. The players made a good point to me, 'You're not the one out there feeling the heat' as he's glaring at me after every basket." Yao said he would rather not be praised, and not only because he must play against centers who hear of the comments. "I'm a guy always worried about today or tomorrow, not yesterday," Yao said. "That's my goal, to be the best center in this league, in the world." Tracy McGrady, however, said he is making that point for Yao's benefit. "I say it for him," McGrady said. "He's showing the hard work has paid off for him."
Interesting blurb from the ESPN recap: http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/recap?gameId=261112014 Elias Says Yao Ming dominated Shaquille O'Neal in Houston's 94-72 victory at Miami. Yao had 34 points and 14 rebounds to Shaq's 15 points and 10 rebounds. It was the 945th regular-season game of O'Neal's career, and the first time that the opposition's starting center had outscored him by so wide a margin. Technically, the previous record was 16 points, set by the Bulls' Eddy Curry, who outscored Shaq, 16-0, on Feb. 22, 2005, but in a game in which O'Neal played only two minutes due to injury. The opposing center who had the next-widest scoring margin over Shaq (and the highest legitimate total) was David Robinson, who outscored O'Neal, 30-15, on March 19, 1993, in Shaq's rookie season. Only one other center had ever had 34-or-more points and 14-or-more rebounds in a game against O'Neal -- and that guy did it twice. Patrick Ewing went 34-and-14 and 37-and-17 in separate games against The Rookie Big Aristotle in 1993.
As much as I love TMAC, but he needs to work on his game. Yao is holding his own, now it is his turn to get into his old form.
Of course he works on his game, lol. He is a rhythm player. He hasn't played real games in 5 months. He will be back in no time.
this is true. Anyway, he didnt 'play well' this game, esp. shooting, but he was instrumental in hitting big time buckets and really creating on offense when it counted most - in the clutch. I still can't believe the degree of ownage in the 4th, led by Yao. This performance, along with his game against Milwaukee, again reassures me Tmac is still one of the best in the league. I'm actually glad he's not at his best early in the season, coz it just means he is just warming up and preparing to blast off as the playoffs approach. I'm doubly happy that we are still winning without him at his best. And triply happy that we are sending early warning signals that when we are able to finally gel and play together, we are unbeatable.
