[CHRON] Yao sidelined by injury in loss to Nuggets

Rockets center likely to play in season opener

By JONATHAN FEIGEN

Copyright 2004 Houston Chronicle
RESOURCES


Yao Ming cupped his left elbow and examined the armament that protected a partial ligament tear.


"I look like Robocop," he said.

"Everything happens for the first time."

But as soon as he said the words "first time" about the hyperextended elbow suffered against San Antonio on Wednesday, it was impossible not to consider the next first time.

The Rockets hope to put Yao through a workout Saturday and test his ability to return to full practices by Sunday. But with the injury less than a week before Tuesday's season opener in Detroit, Yao faced the very real possibility of missing a game for the first time in his NBA career.

"Probably a couple days, I'll be fine," Yao said before sitting out the Rockets' 93-88 loss to Denver in the final preseason game Thursday night. "I think to be hurt is always bad, but I'd rather be hurt right now and not in the season.

"It feels sore with a little pain, but it's not a big deal. I worry about right now, but I think it will be getting better."

Yao was hurt when he locked arms with Spurs center Rasho Nesterovic in Wednesday's first half. He returned to the game in the second quarter and played 24 minutes, but tests on Thursday showed the "defect."

"The MRI showed the ligament on the inside of his elbow has a partial tear," Rockets trainer Keith Jones said. "It's not a rupture. It's a defect, a partial tear.

"(Wednesday) night, he injured it. We took him to the locker room and we examined him right there. He had his strength, a little bit of pain, but full strength, full range of motion. We made a determination he could play and we would get the MRI.

"It's a stabilizing ligament in his elbow, keeping the bottom of the elbow from going in and out. We just thought it would be the best thing to hold him out of the game. He'll practice, do everything in practice except contact. He'll go through all the drills, shoot, lift and run. We're just going to avoid contact and let the thing heal.

"Hopefully, he can play Tuesday. We'll see how it goes."


Preseason precaution

Jones did not believe the injury would require surgery, even describing the decision to hold Yao out of Thursday's game as a preseason precaution.

"I don't think the injury itself is leaning that way," he said. "It's not a rupture. It's just something that bothers him. He could play. He honestly could play. But to be on the safe side, give him a few days and let the thing scar over."

With Yao out, the Rockets' starters were outplayed most of the night and were outscored 9-2 by the Nuggets' reserves in the final two minutes. But this was not an isolated problem.

Yao expects to heal in time to play Tuesday. Whether the Rockets can improve that quickly is much more uncertain.

"Intensity, discipline, concentration would be the three major reasons," Rockets coach Jeff Van Gundy said. "Let's not kid ourselves. Our starters each game are getting their heads handed to them.

"We're not very good right now."

The Rockets continued to hold out hope that familiarity with one another would solve that. But unlike Wednesday's 69-point bomb against the Spurs in Laredo, the Rockets were not nearly as ragged offensively as they were haphazard defensively.

Tracy McGrady continued to struggle with his shot. He made just six of 18 attempts, while Charlie Ward and Tyronn Lue combined to make just one of nine. But even without Yao, the frontcourt was much more effective. Maurice Taylor started at center and had 14 points. Clarence Weatherspoon had 13 rebounds in 27 minutes. Juwan Howard came off the bench and made seven of 10 shots for 16 points.


A work in progress

But even with no Denver starter playing more than Voshon Lenard's 31 minutes, the Nuggets connected on 32 of 62 shots.

"We don't quite have it," McGrady said. "Everybody's not on the same page. We don't have that chemistry.

"Will we have it in time? I don't know.

"It's been a tough preseason. The China trip set us back. It's tough, man. Hopefully we can gather ourselves together."

But as with their frustrating night in Laredo, when Yao left town with a doctor's appointment but confident that the injury was not too serious, the Rockets knew it all could be worse.

"I'm not a baseball player," he said. "I don't need to throw the ball so hard."

jonathan.feigen@chron.com


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Rockets Summary

Barrett signed

The Rockets on Thursday signed rookie Andre Barrett to fill the point guard roster vacancy left open by the injury to Bob Sura.

They had brought Barrett in for a pre-draft workout and for a mini-camp after the draft, offering him a spot in training camp. But Barrett, a New Yorker who starred at Seton Hall, opted to take a training-camp offer from the Knicks. He was released Monday.

"He's got great speed with the ball, a sure handle and terrific vision," Rockets vice president for basketball operations Dennis Lindsey said. "He can add a lot of pace to practice or games.

"He's a good pick-and-roll player, so he can help us work against that defensively in practice. With Yao (Ming), that's obviously an area people try to exploit, so (Barrett) can help with that the way Mike (Wilks) did last year."

The Rockets released guard Derrick Zimmerman on Thursday, but with 16 players under contract, they will have to make one more move. Only Barrett and forward David Hawkins have non-guaranteed contracts.


Taylor at center

With Yao Ming out, Maurice Taylor started at center for the Rockets, splitting time at the position and at power forward. He scored 14 points and grabbed eight rebounds in 28 minutes.

"I guess whatever they need me to be," Taylor said. "For this game, it doesn't really matter because (the Nuggets) don't have a prototypical center. But playing against 7-1 dudes, 300 pounds, no I don't like it. But it's not really about that. They have their advantages, I have my advantages."

Taylor said the injury to Yao was not a huge letdown for the team because of the probability that Yao would be ready to play in Tuesday's season opener.

"It's preseason. There's nothing demoralizing about preseason," Taylor said. "On Nov. 2, we're 0-0. To lose him for this game, that's not demoralizing at all. We'd rather have him back in the regular season.

"Things happen. He got his arms locked up. They looked at it and decided to keep him out. There's no reason for us to make a big deal out of it."

JONATHAN FEIGEN


http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/sports/2872147

 

"We don't quite have it," McGrady said. "Everybody's not on the same page. We don't have that chemistry.

"Will we have it in time? I don't know.

"It's been a tough preseason. The China trip set us back. It's tough, man. Hopefully we can gather ourselves together."



I don't know???? Not quite a vote of confidence from Tmac... he should've said "definitely".

"Hopefully"?? Lighten up Tmac, this is just the preseaon. You guys will pull through, i have faith in you.

And if you bail on us, i will murder you. Have a good night. Tmac. Sleep. Tight.