http://www.dailyherald.com/sports/bulls.asp?intID=38412114 Yao's been known to talk some trash By Mike McGraw Daily Herald Sports Writer Posted Tuesday, March 01, 2005 When the Bulls lost at Houston 105-92 on Feb. 9, center Yao Ming hit 9 of 10 shots from the field and scored 21 points. That also was the first day of the Chinese New Year. With that in mind, Tyson Chandler was asked Monday if Yao ever does any trash talking. "He does with me a little bit, because I've known him since I was like 14," Chandler said. "Whenever I come on the floor, he's definitely got something to say. Last time, he told me he was going to make me swallow my mouthpiece. "He can speak English. Don't let him fool you." As a teenager, Yao visited California and played against Chandler in AAU games. With that history, Yao probably saves his best lines for Chandler. Eddy Curry hasn't heard as much from the 7-foot-5 Yao. "It's kind of hard to understand, but you can definitely hear him out there mumbling something," Curry said. "He's a funny guy. He's definitely becoming Americanized, so to speak." Gordon's time coming: Bulls guard Ben Gordon remains a serious threat for rookie of the year. Oddly enough, he ranks ninth among rookies in minutes played (23.1 per game). Coach Scott Skiles hasn't shied away from saying that as good as Gordon has been in the fourth quarters of games, he often is just as bad during the first three quarters. "Somebody would really have to sell me on the philosophy of playing guys when they're not playing well," Skiles said. "Guys have to earn their playing time, and they do it by their performance. That's not harsh or anything. This is pro sports." A positive note on Gordon: He has slid to fifth in the league in turnovers per 48 minutes. He was first, but Orlando's Steve Francis has that ranking. Rockets are reeling: Houston hit the all-star break on an eight-game winning streak. The Rockets have since lost three straight, including a home game against Utah on Saturday. Some Rockets are blaming a back injury to guard Bob Sura for the slump. Sura went on the injured list last week because of scar-tissue buildup in his back. He was averaging 10.8 points, 6.2 rebounds and 5.3 assists. "Bobby ... is that tough guy ... that doesn't really care about anything," Tracy McGrady told the Houston Chronicle. "Now that he is out, we're just a bunch of nice guys out on the court." Eye on the Finals: Scott Skiles usually sets out to make sure no one gets carried away with the Bulls' success. But after talking about a poor performance against the Rockets on Feb. 9, he tacked on a joke about the soaring expectations. "We want to play much better than we played (in Houston)," Skiles said. "We need a good game against them ... in case we meet them in the Finals ... to set a good tone."
