Is it just me or.....

...is there no post in this thread?

 

Here, maybe this will work as a serviceable topic:

Is it just me or...are columnists riding Yao's jock now?


From ESPN(Yao hation station).com:

LOS ANGELES (AP) -- The Houston Rockets have been patiently waiting for Yao Ming to display the talents of a first overall draft choice.

The 7-foot-6 Chinese import did just that in the eighth game of his career -- and against the three-time defending NBA champion Los Angeles Lakers, no less.

Yao shot 9-for-9 in scoring a career-high 20 points in 23 minutes, and also had six rebounds Sunday night to help the Rockets beat the Lakers 93-89.

Steve Francis scored 11 of his 27 points in the fourth quarter and Maurice Taylor had nine of his 12 in the final period for the Rockets (5-3), who snapped a seven-game losing streak to the Lakers.

"He added to his highlight reel tonight,'' Lakers forward Rick Fox said of Yao. "He's been much-maligned as a No. 1 draft pick. You can't teach 7-6. This is an individual who can clearly play the game, he's no circus act. He's going to have more and more nights like this.

"He can speak clear English, too, which surprised me. I heard him talking to his teammates.''

The loss was the fifth in six games for the three-time defending NBA champion Lakers (3-7), again playing without Shaquille O'Neal -- a development which no doubt worked to Yao's advantage.

"I guess it's luck,'' Yao said through an interpreter when asked about making every shot he took -- nine field goals and two free throws. "For me, it's definitely a breakthrough.''

Yao made six baskets in the second quarter and three baskets and a pair of free throws to complete three-point plays in the final period.

The 22-year-old rookie's previous high was 10 points.

"The big kid was really good tonight, he was the difference in this game,'' Lakers coach Phil Jackson said.

"He was a presence in there for us,'' Taylor said. "They didn't have their big guy, we had ours.''

Yao, who played one minute in the first period, 10 in the second and the entire fourth quarter, said he was motivated by the championship banners hanging in Staples Center.

"It's one of the more important reasons why I was excited to be on the court,'' he said. "I know the Lakers have a lot of great centers in the past and have won a lot of championships.''

O'Neal, recovering from offseason surgery on his arthritic right big toe, again said he hopes to play his first game of the season Friday night against the Chicago Bulls at Staples Center.

Kobe Bryant scored a season-high 46 points in a losing cause, but missed a wide-open shot with about 10 seconds left that could have given the Lakers the lead.

Derek Fisher added a season-high 17 points for the Lakers.

Bryant scored five straight points to cut Houston's lead to 87-86 with 1:46 remaining.

Yao made a three-point play with a minute left before Fisher's three-pointer with 44.4 seconds to go made it a one-point game again.

The Lakers got the ball back when the Rockets failed to get a shot off in 24 seconds, but Bryant missed a driving scoop shot that could have given his team the lead.

Cuttino Mobley, who scored 15 points, made two free throws with 8.2 seconds left, making it 92-89. Bryant missed a 3-point shot before Mobley made a foul shot with one second left to complete the scoring.

"I tried to George Gervin it, the ice melted before it hit the rim,'' Bryant said with a chuckle of the shot he missed that could have given his team the lead. "The shot should have fallen, but it didn't. But we still had plenty of opportunities before that to do something positive.''

Fisher made a basket to start the fourth quarter, putting the Lakers on top 66-59.

But with Bryant taking a breather, the Rockets scored 11 straight points -- five by Taylor and three each by Francis and Yao -- to put them ahead 70-66, and they were on top the rest of the way.

The Rockets led by as many as eight points before the Lakers battled back into contention. Bryant scored 14 points in the final 7 1/2 minutes, but it wasn't enough.

Bryant, who shot 18-of-37, scored 16 of his team's 24 points in the second quarter to help the Lakers take a 43-42 halftime lead.

Game notes
Houston center Kelvin Cato missed his third game due to the death of his grandmother in Atlanta. Cato is scheduled to rejoin the team Monday in Houston. ... Lakers forward Devean George missed his third game because of tendinitis in his right ankle. Jackson said he hopes George and forward Mark Madsen, on the injured list all season due to a strained left hamstring, will both be able to practice Monday and return to action in the near future. ... With tongue in cheek, Jackson said he was glad O'Neal's first game of the season wasn't against Yao and the Rockets, adding with a smile: "He'd break him in two.'' ... O'Neal was complimentary when asked about Yao, saying: "Congratulations to Mr. Ming, first of all. He's done a lot for his country. He has all the tools -- shoot, dribble. He can play, he's no slouch.''
____________________________________________________

From chron.com:

Meet a Hollywood star
By FRAN BLINEBURY
Copyright 2002 Houston Chronicle

LOS ANGELES -- Pucker up, Charles.

Listen up, NBA.

This was the night all of China had been waiting on.

This was the game the Rockets had been counting on.

Yao Ming.

Yao zing!

The Lakers might have been playing without The Big Welcome Wagon in Shaquille O'Neal.

But Yao Ming still showed he has the stuff to eventually become the lead horse.

We can only presume Charles Barkley will bring plenty of Chapstick to his next gig as TNT analyst.

The bon vivant and serial opinionator had vowed to kiss the, uh, cheeks of his broadcast partner Kenny Smith if Yao ever scored 19 points in a game. That clinking sound you hear is Smith undoing his belt buckle.

Is this what passes for "must-see TV" these days? Can't we file a formal complaint with the FCC?

Yao scored 20 points Sunday night. He shot a perfect 9-for-9 from the field and 2-for-2 from the foul line.

What's more, he was determined, driven, a real force in the game. A difference-maker even, scoring the winning points in the Rockets' 93-89 victory at Staples Center over the struggling Lakers.

This was nothing at all like his previous seven games with the Rockets, in which Yao showed flashes of potential, glimpses of what it is hoped he can be.

He accepted the ball confidently down on the blocks, wheeled inside for layups and tossed in a gorgeous fourth-quarter jump hook from the right baseline over Samaki Walker.

Yao still had his share of difficulties defensively, continuing his habit of not raising his long arms over his head to contest shots. But he put his long body into the crowds in the lane. He jostled in the scrums under the hoop and got his hands on six rebounds.

You want the most vivid difference between Yao now and Yao three weeks ago? He threw down three dunks.

"We're riding him on that all the time in practice," said Steve Francis, who led the way with 27 points and nine rebounds. "He has these nice moves that he wants to finish off with finesse. We tell him, `Slam it.' "

So Yao did.

Sure, it would have been a world of difference if he'd had to contend with Shaq rather than Walker and Stanislav Medvedenko in the middle.

Shaq months ago had promised to deliver an elbow to Yao's nose and see how the 7-5 rookie reacted. He had asked, "Who's Yao Ming?" just last week.

"Of course, I don't feel completely prepared to play against Shaquille O'Neal," Yao said before the game. "But since he's not playing tonight, I will accept the challenge that is out there."

Lakers coach Phil Jackson had expressed relief that the celebrated matchup didn't occur.

"I feel sorry for the kid," he said. "I was worried that it would be Shaq's first game. He'd break him in two."

Another time, another date. The Lakers come to Houston on Jan. 17.

What Yao delivered was a perfect Hollywood debut in front of all the beautiful people at courtside. Jack Nicholson was in his usual seat for the occasion. Dyan Cannon was in her perch, and actor Bill Paxton was on hand with his young son for the coming-out party. Director Steven Spielberg was sitting in the front row across from one free-throw line.

Is there a fantasy-type movie in this? Maybe E.T. -- the Extra-Tall.

Yao said he always enjoyed watching American movies while growing up in Shanghai. Harrison Ford has always been on his list of favorite stars. Then there is another.

"Julia Roberts," he said with a smile. "Very, very good. I like her."

Alas, no Julia in the house. Just Yao showing us the rough-edged, aggressive, no-nonsense Erin Brockovich side of his personality.

His first bucket was a dunk off a feed from Mo Taylor. He then went inside after a Moochie Norris missed jumper, grabbed the rebound and made a put-back bucket.

There was a nifty reverse layup on which he drove the left baseline and came out on the right side, then a 12-foot face-up jumper and a give-and-go slam off a feed from Norris that completed a clinical 6-for-6 second quarter.

It was more than just his shooting. It was the way Yao consistently hustled to get up and down the floor. He made a defensive play at one end, got the ball out to start the fast break and was filling the lane on a three-on-two situation when Glen Rice pulled up and took an ill-thought 22-footer.

Yao came back into the game to start the fourth quarter and ran better than any 7-5 center has a right to in taking a difficult bounce pass from Francis, then twisting his body around Tracy Murray to score as he was fouled on what became a three-point play.

It might be another couple years before Yao is doing this on a consistent basis. Certainly it will take that long to do it against the likes of O'Neal.

But you take progress where you can get it, in small steps or long ones.

With a minute left in the game, fellow rookie Juaquin Hawkins drove to the hoop, drew the defense and fed Yao one more time.

Another slam dunk. The most meaningful basket of his infant career, it gave the Rockets a 90-86 lead.

Until now, it had been nothing but potential. On this night, Yao made a significant difference in a win.

Shaq or no Shaq, this meant something.

At the very least, it means a certain somebody can use his mouth for something other than talking.

Pucker up, Chuck.
_______________________________________

Giant Step
Yao delivers message in Shaq, champs' den
By JONATHAN FEIGEN
Copyright 2002 Houston Chronicle

Update
· Sunday: Rockets 93, Lakers 89. Boxscore

· Record: 5-3

· Tuesday: Cleveland at Compaq Center, 7:30 p.m.

· Yao watch: 20 points on 9-of-9 shooting, six rebounds in 23 minutes.

· TV/radio: Ch. 51; KILT (610 AM) and in Spanish on KYST (920 AM).

LOS ANGELES -- As promised, Yao Ming arrived in the home of the champions and a giant delivered a message. The impact was unmistakable. The room shook with its force.

The elbow that Shaquille O'Neal pledged to land on Yao's nose remained backstage, O'Neal's return from toe surgery delaying the start of his season again. But Yao did not need the center of the moment to serve notice that he might be the center of the future after all.

More impressive than even bringing the best performance of his eight-game career, Yao also delivered his first game-winner with O'Neal-caliber flair. Taking his game to a level this hemisphere had never seen from him, Yao had the game on the line and the ball in his hands, and slammed the Rockets to a 93-89 win over the Lakers to announce his arrival.

"We knew it," Rockets forward Maurice Taylor, who had keyed the fourth-quarter turnaround, said. "There never was a doubt in our minds that he can play. The reason we won was the buckets he had down the stretch. He was a presence tonight."

With the Rockets holding the shakiest of one-point leads, Juaquin Hawkins got loose down the lane and found a cutting Yao for a slam for a three-point play and a four-point lead with a minute left. Yao took nine shots and made nine shots. With 20 points, he doubled his career-high set on Friday against the Suns.

"I felt like it was (the game-winner)," Yao said. "I knew it was the efforts of my teammate Hawkins getting me the ball. I realized to take advantage on the offensive end, I have to be much more aggressive on the offensive end."

Hawkins got his break for the lane because of the attention forced to Taylor after he scored nine of his 12 points in the fourth quarter. Hawkins went hard to the hole, but never planned to get there.

"I knew he was there even before I got the ball," Hawkins said. "I saw them switch to Mo and knew I would get it. (Yao) is 7-5. He's the biggest guy out there. There's no way you could miss him. I knew once I got him the ball, he would finish."

But there was no certainty that the Rockets could finish the final minute.

By then, Kobe Bryant had pumped in 46 points and with O'Neal failing to come charging from the locker room and off the injured list, the Lakers put their last chances in Bryant's hands.

Derek Fisher had hit a trey to pull the Lakers within one, and the Rockets dribbled out the shot clock with 20 seconds remaining. But with 9.2 seconds left, Bryant sliced through the Rockets only to blow the layup. Cuttino Mobley was fouled and hit a pair of free throws. And with 1.6 seconds left, Bryant's trey for a tie bounced away.

But if the game was won in the final minute, the Rockets rushed themselves back into it with a sudden turnaround to begin the quarter.

The Rockets had spent much of the second half throwing fits, before with no warning, they began the fourth quarter throwing a haymaker.

"They were doing the stuff they do, and that's harass, and Fisher is tremendous," Rockets coach Rudy Tomjanovich said. "I grabbed Steve (Francis) right then and said, `if there's a foul or not a foul, it's just meaningless. Let's just get refocused. We were OK.'

"Mo helped us a lot. When you can throw the ball to a guy and he can put points on the board, that sure helps."

The Rockets had looked lost in their own anger at officials. But trailing by five, they started the fourth quarter making their first seven shots by getting the ball to Taylor's hands where he likes it most and consistently getting to the hole. The most dramatic flight to the basket came when Francis took off on a break and slipped a bounce pass through traffic to a sprinting Yao who scored with a slick, full-speed scoop.

"You couldn't ask for anything more from him," Francis, who had 27 points, nine rebounds and six assists said. "He gave us a heck of a boost. I was surprised he caught some of the passes. Some of the passes were bad and he caught them and finished.

"I've seen him in practices. I knew he had soft hands. I was just glad he was aggressive and dunking the ball. In his culture, you don't dunk the ball. But we've been on him from Day 1, `if you don't dunk the ball, you won't score.' "

With another jumper from Taylor and a Francis drive, the Rockets had a 17-4 run in less than four minutes and an eight-point lead, their largest of the night.

By then, Bryant's three minutes of rest were over and he quickly shot the Lakers back to within two.

With that, Bryant and Francis began a duel. Bryant scored 12 points in four minutes, stopping short to launch jumpers no one could deny. Francis scored six quick points, interrupted by a slick Yao jump hook. Heading to the final three minutes, the Rockets still led by four (87-83). And for the first time in his career, Yao would have a chance to be on the floor when a winner was decided.

Francis and Bryant each missed jumpers before Bryant blocked a Francis spin inside.

Bryant then nailed a trey from he corner to cut Rockets lead to within one with 1:39 left. Francis had another shot blocked while trying to split Brian Shaw and Samaki Walker.

But the Rockets had something the Lakers could not match, and as usual, a giant in the Staples Center paint made the difference.

"He's been doing those things in practice," Tomjanovich said.
_________________________________________________

From NBA.com:

Houston 93, LA Lakers 89
Francis and Yao Wow Lakers in Clutch
LOS ANGELES, Nov. 17 (Ticker) -- Yao Ming has a date with Charles Barkley.

Forcing the boisterous Barkley to back up a bold statement, Yao had a breakthrough game with a season-high 20 points as the Houston Rockets survived an electrifying performance by Kobe Bryant in a 93-89 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers.

The top pick in the 2002 draft, Yao has struggled as he tries to learn American ways and NBA basketball. On TNT's postgame show Thursday night, co-host Barkley said he would "kiss his (rear)" if Yao scored 19 points in a game.

"I don't think Yao will let him," Rockets guard Steve Francis said. "His customs and respect for himself are pretty high in order for him to do something like that. I guess Charles was just joking when he made that comment."

Barkley may have to pucker up. The 7-5 Chinese rookie was 9-of-9 from the field as he displayed an up-and-under move and a deadly perimeter jumper, several of the skills that had scouts raving about him over the summer.

"I have realized on offense that I have to take advantage of my opportunities on offense and be more aggressive," Yao said through an interpreter.

"He understands basketball stuff very well," Houston coach Rudy Tomjanovich said. "he had a great practice yesterday and it's coming to him. Then he just used different shots. I can't be happier with his progress."

Bryant won shootouts with Yao in the second quarter and Francis in the fourth period on his way to a season-high 46 points. But he came up empty on an uncontested finger roll with Los Angeles trailing, 90-89, with nine seconds left. Cuttino Mobley made two free throws for a three-point cushion and Bryant missed a contested 3-pointer with one second left.

"The shot should have fell, but we still had a lot of missed opportunities before that to do something positive," Bryant said. "They came over to take a charge and I didn't want to run over the guy, so I hopped-skipped it and the ball just didn't roll in for me."

Francis scored 27 points for the Rockets, who ended a seven-game skid to the Lakers. Maurice Taylor had nine points and Francis added five to fuel a 17-4 run - much of which came with Bryant on the bench - as Houston took a 76-68 lead with just over eight minutes left.

Bryant energized a comeback, scoring 13 straight Lakers points, including a 3-pointer to slice the deficit to 87-86 with 1:46 to go.

The Rockets got a nifty pass from rookie Juaquin Hawkins to Yao, who converted a layup and fouled out Samaki Walker in the process. Yao completed the three-point play for his final points with 60 seconds to go.

"He's long, you know," Walker said. "That helps offensively. Offensively, he played well. But there's no comparison (to Lakers center Shaquille O'Neal). No comparison."

"He has all the skills to be effective in the league," Bryant said. "It's just a matter of his determination, his confidence and his belief in himself. He hurt us tonight. We were soft in the middle and he took advantage tonight."

Derek Fisher snapped Bryant's string with a 3-pointer and the Lakers got the ball back when Houston had a shot-clock violation. Bryant, who made tough shots all game, was isolated and took it straight to the basket but back-rimmed one of his easiest looks.

"It happens; ask Houston. Francis missed a layup in the final seconds of the Phoenix game on Friday night and they lost a one-point game," Lakers coach Phil Jackson said. "It happens to players, it's a shot you have to make but it certainly surprised all of us."

Yao's second quarter was his best basketball to date. He went right past Slava Medvedenko on one move and put home a dunk off a feed from Francis on another. He scored 12 points in the period, but Bryant overshadowed him with 16 of his own.

One of Yao's more surprising plays was an aggressive offensive rebound he grabbed over two Lakers before banking it in, the kind of play that many Rockets had been waiting for in addition to some dunks.

"I was happy that he was aggressive and dunking the ball," Francis said. "From his country, you are not supposed to dunk the ball, but we have been on his back from day one saying that if you do not dunk the ball, you are not going to score."

Yao's 23 minutes were one shy of a season high.

"There was never any doubt in our mind that he can play," Taylor said. "We knew that once he got comfortable, the games were going to get better and the minutes that he will get are going to be better. You saw the finished product tonight."

"I haven't seen him a whole lot yet, but he sure did (well) tonight," Lakers forward Rick Fox said. "His presence in the middle was a little overwhelming."

Bryant had 15 points in the fourth to 11 for Francis, who matched Bryant on several possessions with clutch shots down the stretch. Taylor, Francis and Yao each had consecutive three-point plays. Yao cupped the ball with one hand before being fouled by Tracy Murray.

Yao added six rebounds as he played the entire fourth quarter after sitting out the third period. The game was supposed to be his first showdown with an injured O'Neal, who made brash remarks about what he would do to Yao when the two met up. O'Neal had complimentary things to say about Yao before the game.

"Congratulations to Mr. Ming," O'Neal said. "He's done a lot for his country. He shall be 'The Man' in a few years to come. But for a rookie he's doing A-plus work. However, whenever you have a guy who comes in like that you must taken it to him before he takes it to you. That will be my job."

Bryant made 19-of-37 shots and 9-of-11 from the line in another virtuoso performance for Los Angeles. He had little help from his teammates as Fisher chipped in 17 points and no other Laker reached double figures. Los Angeles fell for the seventh time in 10 games.

"Well, we won't easily forget what these first 10 games have felt like, that's for sure," Fox said. "We've got a lot of catching up to do."
___________________________________________________

I especially like the NBA.com plug for cc.net in its title

But hey, Clutch; DoD: indulge yourself in some lockin' action if this doesn't suffice for a topic...I noticed someone got the AP article posted 3 minutes before these went up, and I'm sure that thread will spawn these same articles.

 

He was talking about Shaq breaking Ming in half...People get all snobby and rude like that when they inherit 9 championship teams and get all the credit.

 

Yeah, I know. Hy humor might be dorky, but it's usually indicated by a .

I just wanted a reason to talk smack about Phil Jackson
BTW, Kang is a Simpson's character; I know this much. But I read that quote on IMDB and realized that I didn't know exactly who he was. Do you have any idea?

 

Okay, that's who that is! Thanks!

I'm trying to imagine how he would pronounce "holy flirking shnit"...I guess I can see that