LATimes: Rockets Take Center Stage

http://www.latimes.com/sports/baske...,0,5154373.story?coll=la-headlines-sports-nba

Rockets Take Center Stage

With Yao and O'Neal battling underneath, Francis scores 44 and Houston ends Lakers' five-game winning streak, 108-104, in OT.

By Tim Brown, Times Staff Writer


HOUSTON -- It was a sight, Shaquille O'Neal a head shorter than the man he defended, stooping to gather basketballs that had been swatted from his fingertips, straining to find the way over or around another man.

Not outplayed. Just pushed.

When his first four shots were blocked, three of them by 7-foot-5 Yao Ming, it was O'Neal who took the expression of a man who knew then that he was in a fight.

And when O'Neal backed into Yao, "boom-boom" first, he said, it was Yao who leaned over and draped himself on O'Neal's shoulders, a human cape for Superman, into overtime, where the Houston Rockets eventually defeated the Lakers, 108-104, Friday night at Compaq Center.

The event was O'Neal, whose body of work stands with Chamberlain and Russell and Abdul-Jabbar and Olajuwon among great centers, against the rookie Yao, 22, fresh from China, all raw game and grace. O'Neal had 31 points, 18 in the fourth quarter and overtime, and 13 rebounds. Yao had 10 points — on five-of-14 shooting — 10 rebounds and six blocks.

O'Neal, who frequently called Yao "my brother," said, "That just shows I get respect. He's 7-5 and they still have to double- and triple-[team]. Don't say 'he' [blocked my shots], say, 'they.' "

While everyone gaped at the 7-footers, the 6-footer, Steve Francis, stole the game.

Running more than a foot beneath Yao, Francis scored 44 points, some of them while being hounded by Kobe Bryant. The game turned finally on a defensive play, and a referee's call, and on Phil Jackson's reaction to it, costing the Lakers three points and a 102-98 deficit with 1:11 left in overtime.

O'Neal fouled a driving Francis, referee Monty McCutchen called it flagrant, giving the Rockets two shots and the ball, and Jackson was called for a technical foul arguing it.

"I'm sure in replay he'll have second thoughts about it," Jackson said of the call.

Regulation turned finally on a missed free throw by Bryant, the second of two with 18.8 seconds left and the Lakers leading by three points. Francis made the three-point basket that tied it.

"It would have given us a one-point lead instead of going into overtime," Bryant said. "That simple."

Bryant scored 22 points, but missed 16 of 21 field-goal attempts. Cuttino Mobley scored 29 points for the Rockets, for 73 points for the starting backcourt. The Rockets won for the sixth time in seven games.

The Lakers lost for the first time in six. They missed 18 of 23 three-point baskets, and they believed they were jobbed by McCutchen's call late. But, in game, televised nationally, that also reached at least 112 million Chinese households, impossibly hyped for the regular season, the focus was in the middle, on O'Neal, who'd been accused of racism for his mocking Chinese dialect, and on Yao, who forgave him quickly.

They took it to the court before a hysterical crowd, and Yao played well enough early.

"He got some credibility, I think, in this game," Jackson said.

The promise of Yao brought nothing new from O'Neal's game until the fourth quarter. He was still playing around the rim, rather than over it, what coaches and teammates presume is a result of September surgery.

Houston Coach Rudy Tomjanovich sent strong-side guards and small forwards to O'Neal. So the Lakers attempted three-point baskets, wildly.

But, O'Neal, a new fu manchu mustache pushing its way from around his mouth, began to force his offense on Yao, who appeared to fatigue. Late in the game, O'Neal drop-stepped and dunked on Yao, who tumbled backward.

In Yao's first 27 starts, no opposing center had led his team in scoring.

"He wore me out," Yao said.

O'Neal met Yao near the sideline and whispered something in his ear, and Yao grinned.

Yao stood much taller than O'Neal. Still, most of his offense came falling away from the basket with jump shots and hook shots, while O'Neal's came moving toward it.

"One of the positive things about America is that everybody can fight for equality," Yao said, and then smiled. "But, on the court, sometimes there's inequality."

He laughed, as did many around him. Yao seemed satisfied with his effort, with his first go at O'Neal.

There is a notion that someday Yao will dominate as O'Neal has, and that in the meantime O'Neal will get his best low-post fight since Alonzo Mourning was healthy and in his prime. It will take time. The matchup was interesting, and often entertaining, and by the end it belonged to O'Neal, who made 13 of 26 shots.

Yao made three of his first five shots, blocked a dunk attempt by O'Neal, and when his teammates slapped his hand, he shrugged and shook his head, as though he were somewhat amazed too.

"He's a nice guy and I have nothing against him," O'Neal said. "I have no enemies, the Asians, the blacks, the whites, they are all my brothers. This was a good game for Yao. I was maybe trying a little too hard. Yao Ming is my brother. I'm disappointed in the media making a big deal about what I said."

 

Coaches are allowed to b**** at calls to some degree to get their point across.

I thought Phil threw in the towel with that T.

At this stage Yao couldn't D up on Shaq one on one, so Rudy did a good thing sending in support to let the Lakers beat us with 3s. But what's most surprising is that other teams have double teamed and have not been as impressive as yesterday (without resorting to flops....)