http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/sports/bk/bkn/6664518.html Australia slept in. Being that showdowns are not what they used to be, this one did not stir the imagination of a nation the way meetings of the Rockets and Bucks did not very long ago. Then, Yao Ming played Yi Jianlian for the first time in an NBA game, and every network in China with the option, showed the game live. The audience was believed to be the largest ever for an NBA game. When Rockets rookie center David Andersen met Andrew Bogut at Toyota Center on Monday, they figured the audience in Australia for the first NBA meeting of the Australian centers probably consisted of Andersen’s three brothers, assuming they could find a website streaming the game. The Rockets overcame a terrible defensive second quarter that led to a 19-point deficit to cut the Bucks lead to one in the fourth quarter, before falling 96-92. Andersen led the Rockets with 17 points in 26 minutes. The Rockets, however, made just 37.8 percent of their shots, with the starters going a combined 12 of 33. The greater concern, however, might be with an injury. Luis Scola left the game in the first half with a sprained right ankle. The injury was not considered serious. He was initially called “questionable” to play in the second half, but did not return. Trevor Ariza went down hard, landing on his lower back when Luke Ridnour stuffed his drive. Ariza remained on the floor for several minutes before he had to pull himself from the game. Ariza returned later in the quarter, but by then, the game could have used a bit of the Yao-Yi electricity. “It won’t be anything like that,” Bogut said. “We only have three million people in our country. Probably one or two (are interested). Basketball is not huge in Australia, probably scraping in the top eight, top 10 sports. Maybe during the season, if we both have pretty decent records more people will take notice. At the moment, compared to China, maybe five percent will watch.” Melbourne might have known what it was missing. Andersen did not start, and by the time he checked in with 2:42 left in the first quarter, Bogut sat for the rest of the half with Bucks coach Scott Skiles being careful to not demand too much as Bogut comes back from a stress fracture in his lower back. With Scola out, however, Andersen started the second half, and on his first touch, went at Bogut off the dribble, drawing a foul. Less than a minute later, he hit from 19 feet, to go with jumpers from 20, 21 and 22 feet in the first half. Andersen made his first five shots before he had a jumper roll out. Bogut blocked his next attempt. Until Monday, they had never played against one another, save practices with the Australian National team. That was enough, however, for Bogut to know Andersen’s game and potential better than any NBA center. “I think he’ll be fine,” Bogut said. “He can shoot the ball. He has a nice 17-, 18-foot jumper. He’s got a turnaround jumper. He’s got a tricky post game, a lot of up fakes, a lot of spinning. He’ll probably have to adjust defensively, from the three-second defensive rule and so on. Europe is much different. Whether he starts or not, I can definitely see him playing 20, 25 minutes a game.” They could not have taken any more different paths to the NBA. Where Andersen began playing professionally, first in Australia and then in Italy, Russia and Spain, Bogut when to the University of Utah and was the first player taken in the 2005 NBA Draft. Bogut, a seven-footer, is slightly taller, with longer arms, 20 more pounds and a more traditional low-post game. Still, Andersen said that watching Bogut make it in the NBA helped give him confidence that he could make that jump, too. “He went a different route,” Andersen said. “I played in Europe. He played in college. He’s a little bit of a different player, longer and taller. He’s a more solid five. But when you see your peers, especially when you come from the same background, playing in the big league it gives you a bit more confidence. “You think, ‘We’ll if he can make it, he’s done really well and is -ne of the premier centers in the league, you think to yourself, ‘I should give it a fair go and have a decent shot at it.’” mailto:jonathan.feigen@chron.com By the way, Scola looks OK. http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/sports/bk/bkn/6664580.html
