I hate this loss as much as anyone, but in the fourth quarter, I witnessed something I could only witness during the Olympics. YAO MING THE MAN! He was dunking the ball with ferocity, blocking shots with an attitude, encouraging his teammates and himself, directing traffic, yelling at the refs, pushing the pantsy Mavs around and destroying their big men (especially Dampier)'s confidence. I have never seen him doing all these in a Rockets uniform. The only thing he didn't do was making the clutch free throws. Otherwise, he'd be perfect and won the game for us. There have always been questions that if you can build a team around Yao Ming, the "gental giant". If he'd ever be aggressive enough to carry our team to wins in the playoffs. Well, this is a loss, but Yao showed everything we wanted from our big man. This is a sign for many years to come. We can indeed build the team around this guy. With him and T-mac, our future is one of the brightest in the league. Very few teams win a title the first year their core is assembled. It usally takes years of frustration and failure before they taste the fruit of success. No matter what happens in the last two (or one) games, this is a special team. And the team will only get better as time goes. I truly believe WE WILL BEAT THE MAVS. But no matter what, this team has brought us the joy that was only experienced a long time ago. The most important of all, Yao Ming is A MAN now.
You know, money talks and money blocks, and money even rebounds. The only thing money can't buy is free throws. That must be the best 100G coach's ever spent.
DeAleck, Yao is always playing with heart, the only thing he doesn't do consistently is display it emotionally so all fans can see his fire. Guess who brings out Yao's fire? must be the Mavs defenders. That means Mavs are using every dirty tricks in the book to abuse Yao to no end when they defend him. Yao only gets mad when guys are ****ing with him with dirty plays.
Yao would have become a man if he would have picked up a technical when he was called for his fourth foul in the third that sent him to the bench. As a man how can you allow the refs and Alan Henderson to get away with that? Yao did nothing to deserve the foul and did everything he possibly could do to not get called for the foul yet they just abused him again. He should have picked up his third or fourth technical of the series right there. I'm tired of Yao not standing up for himself to the point where he makes the ref give him a technical. The day he does that is the day his coach doesn't have to take 100,000 dollar fines and threats of lifetime suspensions for covering his back. Is it right? No. But thats the way it is in this sport. throw a tirade a day, and the respect comes your way - from the refs. pathetic yeah, but it's what works in this corrupt league of whiney b****es.
as a mavs fan and a closet rockets fan, i thought yao really has progressed nicely this season. i'm seeing quite a bit more assertiveness and growth in his game, than we saw even at the mid way point of the season. he has really developed a nice array of power moves to go along with his finesse moves. pretty encouraging stuff to see actually. in any event, i thought the deciding factor of the game was the 1 on 1 play of mike james. while james was absolutely killing the mavs during the 1st half, i thought he went away from yao too much. if the rockets go to yao more in the 2nd half, i think they win.
For the first time time, I saw a PISSED Yao last night in the fourth quarter. He did miss his free throws, but so did the Mavs, so that's probably moot, but he was pushing the little Mavs around, did you see the dunk on Dirk at the end of the first half? HA, that's what I mean when I say he can't guard him. If he could ever get position long enough, or if when he does get position, the player would consistantly get it to him in his spot, especially against these Mavs, he'd average 35 a game.
I amre sure Yao was mad as hell, he just smart enough and even keel enough to realize the team needs him especially in a playoff game to avoid getting a T and getting throw out the game.
hopefully he's smart enough and keel enough to know that it takes two technicals to get thrown out of a game. pretty simple to do: say your piece... make it stick... get t'd up.. regroup and play. it's better than going to the bench with your head in your hands. Yao has not picked up a technical this whole series.. how is that even possible? holding rage within yourself isn't going to have an effect on these refs who only seemed to be attentive to an outward show of emotional display. They don't have any sympathy for honest and fair men who play the right way, they are attracted to the whiner, the complainer, the outward showmanship of the cheater. if Yao was smart and keel enough he'd give the corrupt zebras what they want. No thats not right. Truth is I'm proud of the guy that he won't swing that way for them. I'd rather this team lose the right way than win the wrong way. This game is becoming a game where the winners - lose and the the losers - win.
I have a lot more respect to Yao Ming after this game. Most of his weaknesses such as lack of rebounding are due to his physical limitations. However, he is mentally tough. When he is angered, he excels. He is a dragon inside although he looks like a panda outside.
Yah, I was slightly disappointed though that Yao didn't look at Dirk after he covered his face trying not to be dunked on and shaked his head in pity and said: "pu**y"
Have you played basketball before? When someone come inside on you and uses his arm to push you out, what are you suppose to do?
And did you see where Henederson places his arms when he's trying to stop Yao from getting position. In the NBA, as a defender, you can never put two arms on a player... Henderson is pratically embracing him.
I"m sure Yao knows 2 T = ejection. The way things are going right now, do you think it's that easy to avoid a second T by Yao? Do you remember Yao get a T for smiling at the ref?
Yao 21.8 pts / 7.8 rbs /2.4 blks/73.6% FG in 30 mins His rbs could be better, but otherwise he plays like a true all-star.
