We used to record every Yao-Shaq matchup that came on television, beginning in Yao's rookie year up until our VCR broke in '05. A VCR is a video cassette recording device that stores data linearally onto a cassette of magnetic tape. It was analog. There were ups and there were downs and we cheered every point that Yao could muster. But we've never seen anything like this. Rockets beat the Heat 94-72. Yao laid the smackdown... and Yay!NBA agrees.
A key point of discussion this weekend on Chron.com reporter Jonathan Feigen's Rockets blog and Yao Central was an Op-ed piece by Michael Ventre on MSNBC.com that basically questioned Yao's ability (or willingness) to dominate. Yea, Ventre... good timing. Again, Rockets 94, Miami 72; Yao 34 and 14, Shaq 15 and 10. And we won't even mention Yao's 35, 17 and 7 (blocks, kid) night against the Knicks on Friday... darn it, we did.There's no more question here. Yao ain't no overgrown Charlie Chan... he is a dominator. Shaq looked silly... like silly putty mushed on the floor as the noticeably more agile 7'6"er was just quicker than the... less than gracious Big Ol' Aristotle. But Yao Central has more on that.
Not suprisingly, we've also been preoccupied with Tracy McGrady during this last 4-0 stretch. This is what he had to say about Sunday night:"Now, I know what it feels like to sit back and watch a great player right before your eyes. Guys I played with in the past got caught up in the moment of just watching something great. That's what I'm doing right now, watching something great."
Wow... T-Mac is really deferring to Yao. He kept saying he would, but a lot of people say stuff (Kobe's another one, he's actually playing team ball this year... Kobe.). Mac's gotten a lot of criticism for his shooting this season and his reluctance to attack the rim, but he's become more of a playmaker and set-up man. We're loving those assist numbers. And we have a feeling that when Mac's confident that Yao's gonna get his any which way that he'll find his touch.
Not to keep to stickin' it to Shaq, but we couldn't help noticing that a couple of weeks ago... well, the title tells it all: Shaquille O'Neal Was Present at Botched Kiddie Porn Raid. ...enh, the story doesn't live up to the title."With Sunday's win, the Rockets have beaten last season's NBA Finals teams—Miami and Dallas—by a combined 53 points (F. Blinebury, Chron.com)." All back aboard the championship bandwagon?
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2 comments:
last nights game was nice. rockets have great team chemistry.if we counted assists like hockey does, t-mac would have had 16...everybody is happy. t-mac controls the action. he can shoot whenever he wants. but his basketball IQ is overwhelming right now. by letting head, yao, and battier be the movers he's able to protect his back for the major stretches of the game. when head is knocking down 3s like he did in the 4th last night, its light out, goodbye league. battier is our defensive team captain...anf even j. howard is back and contributing...rockets over cavs in 6/rockets over heat in 5/rockets over pistons in 4/hawks over rockets in 7.......all we got to do is avoid joey johnson.
nice pic...i like pictures. they're easy to look at, unlike words. nice words too, though. indeed.
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