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Yao vs. Blazers - 3/19/03

Yao shoots over Portland's Rasheed Wallace on Wednesday evening in the second half of a game the Rockets lost 94-83. (AP photo)

Things are back to normal with the Rockets, and that's not a good thing. Unexplained inconsistency has once again beset the Rockets, this time on their current West Coast road trip where they lost their second straight game Wednesday night, this time to Portland 94-83. After Tuesday night's loss against the Sonics we predicted it would happen, but that doesn't mean we take joy in having forecasted it. On the contrary, with the playoffs on the line, we continue to ask ourselves, "Can this crew get the job done?"

The same themes arose in this game as in other losses, such as: falling behind early and having to play catch-up, poor shot selection, turnovers, not moving the ball around, bad defense. Frankly, we're tired of talking about the same thing over and over again, so we'll spare you the redundancy.

The one thing that DOES require mention that has us befuddled is the following: "Why aren't they giving the dang ball to Yao in the fourth quarter when they need points?" In this game against the Blazers, Yao checked out of the game late in the third quarter with the Blazers leading 65-62. Up until that time, he was on fire after making four shots in a row. I can understand him needing his rest--that's fine. Yao is human like anyone else and needs his rest, and that's usually when he takes it.

However, when Yao returned to the game with 6:37 remaining in the fourth, the Rockets were struggling offensively and were down by 9 points. Suggestion: the Rockets need to stop playing Yao by a set formula and put him back in the game BEFORE the deficit is too large to mount a reasonable comeback. Second, when Yao did return, HIS TEAMMATES DID NOT GIVE HIM A CHANCE TO SHOOT THE BALL UNTIL 49 SECONDS WERE REMAINING. How can that happen after he racked up 8 straight points in the 3rd quarter and at one time the team was shooting 3-for-13 from the field in the fourth? Everyone knows in this situation you should play the percentages and give the ball to the guy who has the hot hand. Yao ended up with 11 points on 5-of-9 shooting, far below what he is capable of achieving if given the chance. Did the clock get turned back to November when his teammates didn't trust what he could do?

I can't speak for Yao, but I've got to think he's frustrated. He has proven time and again he can take the Rockets to a victory if he is just given a chance to touch the ball. So who is to blame, you might ask? This time we cannot say it's Coach Rudy because he was back in Houston recuperating from a biopsy. Assistant coach Larry Smith is probably too new to assert himself over his players to hammer it in their heads what they need to do. With or without Rudy being present, we see that this team is self-governing with an ineffective strategy on the offensive end of the floor. It seems to be run by whoever has the ball in their hands when the shot clock starts winding down.

It doesn't get too much easier Friday night when the Rockets play the Golden State Warriors, who still have a chance to make a run for that 8th and final playoff spot. If the Rockets lose that one for their third straight loss, you've got to think all the confidence the Rockets gained on their 5-game winning streak last week will be completely gone as they head into Sacramento for Sunday's game.

Detailed Yao Analysis
vs. Portland Trailblazers 3/20/03
brought to you by John and Jeff

1st quarter - Yao starts the game.

9:21 Assist Eddie Griffin passes to Yao near the top left edge. Trailblazers' power forward Rasheed Wallace automatically begins to inch towards Yao to feign a double-team. Wallace pays for this when his man, Griffin cuts to the basket. Yao finds his target perfectly, and Eddie knocks down a 3-foot floater over the out-stretched hand of Trailblazers' forward Ruben Patterson. The Trailblazers lead 2-5.

7:15 Free
Throws Yao gets the ball in the left edge post. As Ruben Patterson double-teams from the top, Yao fakes a pass that draws Patterson away. Now with only Trailblazers' center Dale Davis guarding, Yao dribbles once into the paint, pivots to the left and pump fakes. Davis hops into the air, and Yao ducks under him, pump fakes again, and this time Davis is totally fooled and flies by Yao. Yao puts up a shot, but is fouled by Davis who is coming down from the previous fake. Yao hits the first free throw, but misses the second. The Rockets trail the Blazers, 5-9.

It's clear to us that Yao has a definite advantage over the 6'11" Dale Davis. We hope that the Rockets recognize this and take advantage of this mismatch.

1:32 Kelvin Cato checks in for Yao. Yao leaves with 1 point (0-for-3 from the field and 1-for-2 from the line). Although Yao has missed his first three shots, he wasn't really deterred by Dale Davis' defense. Those were shots that Yao could have easily made, and we feel that if the Rockets continue to look for Yao in the post, he will be able to dominate and exploit this weakness in the Blazers' lineup.

2nd quarter - In the first quarter, the Rockets committed 6 turnovers (two of them by Yao). As a consequence, the Trailblazers lead the Rockets, 14-25. Yao has 1 point, 3 rebounds, and 1 assist. Cato starts the second quarter.

3:15 Yao checks in late in the quarter for Cato. The Rockets trail 31-40.

2:54 Intimidation Trailblazers' point guard Damon Stoudamire splits through a double team and drives to the heart of the paint. From under the basket, Yao emerges, jumps and stretches for the block. Seeing a massive vertical wall, Stoudamire attempts a high arcing floater. The result: Stoudamire comes up way short of the basket!

Halftime - Believe it or not, Yao had no offensive touches at all in the second quarter! It seems as if the Rockets are digressing from what was working for them during the 5-game win streak. Hopefully interim coach Larry Smith can instill some fire in the Rockets for the second half. The Blazers lead the Rockets 37-43.

3rd quarter - Yao starts the third quarter.

9:23
+
Free
Throw Cuttino Mobley passes to Yao in the left edge post. Yao dribbles down on Dale Davis, turns to his right, and banks in a turnaround 6-footer! The whistles also blows, and Davis gets called for a shooting foul! Yao pumps his fist with emotion! Unfortunately, Yao misses the bonus free throw and the Trailblazers lead 41-49. Yao is now 1-for-4 from the field with 3 points.

9:09 James Posey gambles on a steal and loses as Ruben Patterson receives a pass and drives down the baseline uncontested. Seeing that his teammate is beat, Yao tries his best to block Patterson, but Patterson ends up dunking on Yao, and out of bad sportsmanship Patterson hangs on the rim as if to emphasize his dominance. Disgusted with this act, Yao flings Patterson's dangling feet away from him. We feel that Patterson is waaaay over-hyped on this play. If JP hadn't gambled, Patterson wouldn't have had two steps to the basket before Yao even rotated to him! This is just another example of bad defense that results with Yao having to cover for someone else's mistake, and getting dunked on because of it.

8:17 Yao gets the ball in his favorite post position. As Yao dribbles down, Trailblazers' shooting guard Derek Anderson rushes in from the top for the double-team. Yao holds the ball up and turns to the middle; in doing so, he inadvertently elbows Anderson in the face taking him out of the play. With only Dale Davis guarding him, Yao fakes again, and then hits a one-handed shot from 7-feet! Yao now has 5 points and is shooting 2-for-5 from the field. The Rockets trail 45-61.

5:49 Steve Francis feeds Yao in the outer left edge. Realizing that Dale Davis was overwhelmed, the Blazers have now assigned power forward Rasheed Wallace to guard Yao. With Wallace on him, Yao spins quickly to the baseline, losing Wallace for half a second. Wallace rushes to seal Yao off from the basket, but instead of going in, Yao stops and turns around and hits a baseline right-handed hook shot! That's three in a row for Yao and the Rockets are now only down by two, 52-54!

5:09 Yao has the ball in the outer right post. With Rasheed Wallace to his back, Yao dribbles to the edge of the paint near the elbow, turns to his left and nails a fallaway jumper! Yao's on a roll! That's four in a row for Yao. It's clear the Blazers are having problems handling Yao! Yao has 9 points, and is now 4-for-7 from the field! The Blazers lead by 2, 54-56.

1:42 Cato checks in for Yao. Yao leaves shooting a perfect 4-for-4 from the field this quarter. Yao has 9 points, and the Rockets trail 62-65.

4th quarter - The Blazers finish the third quarter with a small run (8-4). The Rockets trail 66-72. Cato starts the fourth quarter.

6:37 Yao checks back in for Cato. The Rockets now trail 72-81.

0:49 From the left side, Moochie Norris curls off a screen set by Yao. As Moochie drives down the paint, Yao fades to the left wing and Moochie makes a bounce pass to Yao who is now wide open. Yao squares up and knocks down the 20-footer! Not counting a missed tip, that was Yao's only other shot attempt this quarter. With Yao having such a hot third quarter, why the Rockets didn't look for him more in the fourth quarter is bewildering. At this point in the game, the fat lady has already sung. The Blazers lead 81-92.

0:00 The Rockets go on to lose to the Trailblazers 83-94. Yao ends the games with 11 points (5-for-9 from the field and 1-for-3 from the line), 9 rebounds, 1 assist, and 1 steal. Fortunately for the Rockets, the Phoenix Suns lost tonight at the hands of the Utah Jazz. The Rockets and the Suns remain tied for the final playoff spot in the Western Conference.

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1st quarter - Yao starts the game.
9:21	Assist	Eddie Griffin passes to Yao near the top left edge. Trailblazers' power forward Rasheed Wallace automatically begins to inch towards Yao to feign a double-team. Wallace pays for this when his man, Griffin cuts to the basket. Yao finds his target perfectly, and Eddie knocks down a 3-foot floater over the out-stretched hand of Trailblazers' forward Ruben Patterson. The Trailblazers lead 2-5.
7:15	Free Throws	Yao gets the ball in the left edge post. As Ruben Patterson double-teams from the top, Yao fakes a pass that draws Patterson away. Now with only Trailblazers' center Dale Davis guarding, Yao dribbles once into the paint, pivots to the left and pump fakes. Davis hops into the air, and Yao ducks under him, pump fakes again, and this time Davis is totally fooled and flies by Yao. Yao puts up a shot, but is fouled by Davis who is coming down from the previous fake. Yao hits the first free throw, but misses the second. The Rockets trail the Blazers, 5-9. It's clear to us that Yao has a definite advantage over the 6'11" Dale Davis. We hope that the Rockets recognize this and take advantage of this mismatch.
1:32		Kelvin Cato checks in for Yao. Yao leaves with 1 point (0-for-3 from the field and 1-for-2 from the line). Although Yao has missed his first three shots, he wasn't really deterred by Dale Davis' defense. Those were shots that Yao could have easily made, and we feel that if the Rockets continue to look for Yao in the post, he will be able to dominate and exploit this weakness in the Blazers' lineup.
2nd quarter - In the first quarter, the Rockets committed 6 turnovers (two of them by Yao). As a consequence, the Trailblazers lead the Rockets, 14-25. Yao has 1 point, 3 rebounds, and 1 assist. Cato starts the second quarter.
3:15		Yao checks in late in the quarter for Cato. The Rockets trail 31-40.
2:54	Intimidation	Trailblazers' point guard Damon Stoudamire splits through a double team and drives to the heart of the paint. From under the basket, Yao emerges, jumps and stretches for the block. Seeing a massive vertical wall, Stoudamire attempts a high arcing floater. The result: Stoudamire comes up way short of the basket!
Halftime - Believe it or not, Yao had no offensive touches at all in the second quarter! It seems as if the Rockets are digressing from what was working for them during the 5-game win streak. Hopefully interim coach Larry Smith can instill some fire in the Rockets for the second half. The Blazers lead the Rockets 37-43.
3rd quarter - Yao starts the third quarter.
9:23	+ Free Throw	Cuttino Mobley passes to Yao in the left edge post. Yao dribbles down on Dale Davis, turns to his right, and banks in a turnaround 6-footer! The whistles also blows, and Davis gets called for a shooting foul! Yao pumps his fist with emotion! Unfortunately, Yao misses the bonus free throw and the Trailblazers lead 41-49. Yao is now 1-for-4 from the field with 3 points.
9:09		James Posey gambles on a steal and loses as Ruben Patterson receives a pass and drives down the baseline uncontested. Seeing that his teammate is beat, Yao tries his best to block Patterson, but Patterson ends up dunking on Yao, and out of bad sportsmanship Patterson hangs on the rim as if to emphasize his dominance. Disgusted with this act, Yao flings Patterson's dangling feet away from him. We feel that Patterson is waaaay over-hyped on this play. If JP hadn't gambled, Patterson wouldn't have had two steps to the basket before Yao even rotated to him! This is just another example of bad defense that results with Yao having to cover for someone else's mistake, and getting dunked on because of it.
8:17		Yao gets the ball in his favorite post position. As Yao dribbles down, Trailblazers' shooting guard Derek Anderson rushes in from the top for the double-team. Yao holds the ball up and turns to the middle; in doing so, he inadvertently elbows Anderson in the face taking him out of the play. With only Dale Davis guarding him, Yao fakes again, and then hits a one-handed shot from 7-feet! Yao now has 5 points and is shooting 2-for-5 from the field. The Rockets trail 45-61.
5:49		Steve Francis feeds Yao in the outer left edge. Realizing that Dale Davis was overwhelmed, the Blazers have now assigned power forward Rasheed Wallace to guard Yao. With Wallace on him, Yao spins quickly to the baseline, losing Wallace for half a second. Wallace rushes to seal Yao off from the basket, but instead of going in, Yao stops and turns around and hits a baseline right-handed hook shot! That's three in a row for Yao and the Rockets are now only down by two, 52-54!
5:09		Yao has the ball in the outer right post. With Rasheed Wallace to his back, Yao dribbles to the edge of the paint near the elbow, turns to his left and nails a fallaway jumper! Yao's on a roll! That's four in a row for Yao. It's clear the Blazers are having problems handling Yao! Yao has 9 points, and is now 4-for-7 from the field! The Blazers lead by 2, 54-56.
1:42		Cato checks in for Yao. Yao leaves shooting a perfect 4-for-4 from the field this quarter. Yao has 9 points, and the Rockets trail 62-65.
4th quarter - The Blazers finish the third quarter with a small run (8-4). The Rockets trail 66-72. Cato starts the fourth quarter.
6:37		Yao checks back in for Cato. The Rockets now trail 72-81.
0:49		From the left side, Moochie Norris curls off a screen set by Yao. As Moochie drives down the paint, Yao fades to the left wing and Moochie makes a bounce pass to Yao who is now wide open. Yao squares up and knocks down the 20-footer! Not counting a missed tip, that was Yao's only other shot attempt this quarter. With Yao having such a hot third quarter, why the Rockets didn't look for him more in the fourth quarter is bewildering. At this point in the game, the fat lady has already sung. The Blazers lead 81-92.
0:00		The Rockets go on to lose to the Trailblazers 83-94. Yao ends the games with 11 points (5-for-9 from the field and 1-for-3 from the line), 9 rebounds, 1 assist, and 1 steal. Fortunately for the Rockets, the Phoenix Suns lost tonight at the hands of the Utah Jazz. The Rockets and the Suns remain tied for the final playoff spot in the Western Conference.