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Yao vs. Lakers - 3/26/03

No one could stop Shaq on Wednesday night as he used his power and weight to jam home multiple dunks to lead the Lakers to victory over the Rockets, 96-93. (AP photo)

It was a strange game Wednesday night between the Lakers and Rockets. Despite Houston's multiple shot clock violations, air balls, miscues, Shaq dominating, and Yao misfiring, Houston still held a 4-point lead at the 3:10 mark of the fourth quarter thanks to a Glen Rice 3-pointer. We couldn't believe they were fortunate enough to hold a lead with the way they had been playing. But sometimes teams have to win ugly and grind out wins every once in awhile. It wasn't going to happen this night, though.

With all the Lakers' struggles this season, they proved how poised they can still be down the stretch, and they pulled out a victory 96-93 in Houston. Shaq was dominant in scoring 39 points, including 18 points in the fourth quarter. No one on the planet could have stopped Shaq this particular evening as he bowled his way into the lane several times to position himself for dunks. How he can get away with charging so much without a foul being called is beyond us. He's been doing it for years without getting called for a foul, but when you're Shaq, we guess you can get away with it.

Yao had one of his most sub-par performances of the year. Although he took plenty of shots (13), he only made 3 of them to score a total of 6 points. Most of his shots were from the outside, which seemed to indicate Yao was not going to get caught up in Shaq's power game, but instead take advantage of his height advantage and shoot over the top. We don't have a problem with that approach. No one is going to be able to back Shaq down like Shaq does against other players. The only way a player can really have a chance to neutralize Shaq is to make him work on defense and try to keep pace with him in the scoring column. But for some reason Yao was not as accurate as he usually is with his fallaway jumpers. This also came as a surprise since Yao was more effective offensively when he played Shaq in their first match-up in January.

Of course it hurts for the Rockets to fall back into a tie with Phoenix for the 8th and final playoff spot. But Yao and Rocket fans should just look at how the Lakers closed out this game as a learning experience, and focus on aspiring to LA's level of confidence and execution in the clutch (who scored on all of their possessions after the 3:10 mark). The Rockets can put this learning experience to the test right away when they play Thursday night in San Antonio. The good thing for Houston is that they are currently 12-6 on the second night of back-to-back games this season. Look for a big game from Yao as he tries to reedem himself for his performance against the Lakers.

Detailed Yao Analysis
vs. Los Angeles Lakers 3/26/03
brought to you by John and Jeff

1st quarter - Yao starts the game.

4:51 Cuttino Mobley gets the ball to Yao in his favorite spot on the left side of the court just a few feet from the edge of the paint. With Shaq defending, Yao pump fakes, dribbles closer to the paint, then pump fakes again. Shaq is totally fooled on the second pump fake and jumps in the air, and Yao ducks under him as he flies by! THE CROWD LOVES THE FAKE OUT ON SHAQ! Now all alone, Yao leans in and puts up a 2-foot bankshot, but the ball goes in and out, caroms off the backboard, and as the ball works its way back into the cylinder, Yao unfortunately tries to tip the ball in. The whistle blows, and Yao gets called for the offensive goaltend! The crowd groans because they really wanted that basket! The Rockets still lead 17-8.

2:58 James Posey passes to Yao in his favorite spot again on the left side of the paint. Yao pump fakes on Shaq, dribbles twice to his right, squares up and nails a 15-foot jumpshot over Shaq! Yao scores his first two points (1-for-3 shooting) and the Rockets lead 22-15.

2:16 Off a screen at the three-point line, Steve Francis drives to the heart of the paint and goes in for a reverse layup. The reverse barely misses, and as Yao crashes the boards from the elbow of the paint, he and Maurice Taylor collide in mid-air for the offensive put-back. Yao had a great opportunity to follow with a spectacular two-handed dunk, but the collision with Taylor makes him lose grip of the ball, and the Lakers gain possession! Sigh...a missed opportunity for Yao and the Rockets! The Rockets lead 22-18.

1:28 Kelvin Cato checks in for Yao. Yao leaves with 2 points on 1-for-4 shooting. The Rockets lead 22-18.

2nd quarter - After a hot Rockets start (12-4 run), the Lakers have worked their way back and are behind 24-22. Yao has 2 points on 1-for-4 shooting and 4 rebounds. Cato starts the second quarter.

7:24 Yao checks into game for the Cato. The Rockets only lead by 2 points, 30-28.

6:32 On the right side, Kobe Bryant backs James Posey down deep. Bryant turns baseline, pump fakes, and pivots his way inside for the easy deuce, but Yao is there to cover for his teammate, and Yao easily rejects Kobe's shot! The Rockets regain possession, and the score remains tied 30-30.

4:16 Yao gets the ball in his favorite position. With Shaq on him, Yao dribbles once to his right, turns to the paint and drains a fallaway 7-footer with Shaq's hand in his face! Yao now has 4 points and is 2-for-6 from the field. The Rockets lead 34-30.

ESPN color analyst Bill Walton says, "That's the hardest shot for a right-handed player."

3:57 Shaq gets the ball in the middle of the paint from Lakers' forward Robert Horry. After catching the ball, Shaq proceeds to bowl over Yao, and Yao falls to the ground! Shaq then goes in for the one-handed dunk. Where's the offensive foul ref? Yao had good defensive position on O'Neal, and yet O'Neal has the right to bump someone to the ground?

0:17 Off a Rick Fox missed fastbreak layup, Kobe Bryant skies high to grab the offensive rebound. Bryant then takes it aggressively to the hole, but Yao is there to seal Bryant off. Bryant then tries to put up a 3-foot jumper in front of Yao while hanging in mid-air, but Yao perfectly times his jump to block Bryant for the second time! Yao's block leads to a Rockets fastbreak that results in a Posey layup. The game is tied 38-38.

0:00.8 Bad
Call With only a few seconds remaining, Kobe Bryant pump fakes behind the left-upper 3-point line. James Posey hops a little and lands right in front of Bryant, who leans into Posey to create contact! The whistle blows, and JP gets called for the foul! Out of frustration, Francis flings the ball down the court! What a horrible call by the refs with less than a second remaining! Bryant hits all three free throws and the Lakers end the first half with a 3-point lead, 38-41.

Halftime - The Lakers lead 38-41. Yao is struggling on the offensive end, as he only has 4 points on 2-for-8 shooting. He also has 5 rebounds and 2 blocks.

3rd quarter - Yao starts the third quarter.

11:44 Assist From the right side near the 3-point line, Yao is looking for a teammate to whom he can pass the ball. From the right, Francis heads towards Yao, faking like he's going to curl behind Yao for the dump off pass. But instead, Franchise suddenly cuts back to the basket and Yao makes a nice pass right over Shaq to Francis who makes a tough layup as he collides into Lakers' forward Mark Madsen! Where's the "And 1" foul ref? The Rockets trail 40-41.

8:07 From the left elbow of the free throw line, Shaq drives down the paint by taking a couple of dribbles and jump stops in the middle of the lane. Yao is there to prevent Shaq from going up with his right, but then Shaq pivots forward by taking another step to the basket to make a left-handed layup! EXACTLY HOW MANY STEPS CONSTITUTES A TRAVELING VIOLATION REF?

7:41 Off a missed hook shot, Yao hustles to get his own rebound, but with inside position, Laker forward Rick Fox accidentally jumps backwards right into Yao. Fox's head nails Yao right under the chin and YAO GOES DOWN!!! We all make a collective sigh, as Yao stays on the ground for several minutes in obvious pain. Fortunately to our relief, Yao gets up and is back on his feet. For obvious reasons, Yao heads for the locker room and Cato comes in. The Rockets trail 46-47.

6:48 We are relieved to see that Yao is heading back to the Rocket's bench, which means that Yao's okay. From the way he's walking and the look on his face, you can really tell that's he dying to get back into the game!

2:35 Yao checks back in for Cato, who has been struggling defensively against Shaq. In Yao's third quarter absence, Shaq had 3 points, 2 offensive boards, and 1 assist. Cato has also committed a flagrant foul. The Rockets trail 60-65.

0:23 Assist Off a loose ball rebound, Yao gets the ball at the top of the key and IMMEDIATELY makes a one-handed pass to James Posey to his left at the three-point line. With Rick Fox coming right at him, Posey pump fakes, and Fox flies by him. Posey then dribbles once and hits a 3-pointer that cuts the Lakers' lead to 2! Heads-up play by Yao in finding the open man without hesitating! Yao is Larry Bird reincarnated! The Rockets trail 64-66.

4th quarter - The Rockets are only down by two points as the Lakers lead 64-66. Yao continues to struggle offensively (2-for-11 from the field with 4 points). Yao starts the fourth quarter.

10:08 Due to two early fouls in the fourth quarter, Yao gets pulled out of the game with 4 personals. Cato checks in for Yao. The Rockets trail 66-69.

6:26 Yao checks back in for Cato. The Rockets trail 76-77.

3:25 Yao picks up his fifth personal guarding Shaq. Since when is it a foul when you stand there and someone bulldozes over you for a dunk? Cato checks in, and the Rockets lead 84-83.

0:40.9 Yao checks back in for Cato. The Rockets trail 91-92.

0:12.7 With the Rockets down by three points (91-94) and the Lakers guarding the three-point line, Francis is double-teamed by Shaq, but he is able to find Yao all alone in the paint on a long pass, and Yao jams it home two-handed! The Rockets, now down by one point, are forced to foul the Lakers. Bryant hits both free throws, and the game ends with Glen Rice missing a last-second 3-pointer.

0:00 The Rockets lose to the Lakers 93-96. Offensively, Yao had a tough night with 6 points on 3-for-13 shooting. Yao's other stats were impressive as he had 10 rebounds, 2 assist, and 2 blocks. With Phoenix's stunning last second-shot victory over the Memphis Grizzlies, the Rockets have fallen back to a tie with the Suns for the eighth seed in the Western Conference.

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1st quarter - Yao starts the game.
4:51		Cuttino Mobley gets the ball to Yao in his favorite spot on the left side of the court just a few feet from the edge of the paint. With Shaq defending, Yao pump fakes, dribbles closer to the paint, then pump fakes again. Shaq is totally fooled on the second pump fake and jumps in the air, and Yao ducks under him as he flies by! THE CROWD LOVES THE FAKE OUT ON SHAQ! Now all alone, Yao leans in and puts up a 2-foot bankshot, but the ball goes in and out, caroms off the backboard, and as the ball works its way back into the cylinder, Yao unfortunately tries to tip the ball in. The whistle blows, and Yao gets called for the offensive goaltend! The crowd groans because they really wanted that basket! The Rockets still lead 17-8.
2:58		James Posey passes to Yao in his favorite spot again on the left side of the paint. Yao pump fakes on Shaq, dribbles twice to his right, squares up and nails a 15-foot jumpshot over Shaq! Yao scores his first two points (1-for-3 shooting) and the Rockets lead 22-15.
2:16		Off a screen at the three-point line, Steve Francis drives to the heart of the paint and goes in for a reverse layup. The reverse barely misses, and as Yao crashes the boards from the elbow of the paint, he and Maurice Taylor collide in mid-air for the offensive put-back. Yao had a great opportunity to follow with a spectacular two-handed dunk, but the collision with Taylor makes him lose grip of the ball, and the Lakers gain possession! Sigh...a missed opportunity for Yao and the Rockets! The Rockets lead 22-18.
1:28		Kelvin Cato checks in for Yao. Yao leaves with 2 points on 1-for-4 shooting. The Rockets lead 22-18.
2nd quarter - After a hot Rockets start (12-4 run), the Lakers have worked their way back and are behind 24-22. Yao has 2 points on 1-for-4 shooting and 4 rebounds. Cato starts the second quarter.
7:24		Yao checks into game for the Cato. The Rockets only lead by 2 points, 30-28.
6:32		On the right side, Kobe Bryant backs James Posey down deep. Bryant turns baseline, pump fakes, and pivots his way inside for the easy deuce, but Yao is there to cover for his teammate, and Yao easily rejects Kobe's shot! The Rockets regain possession, and the score remains tied 30-30.
4:16		Yao gets the ball in his favorite position. With Shaq on him, Yao dribbles once to his right, turns to the paint and drains a fallaway 7-footer with Shaq's hand in his face! Yao now has 4 points and is 2-for-6 from the field. The Rockets lead 34-30. *ESPN color analyst Bill Walton says, "That's the hardest shot for a right-handed player."*
3:57		Shaq gets the ball in the middle of the paint from Lakers' forward Robert Horry. After catching the ball, Shaq proceeds to bowl over Yao, and Yao falls to the ground! Shaq then goes in for the one-handed dunk. Where's the offensive foul ref? Yao had good defensive position on O'Neal, and yet O'Neal has the right to bump someone to the ground?
0:17		Off a Rick Fox missed fastbreak layup, Kobe Bryant skies high to grab the offensive rebound. Bryant then takes it aggressively to the hole, but Yao is there to seal Bryant off. Bryant then tries to put up a 3-foot jumper in front of Yao while hanging in mid-air, but Yao perfectly times his jump to block Bryant for the second time! Yao's block leads to a Rockets fastbreak that results in a Posey layup. The game is tied 38-38.
0:00.8	Bad Call	With only a few seconds remaining, Kobe Bryant pump fakes behind the left-upper 3-point line. James Posey hops a little and lands right in front of Bryant, who leans into Posey to create contact! The whistle blows, and JP gets called for the foul! Out of frustration, Francis flings the ball down the court! What a horrible call by the refs with less than a second remaining! Bryant hits all three free throws and the Lakers end the first half with a 3-point lead, 38-41.
Halftime - The Lakers lead 38-41. Yao is struggling on the offensive end, as he only has 4 points on 2-for-8 shooting. He also has 5 rebounds and 2 blocks.
3rd quarter - Yao starts the third quarter.
11:44	Assist	From the right side near the 3-point line, Yao is looking for a teammate to whom he can pass the ball. From the right, Francis heads towards Yao, faking like he's going to curl behind Yao for the dump off pass. But instead, Franchise suddenly cuts back to the basket and Yao makes a nice pass right over Shaq to Francis who makes a tough layup as he collides into Lakers' forward Mark Madsen! Where's the "And 1" foul ref? The Rockets trail 40-41.
8:07		From the left elbow of the free throw line, Shaq drives down the paint by taking a couple of dribbles and jump stops in the middle of the lane. Yao is there to prevent Shaq from going up with his right, but then Shaq pivots forward by taking another step to the basket to make a left-handed layup! EXACTLY HOW MANY STEPS CONSTITUTES A TRAVELING VIOLATION REF?
7:41		Off a missed hook shot, Yao hustles to get his own rebound, but with inside position, Laker forward Rick Fox accidentally jumps backwards right into Yao. Fox's head nails Yao right under the chin and YAO GOES DOWN!!! We all make a collective sigh, as Yao stays on the ground for several minutes in obvious pain. Fortunately to our relief, Yao gets up and is back on his feet. For obvious reasons, Yao heads for the locker room and Cato comes in. The Rockets trail 46-47.
6:48		We are relieved to see that Yao is heading back to the Rocket's bench, which means that Yao's okay. From the way he's walking and the look on his face, you can really tell that's he dying to get back into the game!
2:35		Yao checks back in for Cato, who has been struggling defensively against Shaq. In Yao's third quarter absence, Shaq had 3 points, 2 offensive boards, and 1 assist. Cato has also committed a flagrant foul. The Rockets trail 60-65.
0:23	Assist	Off a loose ball rebound, Yao gets the ball at the top of the key and IMMEDIATELY makes a one-handed pass to James Posey to his left at the three-point line. With Rick Fox coming right at him, Posey pump fakes, and Fox flies by him. Posey then dribbles once and hits a 3-pointer that cuts the Lakers' lead to 2! Heads-up play by Yao in finding the open man without hesitating! Yao is Larry Bird reincarnated! The Rockets trail 64-66.
4th quarter - The Rockets are only down by two points as the Lakers lead 64-66. Yao continues to struggle offensively (2-for-11 from the field with 4 points). Yao starts the fourth quarter.
10:08		Due to two early fouls in the fourth quarter, Yao gets pulled out of the game with 4 personals. Cato checks in for Yao. The Rockets trail 66-69.
6:26		Yao checks back in for Cato. The Rockets trail 76-77.
3:25		Yao picks up his fifth personal guarding Shaq. Since when is it a foul when you stand there and someone bulldozes over you for a dunk? Cato checks in, and the Rockets lead 84-83.
0:40.9		Yao checks back in for Cato. The Rockets trail 91-92.
0:12.7		With the Rockets down by three points (91-94) and the Lakers guarding the three-point line, Francis is double-teamed by Shaq, but he is able to find Yao all alone in the paint on a long pass, and Yao jams it home two-handed! The Rockets, now down by one point, are forced to foul the Lakers. Bryant hits both free throws, and the game ends with Glen Rice missing a last-second 3-pointer.
0:00		The Rockets lose to the Lakers 93-96. Offensively, Yao had a tough night with 6 points on 3-for-13 shooting. Yao's other stats were impressive as he had 10 rebounds, 2 assist, and 2 blocks. With Phoenix's stunning last second-shot victory over the Memphis Grizzlies, the Rockets have fallen back to a tie with the Suns for the eighth seed in the Western Conference.