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Yao vs. 76ers - 4/04/03

Yao scores his first basket against the Philadelphia 76ers Friday night on a beautiful spin move and dunk. The Rockets shocked almost everyone by winning a road game they had to win to keep their playoff hopes alive. (AP photo)

No matter who you talked to before Friday night's game against the Philadelphia 76ers, this game was a must-win situation for the Houston Rockets. Houston had lost 4 of their last 5 games, had no momentum, and were 1 ½ games behind Phoenix for the final playoff spot in the Western Conference with only 7 games remaining.

As one would expect, the Rockets continued their underachieving ways by falling behind 13 points in the second quarter, and 11 points at halftime. That's when acting Coach Larry Smith lit into his players in the locker room, including pounding on the chalkboard to make his point. With only 24 minutes remaining in a game that was going to determine the fate of their season, the Rockets came out and started showing signs of life, especially on the defensive end.

With renewed confidence, determined rebounding (56-42 advantage), and aggressive drives to the basket, the Rockets shocked their fans and probably themselves by beating Philadelphia -- one of the best teams in the Eastern Conference since the All-Star break with a 20-5 record -- by the score of 88-79.

In one of the most amazing shooting slumps within an NBA game this season, super-scorer Allen Iverson only scored 8 points on 4-of-23 shooting, and missed his last 16 shots in a row! Leading up to Friday's game, Iverson had scored in double-figures 186 consecutive games. The last time we saw a shooting slump like that against the Rockets was…well, earlier this season when he played the Rockets (5-for-19), and in 1994 when the Knicks' John Starks went 2-for-18 in Game 7 of the NBA Finals. One of the reasons Iverson may have struggled was because of his knee, which was drained of fluid earlier in the day because of bursitis, and which acted up as the game wore on.

Rocket Maurice Taylor explained what the difference was in the second half for the Rockets: "In the second half we just tried to play basketball and stop playing like we had so much pressure on our shoulders. We didn't really call plays, we got the ball inside, we rebounded the ball, and we ran. We played the break real well."

Cuttino Mobley deserves a lot of credit for his eagerness to take the assignment to guard Iverson. All night, Cat was in Iverson's face, getting back on defense to prevent him from having open lanes to the bucket. Steve Francis was superb with 18 points (8-of-18 from the field), 5 assists and 6 steals. Highlights for Franchise included tough shots under pressure, getting to the basket at will, and an ally-oop to Cato in the fourth quarter that brought the house down. James Posey made his presence felt by scoring 19 points (including 3 three-pointers), and racking up 12 rebounds.

Yao was the game-high scorer with 20 points (6-of-14 from the field, 8-for-10 from the free throw line) and 13 rebounds. In addition to his 25th double-double (leads all rookies), we also liked how Yao was more vocal in this game than other games this season. On one occasion he went over to Cuttino to give him some insight on a play that had just occurred. In another situation, he was walking to the bench during a timeout motioning with his arm to something that occurred in another spot on the floor, and verbalizing demonstrably as well.

In closing, if the Rockets make the playoffs this year, this game against the 76ers will no doubt be considered their most important victory of the season. However, it will be interesting to see if they go back to their old ways against Orlando at Compaq Center Sunday night, or build on this victory to make a final push to the playoffs.

Detailed Yao Analysis
vs. Philadelphia 76ers 4/4/03
brought to you by John & Jeff

1st quarter - Yao starts the game.

11:13 Free
Throws Yao gets the ball on the left side near the 76ers logo on the floor. With his back to 76ers center Derrick Coleman, Yao dribbles down a couple steps, quickly turns to the baseline and pump fakes a shot. Coleman falls for the fake, and jumps towards Yao for the block. But Yao leans into Coleman, shoots and misses but gets the call from the refs. Over the last few games, Yao has been able to draw these type of fouls where he gets his man in the air! Uncharacteristically, Yao misses both free throws, and the 76ers lead 0-2.

10:33 Free
Throws Yao misses a turnaround jump hook in the middle of the paint, but he out-hustles Derrick Coleman and grabs the rebound. Yao's height advantage doesn't hurt, either. With three 76ers on him, Yao takes it up strong, but 76ers point guard Eric Snow fouls him on the way up. Yao claps his hands together hard since he knows had a great opportunity for a 3-point play! This time, Yao makes sure he hits both free throws, and the Rockets trail 2-4.

9:53 James Posey misses a 3-pointer, and as the ball falls to the right of the rim, Eric Snow has the clear position for the board. But out of nowhere, Maurice Taylor streaks towards Snow, and out-jumps Snow and steals the rebound! Realizing Mo's got the rock, Yao cuts back to the basket from the right elbow and Mo hits him with the pass. Coleman tries to defend, but there's nothing he can do as Yao spins on him and SNAPS the rim with a TWO-HANDED POWER DUNK! That was one of the most graceful, yet powerful, dunks we have seen Yao throw down all season! The score is tied 4-4.

9:02 Eddie Griffin misses a point-blank layup, and the ball comes down to 76er (and former Rocket) Kenny Thomas underneath the basket. However, Yao is standing right next to him and is able to put a hand on the ball. Thomas swings his body wildly away from Yao hoping to rip his arm off the ball, but no such luck! Yao is able to use his strength and maintain his grasp on the rock as Thomas violently tries to pry himself away from Yao, and a jump ball is called by the ref! Who said Yao doesn't have any upper body strength?

6:14 From the upper-left side, 76ers guard Allen Iverson penetrates the paint past three Rockets. As Yao rotates to take Iverson head on, Iverson threads a pass to 76ers forward Keith Van Horn, who is cutting to the rim from the left baseline. Van Horn puts a two-footer up, but Yao is quick enough to rotate over again and block the would-be easy deuce! Great defensive switching by Yao!

The loose ball comes down to Maurice Taylor, who looks down court and immediately throws a perfect 60-foot pass to a streaking Cuttino Mobley, who then lofts from the three-point line a perfect ally-oop pass to Francis on a full-speed run, and Francis jams it spectacularly home! It's incredible what a blocked shot can do to spark a fast break!

4:18 From the right side of the rim, Maurice Taylor shoots a two-footer with three 76ers on him, but the shot is hard off the glass. Yao is there on the left side to vacuum up the miss, and with the 76ers defense shifting to him, Yao pump fakes and banks in a two-footer right in midst of three 76ers! The 76ers lead 13-17.

3:31 Intimidation Just outside the left elbow of the free throw line, Derrick Coleman pump fakes and baits Yao in taking a small hop forward. Coleman then drives down the left edge of the lane and goes in for a layup. Even though Yao is behind Coleman by a step, Yao has such great wing span, he stretches for the block. As a result, Coleman has to change his shot and his layup attempt rolls off the back iron! On the replay, it looks like Yao had a hand on the ball so that should've been recorded as a block!

Rockets color analyst Calvin Murphy compliments Yao's defense by saying, "Yao Ming has been playing a lot of the floor and moving pretty well laterally."

3:29 Kelvin Cato checks in for Yao. Yao leaves with 6 points, shooting 2-for-3 from the field and 2-for-4 from the line. The Rockets trail 16-17.

0:00 With only about 5 seconds left on the clock, Steve Francis speeds his way down the left side, jumps, double-pumps between two 76ers and NAILS a 32-foot three-pointer at the buzzer!

2nd quarter - Francis' heroics gives Houston the lead heading into the second quarter, 23-22. Both teams in the first quarter shot 43% from the field. Yao has 6 points, 2 rebounds, and 1 block. Cato starts the second quarter.

9:14 With the Rockets in a bit of a scoring drought (only 2 points this quarter thus far), Yao checks in for Cato. The Rockets trail 25-26

5:42 On the right edge post, Yao starts to back down Derrick Coleman. Yao works his way inside, pivots to the middle and hits a soft left-handed baby hook! Yao took it so strong inside that Coleman was totally bumped out of the play! Yao has 8 points on 3-for-5 shooting, and the Rockets trail 29-33.

2:36 Glen Rice passes to Yao right on the left edge of the lane. With Griffin cutting down the middle, Yao fakes a pass to him, turns to the basket, dribbles once with his left hand, then SPINS to the middle of the paint off 76ers center Tyrone Hill, and hits a 7-foot hook shot! Yao's moves were symphonically beautiful on that play! Even the Philadelphia crowd really "oohed" and "ahhhed" on that play! The Rockets trail 33-44.

2:13 Deep in the lane on the right side, former Rocket forward Kenny Thomas pivots to the baseline, pump fakes, and Eddie Griffin goes airborne off the fake. As Thomas pivots inside and shoots, Francis flies in for the block, but Stevie times it badly as he flashes by Thomas. But fortunately in the background, Yao had set himself, and he went up to time the block perfectly to record his second rejection! The Rockets gain possession of the loose ball. The Rockets trail 33-44.

Halftime - In the second quarter, the 76ers have pulled away and lead the Rockets 47-36. The only bright spot in the second quarter for the Rockets was Yao, who had 4 points on 2-for-4 shooting and 1 block. At the end of the first half, Yao has 10 points (4-for-8 from the field, 2-of-4 from the line), 2 rebounds, and 2 blocks. Surprisingly, Francis has only 5 points and Cuttino Mobley has 0 points (0-for-3 from the field).

3rd quarter - Yao starts the third quarter.

11:02 Maurice Taylor pass to Yao who is near the middle of the paint. Yao dribbles once just inside the right lane, turns, and swishes a jumper right over Coleman! Sweet, sweet shot Yao! Yao now has 12 points and the Rockets trail 38-49.

9:31
Free
Throws With Yao in the left post, James Posey cuts down the middle of the lane and Yao makes a perfect textbook bounce pass to JP who goes in for the layup and BLOWS IT! Yao tries to follow up with a one-handed slam, but Yao just misses it by a hair. But Yao doesn't give up! Yao fights for the offensive rebound, brings the rock down, and takes it back up and gets hacked by Eric Snow. Yao nails both free throws, and is now 4-for-6 from the line. Yao has 14 points, 7 rebounds, and the Rockets trail 42-51.

9:08 Assist Francis passes to Yao on the right edge of the lane, and as Francis cuts to the middle, he cuts back as if he's going to go around Yao. Snow hesitates for a second, but it's too late...Francis cuts back to the middle and now has a step on the Snow. Yao delivers a precision bounce pass to Franchise who JAMS it home! Happy with the result, Yao pumps his fist once as he heads back to the opposite end of the floor to play defense. The 76ers lead 44-51.

7:32 From the left side of the lane, Yao tries to kick the ball out to James Posey but his pass gets deflected. JP goes after the loose ball, but the ball bounces off his face, and a 76er gets a hand on it. The ball goes into the air, and Yao gets a hand on the ball which then bounces toward the free throw line. Yao hustles and chases after the loose ball, lunges, and without hesitation slaps a bounce pass to Francis! This eventually leads to a crucial 3-point play as Steve Francis gets fouled on a layup! Heads up play by Yao to keep the ball alive! The Rockets trail 47-54. This sequence clearly shows the Rockets are fired up and hustling, and that they really want to win this game! Could this be a change in the Rockets' mentality?

5:02 Free
Throws Mo Taylor passes to Yao who is camped out just inside the right elbow. Kenny Thomas gets a hand on the entry pass, and as Yao jumps for the deflected pass, he gets pushed in the back by 76ers power forward Tyrone Hill. With the 76ers over the limit, Yao steps up to the line and drains both free throws. Yao has 16 points and is 6-for-8 from the line. The 76ers lead 52-58.

3:40 Intimidation Allen Iverson drives down the middle of the paint and challenges Yao, but Yao is able to block Iverson's layup attempt but he doesn't get credited with a rejection! Yao then grabs the ball and rips it away from Kenny Thomas, and seeing Cuttino streaking down court, Yao doesn't waste time to put the ball in his throwing hand. Instead, he heaves a difficult left-handed pass to Cuttino. The pass is deflected, but it comes down to Posey who is fouled. Great court awareness by the 7'5" Larry Bird to get the ball down court quickly while he saw an opportunity!

3:35 Cato checks in for Yao. Yao checks out with 16 points (5-for-11 from the field, 6-for-8 from the line), and the Rockets are now only down by 3, 55-58.

4th quarter - The Rockets defense stifled the 76ers in the third quarter. As a result, the Rockets have clawed their way back into the game (down by 13 points in the first quarter) and now trail 63-64. Thanks to aggressiveness going to the hole, they went to the free throw line 15 times in the quarter (made 11 of the attempts). Twelve straight misses by Allen Iverson (4-for-19 overall) has also helped them get back into the game. Yao collected a whopping 8 rebounds in the third quarter alone, and he now has 16 points, 10 rebounds, 1 assist and 2 blocks. Cato starts the fourth quarter.

9:46 The Rockets are playing with a lot of momentum behind them and hold a 69-64 lead. On a semi-fast break, Francis cross the half-court line, approaches the 3-point line, then throws an ally-oop pass to the rim where Kelvin Cato catches it on a full-speed run AND THROWS IT DOWN ON A SPECTACULAR JAM! THIS PLAY GETS ALL THE PLAYERS OFF THE BENCH CHEERING! Yao is also up and clapping as they celebrate an 8-0 run and their biggest lead of the game (7 points). The Rockets are playing with the most confidence we have seen in a long time!

9:12 Over the last 10 minutes of the game, the Rockets have outscored the Sixers 29-10.

6:57 Yao checks back in for Cato to close out the game. The Rockets hold a 7-point lead, 73-66.

5:13 Mobley makes a post entry pass to Yao who is right next to the 76ers logo on the left side. Yao dribbles his way to the left edge of the lane, turns to the middle and shoots a fallaway over Tyrone Hill. COUNT IT! A roar comes from the rafters from those fans who came to see Yao! That score gives him 18 points on 6-for-12 shooting from the field. The Rockets lead 79-70.

4:35 Assist On the left side of the lane outside the paint, Yao spins baseline and as he dribbles in for the layup, Tyrone Hill gets away with a pushing foul on Yao. As a result, Yao, who is in mid-air, is out of position for a shot, but is able to locate and pass the ball to James Posey standing behind the arc in the right corner. With such an open look at the basket, JP squares up and easily buries the 3-pointer! The Rockets lead 82-72. Again, great awareness by Yao on knowing where all of the players are on the court!

3:50 Intimidation On the upper-left side, Kenny Thomas decides to take it one-on-one against Yao. Thomas drives to his right, cutting right through the paint, and goes up for the running right-hander, but Yao takes a MONSTER SWIPE at the ball, and the ball bounces hard off the glass!

3:34 Assist On the left side post, Yao finds Cuttino Mobley completely open behind the 3-point line on the upper-right side. Cat sets himself up, launches the 3-pointer and nails it! That's Yao's third assist of the game! The Rockets lead 85-72.

2:48 On the left side, Yao makes a quick baseline move, dusting by Kenny Thomas. Yao goes in for the easy one-handed dunk. But from behind Kenny Thomas hits Yao on the wrist, and Yao misses the dunk. No whistles blows, and Thomas gets credit for a block. Yao can't believe it as he points out to the refs where he got hit on the wrist!

1:11 Free
Throws From the right, Francis rolls a layup off the rim, but Yao's there to collect another offensive rebound (his sixth of the game)! Yao goes up for the put-back but gets fouled by 76ers forward/center Brian Skinner. Yao hits both throws and is now 8-for-10 from the line and has 20 points. The Rockets lead 87-75.

0:00 The Rockets beat the 76ers 88-79. Yao had a MVP-type game with a steady 20 points (6-for-14 shooting, 8-for-10 from the line), 13 rebounds (6 offensive), 3 assists, and 2 blocks! With this victory, the Rockets move within 1 game of the Phoenix Suns for the final playoff spot in the Western Conference.

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1st quarter - Yao starts the game.
11:13	Free Throws	Yao gets the ball on the left side near the 76ers logo on the floor. With his back to 76ers center Derrick Coleman, Yao dribbles down a couple steps, quickly turns to the baseline and pump fakes a shot. Coleman falls for the fake, and jumps towards Yao for the block. But Yao leans into Coleman, shoots and misses but gets the call from the refs. Over the last few games, Yao has been able to draw these type of fouls where he gets his man in the air! Uncharacteristically, Yao misses both free throws, and the 76ers lead 0-2.
10:33	Free Throws	Yao misses a turnaround jump hook in the middle of the paint, but he out-hustles Derrick Coleman and grabs the rebound. Yao's height advantage doesn't hurt, either. With three 76ers on him, Yao takes it up strong, but 76ers point guard Eric Snow fouls him on the way up. Yao claps his hands together hard since he knows had a great opportunity for a 3-point play! This time, Yao makes sure he hits both free throws, and the Rockets trail 2-4.
9:53		James Posey misses a 3-pointer, and as the ball falls to the right of the rim, Eric Snow has the clear position for the board. But out of nowhere, Maurice Taylor streaks towards Snow, and out-jumps Snow and steals the rebound! Realizing Mo's got the rock, Yao cuts back to the basket from the right elbow and Mo hits him with the pass. Coleman tries to defend, but there's nothing he can do as Yao spins on him and SNAPS the rim with a TWO-HANDED POWER DUNK! That was one of the most graceful, yet powerful, dunks we have seen Yao throw down all season! The score is tied 4-4.
9:02		Eddie Griffin misses a point-blank layup, and the ball comes down to 76er (and former Rocket) Kenny Thomas underneath the basket. However, Yao is standing right next to him and is able to put a hand on the ball. Thomas swings his body wildly away from Yao hoping to rip his arm off the ball, but no such luck! Yao is able to use his strength and maintain his grasp on the rock as Thomas violently tries to pry himself away from Yao, and a jump ball is called by the ref! Who said Yao doesn't have any upper body strength?
6:14		From the upper-left side, 76ers guard Allen Iverson penetrates the paint past three Rockets. As Yao rotates to take Iverson head on, Iverson threads a pass to 76ers forward Keith Van Horn, who is cutting to the rim from the left baseline. Van Horn puts a two-footer up, but Yao is quick enough to rotate over again and block the would-be easy deuce! Great defensive switching by Yao! The loose ball comes down to Maurice Taylor, who looks down court and immediately throws a perfect 60-foot pass to a streaking Cuttino Mobley, who then lofts from the three-point line a perfect ally-oop pass to Francis on a full-speed run, and Francis jams it spectacularly home! It's incredible what a blocked shot can do to spark a fast break!
4:18		From the right side of the rim, Maurice Taylor shoots a two-footer with three 76ers on him, but the shot is hard off the glass. Yao is there on the left side to vacuum up the miss, and with the 76ers defense shifting to him, Yao pump fakes and banks in a two-footer right in midst of three 76ers! The 76ers lead 13-17.
3:31	Intimidation	Just outside the left elbow of the free throw line, Derrick Coleman pump fakes and baits Yao in taking a small hop forward. Coleman then drives down the left edge of the lane and goes in for a layup. Even though Yao is behind Coleman by a step, Yao has such great wing span, he stretches for the block. As a result, Coleman has to change his shot and his layup attempt rolls off the back iron! On the replay, it looks like Yao had a hand on the ball so that should've been recorded as a block! Rockets color analyst Calvin Murphy compliments Yao's defense by saying, *"Yao Ming has been playing a lot of the floor and moving pretty well laterally."*
3:29		Kelvin Cato checks in for Yao. Yao leaves with 6 points, shooting 2-for-3 from the field and 2-for-4 from the line. The Rockets trail 16-17.
0:00		With only about 5 seconds left on the clock, Steve Francis speeds his way down the left side, jumps, double-pumps between two 76ers and NAILS a 32-foot three-pointer at the buzzer!
2nd quarter - Francis' heroics gives Houston the lead heading into the second quarter, 23-22. Both teams in the first quarter shot 43% from the field. Yao has 6 points, 2 rebounds, and 1 block. Cato starts the second quarter.
9:14		With the Rockets in a bit of a scoring drought (only 2 points this quarter thus far), Yao checks in for Cato. The Rockets trail 25-26
5:42		On the right edge post, Yao starts to back down Derrick Coleman. Yao works his way inside, pivots to the middle and hits a soft left-handed baby hook! Yao took it so strong inside that Coleman was totally bumped out of the play! Yao has 8 points on 3-for-5 shooting, and the Rockets trail 29-33.
2:36		Glen Rice passes to Yao right on the left edge of the lane. With Griffin cutting down the middle, Yao fakes a pass to him, turns to the basket, dribbles once with his left hand, then SPINS to the middle of the paint off 76ers center Tyrone Hill, and hits a 7-foot hook shot! Yao's moves were symphonically beautiful on that play! Even the Philadelphia crowd really "oohed" and "ahhhed" on that play! The Rockets trail 33-44.
2:13		Deep in the lane on the right side, former Rocket forward Kenny Thomas pivots to the baseline, pump fakes, and Eddie Griffin goes airborne off the fake. As Thomas pivots inside and shoots, Francis flies in for the block, but Stevie times it badly as he flashes by Thomas. But fortunately in the background, Yao had set himself, and he went up to time the block perfectly to record his second rejection! The Rockets gain possession of the loose ball. The Rockets trail 33-44.
Halftime - In the second quarter, the 76ers have pulled away and lead the Rockets 47-36. The only bright spot in the second quarter for the Rockets was Yao, who had 4 points on 2-for-4 shooting and 1 block. At the end of the first half, Yao has 10 points (4-for-8 from the field, 2-of-4 from the line), 2 rebounds, and 2 blocks. Surprisingly, Francis has only 5 points and Cuttino Mobley has 0 points (0-for-3 from the field).
3rd quarter - Yao starts the third quarter.
11:02		Maurice Taylor pass to Yao who is near the middle of the paint. Yao dribbles once just inside the right lane, turns, and swishes a jumper right over Coleman! Sweet, sweet shot Yao! Yao now has 12 points and the Rockets trail 38-49.
9:31	Free Throws	With Yao in the left post, James Posey cuts down the middle of the lane and Yao makes a perfect textbook bounce pass to JP who goes in for the layup and BLOWS IT! Yao tries to follow up with a one-handed slam, but Yao just misses it by a hair. But Yao doesn't give up! Yao fights for the offensive rebound, brings the rock down, and takes it back up and gets hacked by Eric Snow. Yao nails both free throws, and is now 4-for-6 from the line. Yao has 14 points, 7 rebounds, and the Rockets trail 42-51.
9:08	Assist	Francis passes to Yao on the right edge of the lane, and as Francis cuts to the middle, he cuts back as if he's going to go around Yao. Snow hesitates for a second, but it's too late...Francis cuts back to the middle and now has a step on the Snow. Yao delivers a precision bounce pass to Franchise who JAMS it home! Happy with the result, Yao pumps his fist once as he heads back to the opposite end of the floor to play defense. The 76ers lead 44-51.
7:32		From the left side of the lane, Yao tries to kick the ball out to James Posey but his pass gets deflected. JP goes after the loose ball, but the ball bounces off his face, and a 76er gets a hand on it. The ball goes into the air, and Yao gets a hand on the ball which then bounces toward the free throw line. Yao hustles and chases after the loose ball, lunges, and without hesitation slaps a bounce pass to Francis! This eventually leads to a crucial 3-point play as Steve Francis gets fouled on a layup! Heads up play by Yao to keep the ball alive! The Rockets trail 47-54. This sequence clearly shows the Rockets are fired up and hustling, and that they really want to win this game! Could this be a change in the Rockets' mentality?
5:02	Free Throws	Mo Taylor passes to Yao who is camped out just inside the right elbow. Kenny Thomas gets a hand on the entry pass, and as Yao jumps for the deflected pass, he gets pushed in the back by 76ers power forward Tyrone Hill. With the 76ers over the limit, Yao steps up to the line and drains both free throws. Yao has 16 points and is 6-for-8 from the line. The 76ers lead 52-58.
3:40	Intimidation	Allen Iverson drives down the middle of the paint and challenges Yao, but Yao is able to block Iverson's layup attempt but he doesn't get credited with a rejection! Yao then grabs the ball and rips it away from Kenny Thomas, and seeing Cuttino streaking down court, Yao doesn't waste time to put the ball in his throwing hand. Instead, he heaves a difficult left-handed pass to Cuttino. The pass is deflected, but it comes down to Posey who is fouled. Great court awareness by the 7'5" Larry Bird to get the ball down court quickly while he saw an opportunity!
3:35		Cato checks in for Yao. Yao checks out with 16 points (5-for-11 from the field, 6-for-8 from the line), and the Rockets are now only down by 3, 55-58.
4th quarter - The Rockets defense stifled the 76ers in the third quarter. As a result, the Rockets have clawed their way back into the game (down by 13 points in the first quarter) and now trail 63-64. Thanks to aggressiveness going to the hole, they went to the free throw line 15 times in the quarter (made 11 of the attempts). Twelve straight misses by Allen Iverson (4-for-19 overall) has also helped them get back into the game. Yao collected a whopping 8 rebounds in the third quarter alone, and he now has 16 points, 10 rebounds, 1 assist and 2 blocks. Cato starts the fourth quarter.
9:46		The Rockets are playing with a lot of momentum behind them and hold a 69-64 lead. On a semi-fast break, Francis cross the half-court line, approaches the 3-point line, then throws an ally-oop pass to the rim where Kelvin Cato catches it on a full-speed run AND THROWS IT DOWN ON A SPECTACULAR JAM! THIS PLAY GETS ALL THE PLAYERS OFF THE BENCH CHEERING! Yao is also up and clapping as they celebrate an 8-0 run and their biggest lead of the game (7 points). The Rockets are playing with the most confidence we have seen in a long time!
9:12		Over the last 10 minutes of the game, the Rockets have outscored the Sixers 29-10.
6:57		Yao checks back in for Cato to close out the game. The Rockets hold a 7-point lead, 73-66.
5:13		Mobley makes a post entry pass to Yao who is right next to the 76ers logo on the left side. Yao dribbles his way to the left edge of the lane, turns to the middle and shoots a fallaway over Tyrone Hill. COUNT IT! A roar comes from the rafters from those fans who came to see Yao! That score gives him 18 points on 6-for-12 shooting from the field. The Rockets lead 79-70.
4:35	Assist	On the left side of the lane outside the paint, Yao spins baseline and as he dribbles in for the layup, Tyrone Hill gets away with a pushing foul on Yao. As a result, Yao, who is in mid-air, is out of position for a shot, but is able to locate and pass the ball to James Posey standing behind the arc in the right corner. With such an open look at the basket, JP squares up and easily buries the 3-pointer! The Rockets lead 82-72. Again, great awareness by Yao on knowing where all of the players are on the court!
3:50	Intimidation	On the upper-left side, Kenny Thomas decides to take it one-on-one against Yao. Thomas drives to his right, cutting right through the paint, and goes up for the running right-hander, but Yao takes a MONSTER SWIPE at the ball, and the ball bounces hard off the glass!
3:34	Assist	On the left side post, Yao finds Cuttino Mobley completely open behind the 3-point line on the upper-right side. Cat sets himself up, launches the 3-pointer and nails it! That's Yao's third assist of the game! The Rockets lead 85-72.
2:48		On the left side, Yao makes a quick baseline move, dusting by Kenny Thomas. Yao goes in for the easy one-handed dunk. But from behind Kenny Thomas hits Yao on the wrist, and Yao misses the dunk. No whistles blows, and Thomas gets credit for a block. Yao can't believe it as he points out to the refs where he got hit on the wrist!
1:11	Free Throws	From the right, Francis rolls a layup off the rim, but Yao's there to collect another offensive rebound (his sixth of the game)! Yao goes up for the put-back but gets fouled by 76ers forward/center Brian Skinner. Yao hits both throws and is now 8-for-10 from the line and has 20 points. The Rockets lead 87-75.
0:00		The Rockets beat the 76ers 88-79. Yao had a MVP-type game with a steady 20 points (6-for-14 shooting, 8-for-10 from the line), 13 rebounds (6 offensive), 3 assists, and 2 blocks! With this victory, the Rockets move within 1 game of the Phoenix Suns for the final playoff spot in the Western Conference.