YaoMingMania.com

Yao Ming rejects Celtics' center Mark Blount's shot on Wednesday night in Boston as the Rockets redeemed themselves after Sunday's loss to the Celtics. Yao also gained redemption by scoring 21 points (10-of-14 from the field), grabbing 15 rebounds, and blocking 4 shots in 38 minutes of play. (Photo courtesy AP)

1st quarter
11:45		On the first possession of the game, Jiri Welsch drives down the right edge of the lane and challenges Yao by putting up a teardrop, BUT YAO IS UP TO THE CHALLENGE AND MEETS WELSCH AT THE TOP OF HIS LEAP AND SLAPS THE BALL BACK DOWN TO EARTH! THE BOSTON CROWD ROARS IN AMAZEMENT AT YAO'S DENIAL!
11:00		Francis is double-teamed as he dribbles the ball beyond the three-point line. Seeing that Yao has been left wide open, Francis passes the ball to Yao, who is standing about 6 inches inside the three-point line near the top of the arc. Once Yao squares up to the basket and it looks like he's going to try to shoot a long jumper, the Boston crowd buzzes with anticipation. With perfect form, Yao launches the bomb AND THE SHOT RIPS THROUGH THE CORDS!! A HUGE CACOPHANY OF CHEERS ERUPTS FROM THE BEANTOWN CONTINGENT!! YAO HAS MANY FANS IN THE HOUSE TONIGHT, AND HE IS DELIVERING IN THE GAME'S FIRST MINUTE! Yao is now 1-for-1 from the field, and the Rockets lead 2-0.
8:00		Cuttino Mobley slices into the lane from the left side of the court, jumps and whips a pass to Yao, who is standing in front of the basket with Mike James between himself and the rim. Yao brings in the pass as he is falling to his right toward the baseline after James nudges him, quickly squares up and shoots a little 5 footer (before he has to take a step and be called for traveling), and IT GOES IN! Yao is so good when he has to shoot in quick reaction to getting the ball. Instinct takes over! Yao has 4 points on 2-of-2 shooting, and the Rockets lead 7-5.
4:40		Yao checks out of the game for Maurice Taylor. Yao has 4 points and 3 rebounds. The Rockets lead 14-12.
2:06		Yao checks into the game for Scott Padgett after Padgett picks up his first foul of the game. That was a much shorter break for Yao than normal. The Rockets lead 18-15.
2:02		From the left side of the court, the Celtics' Ricky Davis drives to the hoop along the left baseline. Yao comes over to help from the weak side to contest Davis' shot, which is a reverse layup attempt from underneath the rim, but the shot misses badly. Yao put up a hand to contest the shot, but it's hard to tell if he touched the ball. However, Yao is awarded a block, which is his second rejection of the game!
1:40		Yao clears out of the lane and drops outside of the paint about 2 feet past the free throw line just beyond the left elbow of the lane. Yao's clearing out of the lane allows Maurice Taylor to dribble into the lane about 3 feet inside the free throw line. Double-teamed, Taylor stops, picks up his dribble and throws a shuttle pass to Yao. Not being guarded and without hesitation, Yao squares up to the basket, lets fly another long-range howitzer (and again the crowd buzzes in anticipation by such a long shot from the Big Man), AND THE SHOT HITS NOTHING BUT NYLON AGAIN! THE CROWD CAN'T BELIEVE IT! THIS IS NO FLUKE! And we have said it many times before it was in vogue: let Yao shoot from the outside more than trying to jam him down low all the time, especially against a defense like Boston's where they front him and make it difficult for him to get the ball! Yao is proving shooting from the outside works and leaves the Boston defense confused! Yao is 3-for-3 from the field with 6 points, and the Rockets lead 20-15.!
0:24		Maurice Taylor dribbles to the free throw line and goes up for what looks like is going to be a long jump hook with 3 Celtics converging on him, BUT IN FACT IT'S A LITTLE LEAD PASS TO YAO, WHO BREAKS FREE FROM THE 3 CELTICS AROUND TAYLOR TO CATCH IT IN FRONT OF THE RIM, THEN RICKY DAVIS FOULS HIM AS HE GOES UP FOR A 4 FOOT JUMPER, AND YAO SCORES IT OFF THE BACKBOARD!! AND-ONE! YAO PUMPS HIS FIST TO HELP THE REF MAKE THE CALL! It was funny to see the replay as Davis jumped into Yao to contest the shot, he just bounced off Yao like he was a brick wall! Yao goes to the line to make the free throw, and he now has 9 points on 4-of-4 shooting from the field. The Rockets lead 23-18.
2nd quarter - At the end of the first quarter, the Rockets lead 23-18. Yao led all scorers with 9 points (4-for-4), and Cuttino Mobley had 7 points. The Rockets made 4-of-7 from downtown. Yao starts the quarter.
10:56		Yao misses his first shot of the game, a long jumper from the top of the key that's short. Yao is now 4-of-5 from the field with 9 points.
7:27		Covered like a blanket at the three-point line, Mobley throws a nice long bounce pass around his defender and down to Yao on the left edge of the lane which catches the Celtics' defense by surprise. With a clear lane to the basket, YAO TAKES ONE STEP TOWARD THE RACK AND THROWS IT DOWN! Yao is now 5-for-6 from the field and has 11 points. The Rockets lead 36-27.
6:45		On the next trip down the court, Mobley has the ball at the three point line AND SEES YAO CUTTING INTO THE LANE FROM THE LEFT SIDE AND THROWS A CROSS-COURT PASS TO HIM. YAO JUMPS AND CATCHES THE BALL WHILE IN MID-AIR, LANDS IN FRONT OF THE RIM, THEN LAYS IT IN ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE HOOP SO THAT THE RIM ACTS AS A SHIELD FROM THE CELTICS' BLOCK ATTEMPT! Once again, the crowd roars it's amazement. ALSO, MOBLEY'S PASSES TO YAO THE PAST TWO POSSESIONS HAVE BEEN UNBELIEVABLE! Yao is now 6-for-7 from the field with 13 points. The Rockets lead 38-27.
6:00		From the top of the key, Maurice Taylor dumps a little touch pass into Yao down low in the paint. Yao, guarded one-on-one by Mark Blount, spins off him while catching the ball, LEAVING HIM ALL ALONE IN FRONT OF THE RIM. YAO PROCEEDS TO HAMMER DOWN A TWO-HANDED DUNK, AND HE'S FOULED! EVERYONE HAS BEEN DOING A GREAT JOB OF GETTING YAO THE BALL THIS GAME! Yao goes to the line and ends up missing the penalty free throw. He is now 1-for-2 from the line, and is 7-for-8 from the field with 15 points. The Rockets lead 40-30.
5:38		The Rockets' Boki Nachbar drives to the basket from the right side of the court and puts up a driving layup off the glass, but the shot attempt is too strong and the ball comes off the front of the rim, BUT YAO IS THERE AND HE LIGHTLY TIPS THE BALL INTO THE BASKET! The Celtics' Executive Director of Basketbal Operations and former NBA player Danny Ainge, doing guest commentary for the Celtics, says the following: "Yao is killing us right now. We have got no answers for him. We have got to keep him off the glass. It's not that he's making shots -- he's making dunks!" Yao is now 8-of-9 from the floor with 17 points.
2:14		Maurice Taylor gets the ball on the left edge of the lane and is double teamed. Left unguarded, Yao runs from the three-point line into the lane AND TAYLOR THROWS A HOOK PASS TO YAO, WHO CATCHES IT ON THE DEAD RUN AND FINGER ROLLS IT IN FOR THE BASKET! Taylor has been so good about getting Yao the ball over the past couple of years. Yao is now 9-of-10 from the floor with 19 points, maybe his best scoring first half ever in the NBA!
Halftime - At the end of the second quarter, the Rockets lead 47-42. Yao had another outstanding quarter, scoring 10 points on 5-of-6 shooting.
3rd quarter - Yao starts the quarter.
5:25		The Celtics' Mark Blount gets an offensive rebound in front of the Celtics rim and tries to go up for a shot in front of the rim, but there's no way that's going to happen SINCE YAO IS THERE TO EMPHATICALLY SWAT HIS SHOT ATTEMPT AWAY!
5:08		Yao misses a jump hook in the middle of the lane. He is now 9-of-11 with 19 points.
4:55		The Celtics' Mark Blount gets another offensive rebound in front of the Celtics rim and once again, he tries to put up a shot, this time with Yao behind him and by trying to double-pump. BUT YAO IS THERE ONCE AGAIN TO BLOCK BLOUNT'S SHOT and Blount falls out of bounds wondering, "What happened?" That was Yao's fourth block of the game! The Rockets lead 64-48.
4:27		Yao checks out of the game for Maurice Taylor.
:34		Yao checks into the game for Scott Padgett.
4th quarter - At the end of three quarters, the Rockets lead 69-56. The Rockets shot only 5-for-15 in the third quarter, but made 9-out-of-10 free throws to extend their lead even further since Boston only scored 15 points. Yao starts the 4th quarter.
8:35		Yao misses a long jumper from the top of the key. Yao is now 9-for-12 from the field with 19 points.
2:27		Yao misses another long jumper from the top of the key, which is an air ball--the first time we've ever seen that! Yao must be tired, and he is chuckling to himself! Yao is now 9-for-13 from the field.
1:53		With the game in hand 90-75, Maurice Taylor passes the ball to Yao about 3 feet outside the left edge of the lane. Yao spins into the lane on Chris Mihm, then goes up for a 10 foot right-handed hook shot, AND HE SWISHES IT!
1:19		Yao checks out of the game for Scott Padgett. During the fourth quarter, the Rockets had extended their lead to 19 points at one point, their largest lead of the game, and won convincingly 95-80. Yao finishes with 21 points on 10-of-14 shooting, 15 rebounds and 4 blocks! A monster game!