YaoMingMania.com

Yao Ming defends contests the shot of Minnesota's Latrell Sprewell on Saturday afternoon. Yao finished with 22 points, 15 rebounds and 2 blocks in 38 minutes of play to lead the Rockets to a dominating 95-76 victory over the Timberwolves. To see more photos from the game, click on this topic to see the photos posted in the YaoMingMania.com discussion forum. (Photo courtesy AP)

1st quarter
9:48		Yao aggressively grabs a rebound in front of the rim from a missed Cato jumper, brings the ball down in between the Wolves' Earvin Johnson and Kevin Garnett, bounces it once, then turns toward the hoop, goes up and lays it in over Johnson for the score! Yao is 1-for-1 from the field and has 2 points. The Rockets lead 4-0.
5:32		Steve Francis passes the ball to Yao in the middle of the paint. Yao turns toward the basket, pump fakes to get Johnson up in the air, then Yao dribbles the ball and takes a step toward the basket, but Yao loses grip of the ball AND THE BALL FLIES OUT OF HIS HANDS TOWARD THE RIM, ROLLS ALONG THE EDGE OF THE RIM, BOUNCES AGAINST THE BACKBOARD, THEN GOES IN! WHAT LUCK!! THAT PLAY WILL BE ON THE HIGHLIGHT REEL SHOWS! Yao is now 2-for-2 with 4 points, and the Rockets lead 14-6.
4:56		Yao gets the ball with no one guarding him near the top of the key about 3 feet inside the three-point line, squares up and launches a long bomb AND BURIES IT! We love it when he makes those shots from way out deep! Yao is now 3-for-3 with 6 points. The Rockets lead 16-9.
0:53		Yao checks out of the game for Boki Nachbar. Yao is 3-for-3 from the field with 6 points, and he also has 6 rebounds. The Rockets lead 21-13.
2nd quarter - At the end of the first quarter, the Rockets are outhustling the T-wolves 23-13. The Rockets shot 55%, and their defense has been stifling, holding Minnesota to 30% shooting. Yao has 6 points (3-of-3 shooting) and 6 rebounds. Steve Francis also has 6 points and is playing well. Yao does not start the quarter.
8:53		Yao checks into the game for Kelvin Cato. The Rockets lead 27-13.
8:26		Yao gets the ball on the left edge of the lane guarded one-on-one by Oliver Miller. Yao dribbles twice to inch his way into the lane, then spins toward the baseline, jumps high into the air and releases at the top of his jump a high-arching fallaway jumper, and SWISH! ABC play-by-play commentator Brad Nessler marvels, "It didn't even move the net!" Yao is on target today, making all four of his shots for 8 points. The Rockets lead 29-13.
7:56		Yao is being fronted by Oliver Miller, so Cuttino Mobley lofts a soft pass over Miller and Yao's heads, then Yao breaks away from Miller toward the basket and stretches out to grab the long pass. Yao brings it in underneath the rim, stops, and lays it up off the glass for the deuce! That's nice to see the Rockets have been working on their passing to get Yao the ball when fronting defenses are thrown at him! Yao is now 5-for-5 from the floor with 10 points! The Rockets lead 31-13!
6:08		Francis passes the ball to Yao on the right edge of the lane, right near the elbow. Guarded one-on-one by Miller again, Yao goes up immediately for a fallaway jumper of the lane, which is unusual for him from so far away from the basket. Yao's shot is extremely high-arching, banks off the backboard and into the basket for the score, and he's fouled! Unbelievable! We haven't seen him attempt this type of shot before! He's unstoppable and dominating this game on 6-of-6 shooting! Yao goes to the line and makes the penalty free throw, and he now has 13 points. The Rockets lead 37-16.
5:37		From the top of the key, Maurice Taylor throws a pass into Yao, who is cuttinig into the lane. Yao grabs the ball as he is moving toward the basket and puts up rapidly a layup attempt all in one motion because he thinks he may get blocked, but it's too strong off the glass and he misses. That's Yao's first miss of the game. ABC color analyst Doc Rivers says, "He had all the time in the world [to make that shot]. I think sometimes HE forgets that he's 7-6." Yao is now 6-for-7 from the field.
3:44		Yao checks out of the game for Kelvin Cato. You can tell Yao is a little tired from all the work he has been doing, and great work indeed! Yao has 13 points on 6-of-7 shooting.
2:04		Yao checks back into the game for Kelvin Cato. That was a short break! Van Gundy is definitely playing Yao more minutes over the past couple of games.
0:01		Yao comes out to defend on Sam Cassell, who has gotten hot in the second quarter, and blocks his shot at the buzzer!
Halftime - At the end of the second quarter, the Rockets lead 45-26! Yao has 13 points on 6-of-7 shooting, has 10 rebounds and 1 block. The Rockets are shooting 54% from the field, whereas the Rockets' defense has held Minnesota to 29.2% shooting (12-of-41). The Rockets are dominating all aspects of the game!
3rd quarter - Yao starts the quarter. The Rockets start out on a 8-0 run to lead the game 53-26!
6:18		Yao gets the ball at the top of the key and squares up for another long bomb, but he shoots an airball! That is very rare to see from Yao! Yao is now 6-for-8 from the field.
4:01		Yao gets the ball on the left side of the court and is guarded one-on-one by Kevin Garnett. He immediately goes up for a jumper, but it misses and bounces high off the rim, but Kelvin Cato grabs the rebound on the right side of the rim and lays it in for the garbage basket! The Rockets now lead 63-36! Yao is now 6-for-9 from the field with 13 points.
3:33		Yao checks out of the game for Maurice Taylor. The Rockets lead 63-38.
2:02		Yao checks back into the game for Cato. The score is still 63-38.
:32		Yao checks out of the game for Boki Nachbar. The score lead 68-43.
4th quarter - At the end of three quarters, the Rockets lead 68-45. Although Minnesota is trailing big-time, Sam Cassell has not given up and he scored 7 points in the quarter for Minnesota. Houston's Jim Jackson scored 9 points. Yao has 13 points (6-of-9 shooting) and 11 rebounds.
11:22		From the 3-point line on the right side of the court, Maurice Taylor passes the ball to Yao a couple of feet outside the right edge of the lane. Guarded one-on-one by Garnett, Yao dribbles to the middle of the lane then pulls up and shoots a turnaround jumper, and the ball hits the front of the rim, bounces off the backboard, and drops for the score! Yao is now 7-for-10 from the field with 15 points! The Rockets lead 70-45.
9:40		Yao shoots a jumper from the right elbow of the lane, but misses. He is now 7-for-11 from the field with 15 points.
9:32	Free Throws	Maurice Taylor gets a rebound down low to the left of the rim, then dishes an underhand pass to Yao on the other side of the rim. Yao goes up for a layup attempt, but is pushed in the back by Garnett for the foul! Yao goes to the line and makes both free throws. He now has 17 points, including making 3-of-3 free throws. The Rockets lead 74-52. In between his free throws, ABC color commentator Doc Rivers says about Yao, "He's such a patient big man. He's been open several times down in the post and has not received the ball, and he just keeps working. You look at his numbers. How many times have we seen him with his ball in his hands on the post. Not much. Yet he has 16 points and 12 rebounds." A couple of minutes later after Yao grabs a rebound authoritatively, Rivers says, "You just watch Yao Ming, he gets rebounds just by his presence...he's so big. He really does (put himself in good position). And this is not a skinny big player. This guy has a big body, and it's going to keep getting bigger." "He has been in the right spot all game for the Rockets."
8:17		On an inbounds play, Yao gets the ball at the three-point line on the left side of the court. With only 6 seconds left on the shot clock, Yao dribbles once then spins toward the lane and puts up a leaning jumper at the left elbow of the lane. The shot misses strong off the glass, BUT YAO FOLLOWS THE SHOT AND GRABS THE REBOUND IN THE MIDDLE OF THE LANE, COMES DOWN WITH IT, TAKES A STEP TOWARD THE RIM AND LAYS IT IN, AND HE'S FOULED!!! WE RARELY HAVE SEEN YAO WHIRL AROUND AND ATTEMPT THIS KIND OF SHOT FROM SO FAR AWAY FROM THE BASKET, THEN FOLLOW UP WITH THE REBOUND TO LAY IT IN! YOU WOULD THINK YOU'RE WATCHING TRACY MCGRADY OUT THERE OR SOMETHING!! Yao makes the free throw, and he now has 20 points on 8-of-13 shooting from the field (4-for-4 from the free throw line) and 14 rebounds! The Rockets lead 77-54.
7:45		Yao gets the ball just inside the three-point line and launches another long bomb, but it's way short. Yao must be very tired since he is not able to get enough lower body strength into his long jumpers now. Yao is now 8-of-14 from the field.
6:57		While playing defense, Yao comes way out from the low post to contest a shot by Minnesota's Hassell, and Yao gets credit for his second block!
5:20		Maurice Taylor passes the ball to Yao, who is about 3 feet outside the left edge of the lane. Guarded by Garnett, Yao spins and dribbles twice toward the baseline, then reverse pivots back toward the inside of the lane, then goes up for a right-handed hook shot over Garnett, AND HE NAILS IT! To be honest, we didn't think he would make it because that shot requires alot of lower body power to elevate off the floor, but he obviously can tap into that power source when he really needs it! Yao is now 9-for-15 shooting with 22 points! The Rockets lead 84-63. Rivers comments, "You know what he realized in the middle of that move? [Pretending like he's Yao] 'Wait a minute, I don't have to do this quickly. I'm bigger than the guy guarding me!'"
3:11		Maurice Taylor dishes the ball to Yao, who is penetrating into the lane from the free throw line area. Yao catches the pass in traffic and goes up for a shot, but Sam Cassell was able to swipe it away as it left Yao's hands! Yao is now 9-for-16 from the field with 22 points.
2:37		Yao checks out of the game for Boki Nachbar, and the Rockets go on to win 95-76. Yao finishes with 22 points on 9-of-16 shooting, 15 rebounds and 2 blocks!