YaoMingMania.com

Yao Ming grabs a rebound Sunday in Orlando, but the main story was Yao on OFFENSE where he scored a CAREER-HIGH 37 POINTS on 15-of-23 shooting and was a perfect 7-for-7 from the free throw line in just 34 minutes of action. Yao also had 10 rebounds and 2 blocks to lead the Rockets to a 99-87 victory over the Magic. As a result, Web traffic on the YaoMingMania.com discussion forum reached an all-time high Sunday evening. For more photos from the game, click on this forum topic. (Photo courtesy Sina.com)

1st quarter
11:39		Jim Jackson delivers the ball to Yao just outside the left edge of the lane, and is guarded one-on-one by Andrew DeClercq. Yao dribbles and leans his way right to the edge of the lane, then quickly spins baseline and shoots a fallaway jumper and SWISH! As usual, Yao gets the ball on the first possession for the Rockets and converts it! The Rockets lead 2-0.
11:02		Yao misses a jumper over Juwan Howard. He is now 1-for-2 from the field with 2 points.
10:39		Yao gets the ball on the right side of the court a couple of feet outside the right edge of the lane. Guarded one-on-one by Andrew DeClercq, Yao dribbles and leans LEGALLY into Declerq, AND DECLERCQ FLOPS AND THE REF THANKFULLY DOESN'T BUY IT! With DeClercq on the floor and no one between himself and the rim, YAO SPINS TO HIS LEFT AND JAMS IT HOME WITH THE LEFT HAND! GOOD NO-CALL BY THE OFFICIAL! It looks like Yao is becoming so dominant physically, opposing players are starting to pull Vlade Divac-like flops on Yao as their only hope of stopping him! That's a good sign. Yao is now 2-for-3 from the field with 4 points! The Rockets lead 4-3.
8:11		On the left side of the court, Jim Jackson passes the ball to Yao along the left edge of the lane with Andrew DeClercq guarding him one-on-one. This is the exact setup as the first play of the game above. However, never too predictable, this time Yao spins to the inside of the lane and launches an unstoppable fallaway jumper over DeClercq...AND BANG! YAO'S SHOT IS PERFECT! Yao is now 3-for-4 from the field with 6 points, and the Rockets lead 8-7.
4:47		Once again, Jim Jackson passes the ball to Yao a couple of feet outside the left edge of the lane with DeClercq guarding him. Yao spins baseline on him, but rather than shoot a fallaway jumper, he leans toward the basket and BANKS IT OFF THE GLASS, AND ALL DECLERCQ CAN DO IS LEAN BACKWARDS TO AVOID GETTING RUN OVER! Yao is unstoppable right now, and the Rockets are doing a good job of exploiting the mismatch on the 6'10" DeClercq. Yao now has 8 points on 4-of-5 shooting. The Rockets lead 16-12.
4:29		Yao checks out of the game for Maurice Taylor. The Rockets lead 16-12, and Yao is sizzling with 8 points on 4-of-5 shooting!
2nd quarter - At the end of the first quarter, the Rockets lead 21-17. The Rockets were 9-for-20 from the field, and the Magic were 6-for-20. Houston had 14 points in the paint compared to Orlando's 6 points.
10:35		Yao checks into the game for Kelvin Cato. The Rockets lead 23-21.
8:12		Boki Nachbar passes the ball to Yao about 3 feet outside the left edge of the lane. Guarded one-on-one by ZaZa Pachulia (a 19-year old 6'11" center), Yao spins baseline and dribbles to the edge of the lane, jumps and releases a shot toward the rim...and Drew Gooden comes over from underneath the basket and blocks the shot, but it's an obvious goaltend and THE BASKET COUNTS! Yao is now 5-for-6 from the field with 10 points. The Rockets lead 29-24.
7:27	Great Defense	ZaZa Pachulia gets the ball in front of the rim, but Yao is there to alter his shot and the ball clangs off the rim! Pachulia tries to grab the rebound, but Yao's incredible height allows him to deflect the ball a couple of times as Pachulia tries to gain control, and finally Yao is able to knock the ball away to Mark Jackson at the free throw line to start a fast break! Way to stay with it, Yao!
5:25		On the left side of the court, Yao gets the ball a couple of feet outside the right edge of the lane and is guarded one-on-one by DeClercq. Yao dribbles twice into the lane and his right elbow almost catches DeClercq in the jaw as he goes up for a fallaway jumper in the middle of the lane, and the ball hits the rim, rolls around softly, and drops for the bucket! Yao is on fire on 6-of-7 shooting from the field for 12 points! The Rockets lead 37-30!
4:32		Yao gets the ball a couple of feet outside the left edge of the lane on Andrew DeClercq. Yao spins to the baseline and DeClercq is able to disrupt Yao's timing by getting a hand on the ball. After hesitating, Yao still is able to put up a shot over DeClercq but it misses. Yao is now 6-of-8 from the field for 12 points.
2:46		Guarded one-on-one by DeClercq again, Yao gets the ball in his favorite spot (yes, a couple of feet outside the left edge of the lane). Yao passes to Mobley at the top of the three-point arc, and Mobley passes it right back to Yao, who spins quickly to the baseline, bounces the ball, BUT QUICKLY SPINS TO THE INSIDE OF THE LANE -- WHICH THROWS OFF DECLERCQ SO BADLY THAT HE FALLS TO THE FLOOR (WHIL ALSO HOPING FOR A CHARGING CALL) -- AND YAO HAS NO ONE BETWEEN HIMSELF AND THE RIM...AND JAMS IT DOWN WITH THE RIGHT HAND WITH A SNAP OF THE WRIST THAT PROPELS THE BALL TO THE FLOOR AT THE SPEED OF LIGHT! The Rockets bench erupts with joy from Yao's display of power! Yao is now 7-for-9 from the field with 14 points. The Rockets lead 43-34.
1:46		Yao misses a fallaway jump shot from the left baseline. He is now 7-for-10 from the field with 14 points.
1:37		Yao checks out of the game for Maurice Taylor. He has 14 points on 7-of-10 shooting and 5 rebounds. The Rockets lead 43-38.
Halftime - At the end of the second quarter, the Rockets lead 43-40 despite seeming to dominate during certain stretches. Houston shot 47% from the field in the first half, and Orlando shot 35%. Houston also had 28 points in the paint compared to Orlando's 10 points. Yao has 14 points, and both Cato and Maurice Taylor have 8 points each. Tracy McGrady leads all scorers with 17 points. [Incidentally, the Rockets are 22-4 this season when leading at halftime].
3rd quarter - Yao starts the quarter.
11:37		Jim Jackson shoots a jumper from the top of the key, but it clangs off the front of the rim straight down to the floor...BUT YAO HUSTLED FROM 10 FEET AWAY TO GRAB THE REBOUND, AND HE GOES STRAIGHT UP AND DUNKS IT HOME TWO-HANDED AND SHAKES THE BACKBOARD A LA SHAQ! Yao doesn't get enough credit for how much he hustles on the boards! He is now 8-of-11 from the floor with 16 points and has 6 rebounds! The Rockets now lead 45-40.
10:53		Steve Francis passes the ball to Yao on the right edge of the lane, and Yao spins quickly toward the baseline and launches a fadeaway jumper AND DRILLS IT! Yao cannot be stopped! That's his 9th field goal out of 12 attempts! The Rockets lead 47-43.
8:42		On a semi-fast break, Jim Jackson is dribbling the ball up the court along the left sideline and Yao is running up the middle of the floor a few feet ahead of him. Yao raises his hand to Jackson to signal that he's open, and Jackson whips the pass to him on the run. Yao catches the ball and jumps up in the air with the intention of throwing the ball to Francis in the left corner, but he sees that Francis is covered and has to make a quick adjustment to throw the ball up toward the bucket for a desperation shot, which misses. It's amazing that Yao was able to change his intentions in mid-air like that (although he probably came down to the floor before getting the shot off, which would have been traveling). With that missed shot, Yao is 9-for-13 from the field with 18 points.
8:16		Mobley passes the ball to Yao about three feet outside the edge of the lane, and he's guarded one-on-one by DeClercq (it's suprising the Magic are not double-teaming Yao). Mobley clears out for Yao by cutting across the lane. Yao then goes to work by dribbling a few times, then turns toward the baseline and shoots a high arching shot toward the glass AND HE BANKS IT IN! THIS IS SICK! YAO IS SCORING EVERY WAY POSSIBLE TONIGHT! He is now 10-for-14 from the field with 20 points, and the Rockets lead 55-51.
8:04		Tyronn Lue drives down the left edge of the lane for a running jump shot, BUT YAO TRAILED HIM BEAUTIFULLY AND SWATS THE SHOT ATTEMPT OUT OF BOUNDS, AND THE ORLANDO CROWD YELLS 'OOOOOOOOOHHHHHH' IN AWE! That is Yao's first block of the game.
7:03		Yao misses a little jumper from the left side of the basket. He is now 10-for-15 from the field with 20 points.
6:37		Mark Jackson passes the ball to Yao at the free throw line standing all by himself, so Yao just squares up and shoots a 15-foot jumper AND NAILS IT! YAO IS UNCONSCIOUS! He now has 22 points on 11-of-16 shooting, and I'm literally starting to get arthritis in my hands from all the typing I'm having to do! The Rockets lead 60-54.
6:06		Mark Jackson is pushing the ball up the floor angling himself across the free throw line area into the left side of the court, AND JACKSON SEES YAO ALSO RUNNING THE FLOOR, AND WHILE ON THE RUN JACKSON THROWS A PERFECT LOB PASS BACK TOWARD THE RIM WHERE YAO CATCHES AND THROWS IT DOWN ON A PERFECT ALLEY-OOP! WE RARELY SEE YAO GET TO SLAM DUNK AN ALLEY-OOP! A big roar erupts from a large section of the Orlando crowd! And once again we see why Mark Jackson is second in assists in NBA history! Yao now has 24 points on 12-of-17 shooting, and it's getting awfully crowded on the shot chart around the rim! The Rockets lead 62-54.
5:03		Yao misses a turnaround jumper in the lane, is now 12-of-18 from the floor. The Rockets only lead 62-60 after Orlando hit two straight three-pointers before Yao's shot attempt.
4:36	+Free Throw	Kelvin Cato misses a running hook shot in the lane, BUT YAO SKYS HIGH FOR THE REBOUND 7 FEET IN FRONT OF THE RIM, THEN TAKES ONE STEP TOWARD THE BASKET, AND GOES UP FOR A SHOT THAT BANKS IN OFF THE GLASS...AND HE'S FOULED BY TYRONN LUE! Yao pumps his fist down with the "And 1" after the ball drops through the hoop. Yao showed alot of determination to rip that ball out of the air and go up strong for the shot! This is scary how good and accurate he is becoming! Yao goes to the line and makes the penalty free throw, and he now has 27 points on 13-of-19 shooting from the floor. The Rockets lead 65-60.
4:05	Great Defense!	Andrew DeClercq gets passed the ball along the left baseline and has a clear path to the lane for a dunk, BUT YAO IS THERE TO MAKE DECLERCQ THINK TWICE WHILE IN MID-AIR ABOUT DUNKING THE BALL, SO DECLERCQ IS FORCED TO TRY A DIFFICULT REVERSE LAYUP ATTEMPT, WHICH MISSES! Yao is not only doing it offensively tonight, but also defensively!
3:23		Yao gets the ball along the left edge of the lane from Steve Francis, who clears out for Yao by running across the lane. Guarded one-on-one by DeClercq, Yao dribbles once to the edge of the lane, THEN HE QUICKLY PIROUETTES TOWARD THE BASELINE, JUMPS FOR A SHOT, BUT ACTUALLY DOESN'T RELEASE THE BALL UNTIL HE'S ON HIS WAY DOWN, THEN BANKS IT OFF THE GLASS FOR A SWISH! Yao looked like Baryshnikov on that play! And he's really showing with all of his bank shots tonight that Tim Duncan is not the only Glass Master in the league! Yao is now 14-of-20 from the floor with 29 points. The Rockets lead 67-62.
2:42		Yao spins baseline on Andrew DeClercq along the right baseline, and the ball bounces around the rim a couple of times and ALMOST goes in! Yao is now 14-of-21 from the floor with 29 points. The Rockets lead 67-64.
2:27	Free Throws	Once again, Yao gets the ball along the right edge of the lane, then dribbles a couple of times into the middle of the paint on DeClercq, who cannot stop Yao from getting position. Yao then spins toward the basket to attempt a shot, but DeClercq hacks Yao across both arms and pulls the ball out of Yao's hands, and THANK GOD A FOUL IS CALLED! The refs are doing a great job of making sure DeClercq does not get away with anything illegal tonight! Yao goes to the line and makes both free throws, AND YAO RECORDS A CAREER-HIGH 31 POINTS WITH MORE THAN A QUARTER TO GO! Yao is 3-of-3 from the line and 14-of-21 from the field. Yao has scored the last 11 points for the Rockets, and they now lead 69-64.
1:59	Free Throws	Yao gets the ball about 6 feet away from the left edge of the lane and is guarded by ZaZa Pachulia again. Yao quickly spins and drives down the baseline toward the hoop and goes up for a dunk, but he is fouled hard from behind by ZaZa. It appeared that Yao glared at ZaZa like he wanted to deck him, but since ZaZa had raised his hand immediately acknowledging that he had committed a foul, Yao cut him some slack. So Yao walks up to ZaZa and pats him on the chest like he's his little brother or something. It's very rare I've ever seen that kind of restraint in an NBA game. What a class guy Yao is! Yao steps to the line and makes both free throws, and the Rockets lead 71-66. Yao has 33 points on 5-of-5 shooting from the line and 14-of-21 from the field. Yao has now scored the Rockets' last 13 points.
:59	Free Throws	ZaZa Pachulia is called for a foul as Yao tries to jockey for position along the right edge of the lane. Yao goes to the line and buries both free throws, and the Rockets lead 73-68. Yao has 35 points with the help of 7-of-7 shooting from the line. The Rockets last 15 points have been scored by Yao! Incredible!
4th quarter - At the end of three quarters, the Rockets lead 75-68. In the third quarter alone, 21 of the Rockets' 32 points were scored by Yao. This was one point short of being an all-time high for an opposing player to score in one quarter versus Orlando.
11:06		Yao checks out of the game for Kelvin Cato. The Rockets lead 77-69.
5:38		Yao checks back into the game for Kelvin Cato. The Rockets lead 90-77
4:42		Tracy McGrady catches a lob pass underneath the basket, but is falling out of bounds, so he dishes to Juwan Howard coming down the middle of the lane. Howard goes up for what he thinks is going to be an easy shot right in front of the rim, BUT YAO HAMMERS THE SHOT DOWN FEROCIOUSLY FOR HIS SECOND BLOCK! THE ORLANDO CROWD IS STUNNED BY THE FORCE OF THE REJECTION! That is Yao's second block of the game. The Rockets lead 92-79.
3:17		Yao sets a pick for Francis near the three point line, then rolls off and Francis throws a pass to him at the top of the circle. Yao then calmly and deliberately spots up for a long bomb from a step inside the three-point line...AND RIPS THE CORDS PERFECTLY! HE NEVER CEASES TO AMAZE US! Yao is now 15-of-22 for 37 points!
1:35		Yao shoots a baseline fallaway jumper that misses the rim, which is understandable given all the shots he has launched today! He is now 15-of-23 from the floor for 37 points. The Rockets still lead 97-85.
1:18		Yao checks out of the game for Scott Padgett. The Rockets lead 99-85, andd that just about does it. Yao finishes with a monstrous 37 points on 15-of-23 field goal shooting, and 7-for-7 from the free throw line! He also had 10 rebounds to record his 20th double-double of the season, and had 2 blocks. These stats will rock the NBA world and will bring even more respect from those who doubted Yao's abilities!