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Yao gets tied up by the Suns' Jake Voskuhl and Shawn Marion in Phoenix on Monday night where the Rockets lost their fourth straight, 99-79. Yao scored 16 points on 6-of-11 shooting, but uncharacteristically missed 5-of-9 free throws. Steve Francis was suspended for the game since he decided to attend the Super Bowl rather than fly to Phoenix with the rest of his teammates. (Photo courtesy AP).

1st quarter
11:39		Yao misses a turnaround fadeaway 12-foot jumper in the lane. The score is 0-0.
9:34	Free Throws	From the left side of the court, Jim Jackson passes the ball over Jake Voskuhl, who is fronting Yao defensively, to Yao. Yao catches it just to the left of the rim, and Shawn Marion comes over and fouls Yao as he goes up for the shot. Yao goes to the line and makes both free throws. The Rockets trail 2-4.
6:50		Yao misses a right-handed jump hook in the lane over Jake Voskuhl. He had a good look at the basket, but he just shot it a little too hard off the back iron. Yao is now 0-for-2 from the field. The Rockets trail 16-4 and have missed 8 of their last 9 shots.
5:49		The Rockets swing the ball around the horn nicely, starting with Maurice Taylor in the paint, who passed to Jim Jackson at the top of the three-point line, over to Mark Jackson on the right side behind the arc, into Yao in the paint to the right of the basket. Voskuhl is out of position and Yao catches it to the right of the basket, and HE JAMS IT DOWN TWO-HANDED! Yao is now 1-for-3 from the field with 4 points. The Rockets trail 9-18.
4:19		Yao misses a difficult, twisting turnaround bank shot from the right edge of the lane. He is now 1-for-4 from the field with 4 points. The Rockets trail 9-21.
3:58		Yao checks out of the game for Kelvin Cato. Yao has 4 points on 1-of-4 shooting. The Rockets trail 9-23.
2nd quarter - At the end of the first quarter, the Rockets trail by 17 points, 11-28! The Rockets shot a pathetic 4-of-21 from the field, while the Suns shot 12-of-25. Cuttino Mobley was 0-for-6 from the field. Phoenix's Joe Johnson was 4-of-5 for 8 points. Yao does not start the quarter.
9:46		Yao checks back into the game for Kelvin Cato. The Rockets trail 13-32. A few seconds later, Yao is double-teamed and throws a cross-court pass that gets intercepted by the Suns.
9:36		Just 10 seconds after he checked in, Yao checks out of the game for Clarence Weatherspoon. This is the first time we have seen Yao check out so quickly, and it wasn't in response to any Suns player coming into the game. We wonder if Van Gundy is punishing Yao for the turnover?
8:05		Yao checks back into the game for Maurice Taylor. The Rockets trail 16-35. The Rockets are getting blown out!
6:25		From the left side of the basket near the baseline, Voskuhl decides to challenge Yao and drives toward the hoop to put up a layup, but Yao is there the whole way and blocks Voskuh's attempt at the rim! That's Yao's 83rd block of the year. The Rockets still trail 18-37.
5:08	+ Free Throw	Clarence Weatherspoon passes the ball from behind the top of the arc down to Yao along the left edge of the lane very close to the basket. Double-teamed, Yao does not bring the ball down nor does he hesitate in making his move. He turns toward the hoop with the ball over his head, jumps straight up and sheds Shawn Marion off him, HESITATES WHILE IN MID-AIR, AND ON HIS WAY DOWN BANKS A SHOT OFF THE GLASS FOR THE SCORE, AND HE'S FOULED BY MARION!! Voskuhl grabs the ball after it falls through the hoop and throws it against the stanchion in frustration! We like how Yao exploited the double-team of the shorter Suns defending him! However, Yao goes to the line and misses the penalty free throw. Yao is now 2-for-5 from the field and has 6 points. The Rockets trail 24-39.
3:16	Free Throws	Yao has inside position for an offensive rebound in front of the rim, and the Suns' Jake Voskuhl is overtly grabbing Yao from behind, but the ref really isn't call anything. After a shot by Cuttino Mobley misses, Yao goes leaping for the rebound and is able to flop his way into getting the ref to call a foul on Voskuhl although Voskuhl had been hassling him earlier. Yao goes to the line and misses BOTH FREE THROWS! OUCH! Yao is now 2-for-5 from the free throw line.
3:05		Yao gets passed the ball as he is cutting toward the basket and goes up to lay the ball in, but Shawn Marion is there to block it at the rim! Give Marion credit for timing the block perfectly! Of course, the Phoenix crowd is going crazy applauding the block. Yao is now 2-for-6 from the field and 2-of-5 from the line with 6 points.
2:03		Jim Jackson comes out to the three-point line on the right side of the court and catches a pass. Yao then rolls down the left side of the lane and Jackson throws him a pass perfectly while he is on the move to the basket. He dribbles once, takes a step toward the basket, stops, and shoots a little 3-foot jumper off the glass for the basket! He is now 3-for-7 from the field with 8 points. The Rockets trail 30-41.
1:18		Yao flashes into the lane from the left side of the court, and Jim Jackson throws the ball to Yao from the top of the three-point arc. Yao catches the high pass to his right, and defender Jahidi White is thrown off balance and out of position. Yao catches the ball, and with a clear lane to the basket GOES UP STRONG WITH BOTH HANDS AND THROWS IT DOWN, AND HE'S FOULED BY WHITE FROM BEHIND! AND WHITE SLAPS THE BALL AWAY IN DISGUST! AND I COULD SWEAR YAO WAS ROARING LIKE A LION WHEN HE JAMMED THAT ONE DOWN! (his mouth was open on the replay). That's the first time we've seen (and heard) that happen! We like the aggressiveness! Yao goes to the line and makes the penalty free throw. He is now 4-for-8 from the field and 3-of-6 from the line with 11 points. The Rockets have gone on a 21-6 run, and now only trail 34-41.
Halftime - At the end of the second quarter, the Rockets only trail by 5 points, 36-41, after trailing by as many as 22 points. The Rockets outscored the Suns 23-6 in the last 9 1/2 minutes of the second quarter. Despite the Rockets shooting a poor 30% from the field in the first half, the comeback was led by Yao with 7 points in the quarter (11 overall) on 4-of-8 shooting from the field, and surprisingly Clarence Weatherspoon who had 6 points in the quarter. Phoenix shot 18-of-42 (43%) from the field.
3rd quarter - Yao starts the quarter.
10:47		Once again, from the top of the three-point arc, Jim Jackson passes the ball down to Yao right in front of the rim, and Yao just turns and BANKS A RIGHT-HANDED JUMP HOOK OFF THE GLASS FOR THE DEUCE! Unbelievably, the Rockets only trail 40-43! Yao has 13 points on 5-of-9 shooting.
10:24	Good Defense!	From the left side of the basket along the baseline, Voskuhl drives to the lane, BUT YAO IS THERE TO CUT HIM OFF, AND YAO GOES FLYING BACKWARDS TO THE FLOOR FROM THE CONTACT, BUT NO FOUL IS CALLED. As a result, Voskuhl is left wide open and shoots an airball.
6:19		Yao is vying for position in front of the rim for an offensive rebound against the Suns' Voskuhl, and Yao is so strong, there's no way Voskuhl can compete physically with Yao. So as the ball is coming off the rim, Voskuhl tries to flop in front of the ref and he actually stops playing and looks at the ref, AND YAO JUST KEEPS GOING, GRABS THE REBOUND AND HAMMERS IT DOWN FOR THE TWO-HANDED SLAM, AND HE'S FOULED BY JACOBSEN! THERE WAS NO EXCUSE FOR VOSKUHL TO GIVE UP ON THAT PLAY, AND YAO MADE HIM PAY! Yao goes to the line and makes the penalty free throw, and has 16 points on 6-of-10 shooting from the field and 4-of-7 from the line. The Rockets trail 46-55.
5:05		Yao cuts into the lane and is dished the ball from Cuttino Mobley, and Yao goes up for a right-handed jump hook, but it's too strong off the back iron. Yao is not able to get both hands on the rebound, and the Suns knock it out to Leandro Barbosa who drives to the basket and is fouled. Yao is now 6-of-11 with 16 points. After Barbosa makes both free throws, the Suns lead 60-49.
4:33		Jake Voskuhl gets the ball in front of the rim and tries to put up a right-handed jump hook, but Yao is there to intimidate his shot and Maurice Taylor is able to block it from the side. Yao gets credit for the block, though. And of course, the Phoenix announcers are whining that Voskuhl was fouled when he really wasnt.
4:28		Yao checks out of the game for Scott Padgett as Mobley makes two free throws to trail 51-60.
2:55		Yao checks into the game for Scott Padgett. The Rockets trail 53-65.
4th quarter - The Rockets got outscored 32-22 in the third quarter. At the end of three quarters, the Rockets trail 58-73 thanks to 14 points and three 3-pointers from Shawn Marion. Cuttino Mobley was only 1-for-5 from the field. The Rockets closed the deficit to 10 points late in the fourth quarter before the Suns extended the lead to 15 points.
7:46		Yao checks into the game for Jim Jackson. The Rockets trail 64-83. The Suns extended their lead an additional 7 points while Yao was out of the game, thanks to a lack of interior defense that made it easier for the Suns to score.
3:04	Free Throws	Yao goes up for a rebound, but Voskuhl hacks him as he comes down and Yao goes crashing hard to the floor. A few seconds later, Yao is fouled trying to get position in the lane on Jahidi White, Yao MISSES BOTH FREE THROWS AGAIN! THIS IS NOT YAO'S NIGHT FROM THE LINE, where he is 4-for-9 and has 16 points. The Rockets trail 69-89.
2:48		Yao checks out of the game for Scott Padgett. The Rockets trail 69-91...and go on to lose 79-99. Yao finishes with 16 points on 6-of-11 shooting (4-of-9 from the line), 8 rebounds and 2 blocks.