YaoMingMania.com

Yao reacts with elation after scoring in the fourth quarter against the Lakers on Wednesday night in Houston. Yao had a monster game (29 points, 11 rebounds) to outplay Shaq and beat the Lakers 102-87 in what Bill Walton called a "historic" game for Yao. To see more photos from the game, click here to see the photos posted in the YaoMingMania.com discussion forum. (Photo courtesy AP).

1st quarter
10:48		Yao misses a left baseline fallaway jumper over Shaq.
11:19		Yao shoots a right-handed hook shot over Shaq along the right baseline. The ball hits the rim, bounces off the backboard, rolls around the rim and drops through! Nice soft touch! The crowd erupts! Yao is 1-for-2 from the field with 2 points. The Rockets lead 5-4. Bill Walton says, "We have not seen a man attack Shaquille O'Neal since the days of Hakeem Olajuwon in the mid-90's."
8:42		Jim Jackson throws the ball into Yao, who has Shaq deep in the paint. Yao turns and goes up for a right-handed hook shot over Shaq, but Shaq is able to get a hand on it. The ball squirts lose from Yao's grip, and Yao is able to retain possession, but his timing is off so he passes it out to Mobley. As Yao gets out of the lane around the free throw line to avoid a 3-second penalty, Mobley drives to the basket from the right wing AND THEN DISHES TO YAO IN THE MIDDLE OF THE LANE AS YAO IS MOVING BACK TOWARD THE BASKET, AND ELEVATES AND THROWS DOWN A TWO-HANDED DUNK!! SWEET!! TOYOTA CENTER GOES NUTS! Shaq had backed off Yao to remain under the basket, and he had no interest going out high with him. Yao is now 2-for-4 from the field with 4 points, and the Rockets tie the game at 9-9.
8:05		Yao misses a jumper in the middle of the lane, but it's short. Yao is now 2-for-5 with 4 points.
7:32	Intimidation!	Gary Payton drives the left baseline for a layup, but Yao is able to jump and get a hand up to make Payton alter his shot and miss! Walton says, "Yao Ming's mere presence is scaring a lot of the Lakers. His length is unmatched in NBA history."
7:12		Yao pivots toward the left baseline, pump fakes, then catches some body from Shaq (and also gets some of the ball) which throws Yao's timing off and makes him miss badly, but no foul is called! Inexplicably, not only do the refs not call a foul on Shaq, but they give him credit for a block! Yao is now 2-for-6 from the field with 4 points. The game is still tied 9-9. A few moments later, Bill Walton responds to a question about Yao's biggest area of improvement: "Personality. Figuring out he is the next great player in basketball. There's a lot of talk right now about Duncan and Garnett, and that's where it should be. The ability of Yao Ming to mentally take over everything (is where he should focus)."
5:53		The Lakers start a fast break with Gary Payton throwing a long pass to Slava Medvedenko, who drives to the hole from the left side of the court. Medvedenko puts up a nice finger roll, BUT YAO TRAILED HIM ON THE PLAY, ELEVATED AND SWATTED THE SHOT AWAY FROM THE RIM FOR AN EMPHATIC REJECTION THAT GOES OUT OF BOUNDS! The crowed roars its approval of Yao's hustle!
5:00		Shaq drives past Yao on the left side of the court and goes in for a slam dunk. Shaq was just too quick for Yao on that one. After the play, Walton says about Yao, "Yao Ming, like Sabonis, is one of only two guys to ever make Shaq look like a normal-sized human being. Shaq can turn and face him and be effective that way (by driving past bigger men)."
4:34		After pivoting a couple of times, Yao misses a left-handed baseline jump hook from just outside the left edge of the lane.
3:49		Yao checks out of the game for Maurice Taylor. Yao has 4 points on 2-of-7 shooting. The Lakers lead 14-13.
2:05		Yao checks back into the game for Kelvin Cato. The Rockets lead 20-19.
2nd quarter - At the end of the first quarter, the Rockets lead 26-23. The Rockets shot 12-21 with Taylor and Griffin scoring 7 and 6 points, respectively. Gary Payton had 7 points, Shaq had 6 points, Kobe had 2 points, and Slava Medvedenko was only 1-for-7 from the field. Yao does not start the second quarter.
10:52		Shaq checks out of the game with 8 points on 4-of-6 shooting, and Yao checks back in. The Rockets lead 28-25.
9:56	Free Throws	Yao gets the ball in the middle of the lane on Medvedenko, goes up for a shot that banks off the glass AND ALMOST FALLS THROUGH, but he was fouled by Medvedenko. Yao goes to the line and makes both free throws to put the Rockets ahead 30-25. Yao has 6 points and is 2-for-2 from the line (2-for-7 from the field). Walton says,"Yao Ming is never going to be a player like Shaq, Hakeem Olajuwon, or Wilt or Kareem that would just throw up monster numbers... I think perfect numbers will be between 18 and 22 (points), getting 15-20 shots per game. More importantly is who he is going to play with, and I don't think this roster is complete. I don't think these guys are set. Van Gundy's first year, Carroll Dawson -- the general manager here -- he's got alot of work ahead of him. Is Steve Francis the long-term point guard. Is Cuttino Mobley stable enough to play at the highest level?"
9:16		Yao grabs a rebound on the right side of the rim and with Slava Medvedenko trying to guard him, Yao puts a shot off the glass for the score! There's nothing Medvedenko could do on that one. Yao now has 8 points (3-for-8 from the field) with 8 points. Houston leads 32-27.
8:26		Yao misses a long bomb from about 2 feet inside the three-point line. Yao is 3-for-9 from the field with 8 points. Houston leads 32-29.
7:34		Yao misses a fallaway jumper from the left edge of the lane over Shaq. Yao is now 3-for-10 from the field, perpetuating a 3-game trend of not being reluctant to shoot when his shots aren't falling. The Rockets lead 32-31.
4:52		Francis dives to save a loose ball from going out of bounds underneath the Rockets goal, and somehow gets it to Yao on the left edge of the lane. Yao turns into the lane and puts up a little jumper about 2 feet in front of the rim and it's blocked resoundingly by Shaq, his third of the game against Yao! Yao is now 3-for-11 from the field.
2:51	Assist	From the three-point line, Steve Francis passes the ball to Yao on the left block with Shaq guarding him. Francis immediately cuts to the hole and YAO BOUNCES A PERFECT LEAD PASS BETWEEN SHAQ AND KOBE TO FRANCIS IN THE MIDDLE OF THE LANE, AND FRANCIS LAYS IT IN OFF THE GLASS! THAT WAS A SICK ASSIST BY YAO! Of course, the Houston bench and fans leap to their feet to celebrate how nifty and pretty that was!
1:53		Yao gets the ball along the left edge of the lane, then dribbles into the lane on Shaq, then elevates over Shaq with a right-handed hook shot...AND YES! YAO DRAINS IT! He is now 4-for-12 from the field with 10 points, 7 rebounds and 1 block. The Rockets lead 44-43.
Halftime - At the end of the second quarter, the Rockets lead 46-45. It has been a close game with 18 lead changes in the first half. The Rockets shot 53% from the field, and Maurice Taylor has 12 points on 6-of-8 shooting, Francis has 6 points and 4 assists, and Mobley has 9 points and 4 assists. Shaq has 12 points on 4-of-8 shooting. Neither Shaq nor Yao have a personal foul.
3rd quarter - Yao starts the quarter.
11:48		On the first possession of the game, Yao cuts across the lane and down the left edge of the lane, and Kelvin Cato hits him with a pass while he's moving toward the basket. Yao puts up a scoop shot toward the basket, but Shaq blocks it! Now THAT block by Shaq was legit, and his fourth block on Shaq.
11:06		Yao is positioned above the free throw line while Mobley starts to dribble down the left edge of the lane. Once Yao sees Mobley get to a certain point, he starts breaking toward the basket...AND MOBLEY BOUNCES A PASS INTO THE MIDDLE OF THE LANE, WHICH YAO PICKS UP WITH HIS LEFT HAND AND PRESSES AGAINST HIS LEG FOR CONTROL, THEN HE TAKES ONE GIANT STEP AND SOARS THROUGH THE AIR AND THROWS IT DOWN WITH HIS RIGHT HAND!! Yao is now 5-for-14 from the field with 12 points. On the next Rocket possession, Yao is fighting hard to jockey for position, and Bill Walton remarks, "I have never seen a guy flash into the paint more than Yao Ming and not get the ball."
9:49		Yao misses a fallaway jumper over Shaq from the left baseline.
9:26		On a Rockets' fast break, from the left wing Jim Jackson passes the ball to Yao who is on the run and in the middle of the lane. He catches the pass, then pivots quickly and scores on a beautiful whirling-dirvish layup off the glass. Yao looks at the ref in disgust when he realizes a foul was called before he had made his move. Since it wasn't a shooting foul, there will be no free throws. That's BOGUS!
8:38		Yao misses a long bomb from the top of the key. He is now 5-for-16 with 12 points. The score is tied 50-50.
8:02		Cato shoots a long jumper from the right baseline that misses and bounces off the rim, AND YAO HUSTLES OVER TO SLAP THE BALL UP OVER SHAQ AND OFF THE GLASS. The ball comes down to Yao to the left of the rim. Yao dribbles the ball once, and as he goes up for his shot, SHAQ CRACKS HIM OVER THE HEAD! BUT IT DOESN'T BOTHER YAO BECAUSE HE JUST PROCEEDS TO SLAM IT DOWN FOR THE SCORE...AND THE FOUL! THE HOUSTON CROWD GOES HAYWIRE IN ECSTASY! Yao goes to the line and misses the free throw, though. He now has 14 points on 6-of-17 shooting. The Rockets lead 52-50.
5:53		Cuttino Mobley throws a beautiful alley-oop pass to Steve Francis, who throws it down! That's Mobley's 8th assist! The Rockets lead 63-58.
2:21		Yao checks out of the game for Maurice Taylor. Yao has 14 points on 6-of-17 shooting. Shaq also checks out of the game, and hasn't had a field goal since the first minute of the second quarter. The Rockets lead 71-63 with the help of an 8-3 run.
4th quarter - At the end of three quarters, the Rockets lead 73-65. Yao picked up 3 personal fouls on Shaq in the quarter. Yao has 14 points (6-of-17 from the field), 9 rebounds and a block. Shaq has 15 points on 4-of-10 shooting, 6 rebounds and 4 blocks (all against Yao). Francis had 8 points on 4-of-4 shooting in the quarter, and Mobley had 10 points (5-of-5 free throws).
11:29	Free Throws	Yao is fouled in the lane by Shaq on a right-handed jump hook. Yao goes to the line and makes both free throws to tally up 16 points (3-for-4 from the line). The Rockets lead 75-65.
10:35		Yao gets the ball a couple of feet away from the the right side of the paint area with Shaq guarding him one-on-one. Yao fakes a little bit, then simply faces up and decides to shoot a fallaway jumper over the shorter Shaq...AND BANG! Yao is now 7-for-18 from the floor for 18 points! Walton says, "There's not a player in the NBA that is willing or able to do that other than Yao Ming. (He's) Just looking at Shaq and say, 'Coming at you, big man.' Not since the days of Hakeem Olajuwon."
10:10		Yao checks out of the game for Cato after fouling Shaq for his 4th foul. He has played 31 minutes thus far and scored 18 points on 7-of-18 shooting and grabbed 10 rebounds. The Rockets lead 77-67.
7:08		Yao checks back into the game for Kelvin Cato. Shaq also checks back in. The Rockets lead by 13 points, 85-72!
6:12	Free Throws	Yao is fouled on the left baseline by Shaq, his fifth foul. Yao goes to the line and makes both free throws. He now has 20 points. The Rockets lead 89-75. Walton says, "The ability to attack Shaq. Who can do it? Yao Ming, yes. Tim Duncan, most certainly."
4:23		Yao gets the ball on the left edge of the lane with Shaq guarding him one-on-one. Yao then dribbles twice into the lane, then falls away with a right-handed hook shot, AND COUNT IT! The Rockets now lead 93-79. Yao has 22 points on 8-of-19 shooting. Walton exclaims, "This is an awe-inspiring performance by the Big Man."
3:49		Yao gets the ball about 5 feet outside the left edge of the lane guarded one-on-one. In an unusual move, Yao faces up against Shaq like he's going to take him on. Yao then dribbles to the side of the lane and Shaq follows, then Yao quickly pivots the opposite way toward the baseline and takes a giant step toward the basket, then drives to the hole and puts up a twising layup off the glass, and it goes in! Yao belts out a scream of victory (see photo above)! Shaq was helpless in trying to defend it, and Toyota Center is about to collapse from the loudest decibel levels in its short history! This play will go down as a classic! Bill Walton punctuates the moment with the following statement: "Are we seeing a turning point in history? How do you describe this other than 'flawless,' 'perfection.' Hakeem Olajuwon, Bob McAdoo, Kevin McHale, all the great low-post finesse players in NBA history. We're talking about a guy who is 7'6", almost 300 hundred pounds, and just getting started. And taking it to the most dominant, vibrant force in basketball today." Yao now has 24 points (10 in the fourth quarter) on 9-of-20 shooting.
3:20	Free Throws	Walton states, "He's getting stronger. They (the Rockets) are just going to him every time!" At that time, the Rockets do go to Yao one more time, this time passing him the ball in the same spot where he started his last move described directly above...AND SHAQ FOULS HIM, AND THAT'S HIS SIXTH FOUL! HE'S GONE FOR THE FIRST TIME THIS ENTIRE SEASON. As Shaq prepares to exit the game for good amidst the cheers of the Rocket fans, Walton says, "This is a historical event. We are seeing a 23-year old man, Yao Ming, in just his second year calling for the ball against Shaquille O'Neal. Who would have ever thought?...As exhilirating and heartwarming as this is for Yao Ming and the Rockets, how frustrating and disappointing for the Lakers to have their main man just taken to task. That's what changes everything." Yao goes to the line and makes the first free throw, but misses the second. He now has 25 points. The Rockets lead 96-83.
2:16		Yao gets the ball on the right edge of the lane, then pivots toward the baseline and hits another fallaway jumper near the right baseline! This time it was over Slava Medvedenko. Yao now has 27 points on 10-of-21 shooting from the field. The Rockets now lead 98-83. Walton later says, "The clinic continues...The exhuberance on his face....what could be better? These fans are going to walk out of here and say, 'That was special. We were there. I remember when. And I'm coming back for more!'"
1:39		Yao gets fouled and goes to the line and makes both free throws. He now has 29 points. The Rockets lead 100-83, and history just might have been made.
:56.9		Yao checks out of the game, and finishes with 29 points on 10-of-21 shooting and 10 rebounds. The Rockets go on to win 102-85.