YaoMingMania.com

Yao reacts with disbelief after being called for a foul Sunday afternoon in Milwaukee. Despite several terrible calls against Yao that put him in foul trouble, he overcame them and led the Rockets to a dramatic 111-107 victory over the Bucks in overtime. Yao finished with 27 points, making 13-of-13 free throws, grabbed 13 rebounds and blocked 5 shots. (Photo courtesy AP).

1st quarter
10:43		Yao gets the ball on the right-hand side of the lane, spins toward the baseline and puts up a right-handed hook shot over Brian Skinner, and it's good! That's Yao's first points, and the Rockets lead 5-0.
10:08		Yao gets the ball about 5 feet outside the right edge of the lane, faces up to the basket on Brian Skinner, pump fakes, then takes a step forward, turns his back toward the basket, spins toward the baseline, goes up for a slight fadeway jumper, releases the ball, AND SWISH! Yao is now 2-for-4 from the field, and the Rockets lead 7-2.
9:37		This time Yao gets the ball a couple of feet outside the left edge of the lane, dribbles once then spins toward the left baseline, pump fakes, then leans in on Skinner and puts up a shot to try to draw a foul. No foul is called, the ball bounces off the back rim, BUT YAO STICKS WITH IT, GRABS THE REBOUND, GOES STRAIGHT UP AND LAYS IT IN FOR THE BUCKET, AND HE'S FOULED! Milwaukee announcer Jon McGlocklin says, "Big problem today (for the Bucks). They (the Rockets) know the Bucks are small up front and they are going right to it on every exchange. Right block, now left block." Yao goes to the line and makes the penalty free throw, and he is now 3-for-4 from the field and 1-for-1 from the line with 7 points. The Rockets lead 10-2.
3:48		Yao gets the ball along the left edge of the lane close to the elbow, dribbles once, then pivots toward the baseline, goes up and shoots a 9-foot jumper from the edge of the lane over Skinner, AND MONEY! Yao is now 4-for-5 from the field with 9 points, and the Rockets lead 16-14.
2:45		Yao gets the ball in the middle of the lane and puts up a shot 3-feet away in front of the rim, but he's blocked by Skinner! Skinner finally finds a way to give Yao some resistance! Yao didn't get much elevation on that shot. The ball comes back down to Yao in front of the rim, and this time Yao gets up higher and puts up a right-handed hook shot, but it's too strong and clangs off the back iron. Yao is now 4-for-7 from the field and Houston is behind 16-18.
1:05		Yao checks out of the game for Scott Padgett. The score is tied 20-20. Milwaukee announcer Jon McGlocklin says, "Yao plays hard when he's out there. He really runs the court. He does not lag back."
:04		Yao checks back into the game for the final shot of the quarter, but the ball comes to Scott Padgett, who misses a three-pointer.
2nd quarter - At the end of the first quarter, the Rockets trail 20-23. Yao is 4-for-7 from the field and 1-for-1 from the line with 9 points. Clarence Weatherspoon has 4 points on 2-of-2 shooting. Unfortunately, the Rockets are 1-for-6 from three-point land. Milwaukee's Joe Smith has 9 points on 4-of-6 shooting.
7:31		Yao checks into the game for Maurice Taylor. The Rockets trail 33-37.
6:33	Assist	Yao gets the ball down low on the left block and is immediately double-teamed, which leaves Cuttino Mobley all alone behind the three-point line. Yao recognizes Mobley is open and kicks it out to him, and Mobley squares up and drills a three-pointer! That assist worked to perfection, and is Yao's first of the game.
5:42	Free Throws	Yao gets the ball in the lane and goes up for a shot, but he is fouled. So Yao goes to the line and makes both free throws. Yao is now 3-for-3 from the line and 4-for-7 from the field with 11 points. The Rockets lead 41-39.
4:53	Free Throws	Yao is fouled in the lane again, so he goes to the line and makes both free throws. Yao is now 5-for-5 from the line and has 13 points. The Rockets lead 43-39.
3:19		Yao gets the ball on the left side of the lane and has a clear path to the basket, so he goes up strong for a two-handed dunk, but Santiago is able to get a hand on it and the dunk attempt bounces off the back iron! Yao is now 4-for-8 from the field with 13 points.
2:29		Mark Jackson puts up a jumper which bounces high off the iron, BUT YAO IS IN FRONT OF THE RIM AND USES HIS LONG WINGSPAN TO REACH BACK AND GRAB THE BALL OUT OF THE AIR, THEN GOES UP OVER SANTIAGO (who tries to flop) AND BANKS IT OFF THE GLASS FOR THE DEUCE! Yao is now 5-for-9 from the field with 15 points. The Rockets lead 46-40.
:59	Bad Call!	Yao is called for his second personal foul on Desmond Mason, and Yao jumps with hands raised in the air and yells, "No! What!?" That's the most agitated I've ever seen him on an official's foul call, and for good reason! Yao had Mason pinned along the sideline and had perfect position, but the ref called him for blocking! Mason misses both of his free throws, though. The Rockets lead 52-44.
38.2		Yao checks out of the game for Scott Padgett. The Rockets lead 52-45. Yao has 15 points on 5-of-9 shooting from the field and is 5-for-5 from the line. He also has 7 rebounds.
Halftime - At the end of the second quarter, the Rockets lead 52-45. Houston outscored Milwaukee 32-22 in the second quarter after shooting 10-of-18 from the field and 10-of-11 from the line.
3rd Quarter - Yao starts the quarter.
9:27		The Bucks' Joe Smith drives toward the hole and puts up a shot to the right of the rim, BUT YAO SKIES HIGH TO BLOCK IT, AND THE MILWAUKEE CROWD OOHS-AND-AAHS! The ball comes down to Smith again, and this time he shoots it high off the glass so Yao can't touch it, and he scores. The Rockets lead 58-49.
8:51		Yao misses a fallaway jumper along the left baseline over two Bucks. Yao is now 5-for-10 with 15 points. The Rockets still lead 58-49.
7:35		From behind the three-point line, Francis throws the ball to Yao on the left edge of the lane. Yao jumps to get the pass, and as he comes down he dishes the ball to Taylor who is cutting down the middle of the lane! Taylor goes up for a shot and is fouled! Although Yao doesn't get an assist, we see a flash of his passing brilliance!
5:54	Free Throws	Yao goes up for a jump hook on the left side of the rim, but he is fouled by Santiago. Yao is now 7-for-7 from the line and has 17 points. The Rockets lead 65-57.
5:11	Bad Call!	Yao is jockeying for position in the lane, and as he puts his arm up, Santiago flops backwards and falls to the court Vlade Divac-style, and the refs buy it! Yao actually smiles on how great of an acting job Santiago pulled on the ref to get that call! That's Yao's third personal foul. The Rockets lead 65-57.
3:04		After the Bucks score 6 straight points to pull to a 63-65 deficit, the Milwaukee crowd is going crazy as the Rockets bring the ball up the floor. So the Rockets spread the floor and get the ball to Yao in the paint on the left edge of the lane. Yao quickly spins toward the baseline, gets around Santiago, AND SCOOPS UNDERHANDED (with both hands) THE BALL OFF THE GLASS FOR THE BUCKET! NOW THAT WAS A CREATIVE MOVE! YAO LOOKED LIKE RICK BARRY SHOOTING A FREE THROW ON THAT ONE! Yao now has 19 points on 6-of-11 shooting from the field. The Rockets now lead 67-63.
2:09		The Bucks' Damon Jones drives down the left side of the court and puts up a running jumper, BUT YAO COMES OUT OF THE PAINT TO CONTEST THE SHOT AND GETS A HAND ON IT! The ball bounces high off the glass, and Yao secures the rebound! Yao did it all on that play to come out and defend the quick guard, block the shot and grab the board! The Rockets lead 67-65
1:59		Yao checks out of the game for Clarence Weatherspoon. The Rockets lead 69-65.
4th Quarter - At the end of three quarters, the Rockets trail 69-71. They went cold in the third quarter by only making 5-of-14 field goal attempts and were outscored by the Bucks 26-17. Mo Taylor was only 2-for-6 from the field, but he did make 5-of-6 free throws. For the Bucks, Michael Redd scored 13 points and has 25 for the game. For the Rockets, Yao is 6-for-11 from the field, 7-of-7 from the line and has 19 points. He also has 2 blocks.
9:02	Free Throws	Yao is fouled by Santiago going up for a shot, so Yao goes to the line and makes both free throws. The Rockets now trail 73-79. Yao is now 9-for-9 from the line and has 21 points.
8:48		The Bucks' Toni Kukoc gets the ball on the left edge of the lane and dishes the ball to Michael Redd who is cutting down the middle of the lane. Redd goes up and challenges Yao on a layup attempt, BUT YAO BLOCKS THE SHOT OUT OF BOUNDS FOR HIS THIRD BLOCK!
7:47	Bad Call!	Yao is jockeying for position in the lane on Daniel Santiago, and as he raises his left arm to call for the ball, Santiago flops once again and the refs buy it again! This is ridiculous! That's Yao's fifth foul, so he has to check out of the game for Maurice Taylor with the Rockets trailing 73-79. It's not looking good for the Rockets.
4:54		Yao checks back into the game for Clarence Weatherspoon, and the Rockets trail 78-85.
4:04		Joe Smith goes up for a jump shot near the right elbow of the lane, but Yao comes out on him to smother him and make him double-pump in mid-air and throw the ball away, which results in a Houston fast break the other way and a slam dunk by Francis! Although he didn't touch it, Yao was credited with a block on the play. With Francis' slam, the Rockets now trail 82-87.
3:32	Free Throws	As Yao is backing into the lane, he is pushed from behind by Toni Kukoc. So Yao goes to the line, and like a machine, makes both free throws. Yao is now 11-for-11 from the line and has 23 points. He pulls the Rockets to within three points, 84-87.
2:38		With the Rockets trailing 84-87, Yao has a chance to pull the Rockets within one point with a little fadewaway in the middle of the lane, but he misses! Yao is now 6-for-12 from the field. However, the ball goes off the Bucks and the Rockets still have possession of the ball.
2:23		With 5 personal fouls, Yao gets the ball on the left edge of the lane and quickly gets double-teamed. SO YAO SPLITS BOTH DEFENDERS BY TAKING A STEP INTO THE LANE, TAKES ANOTHER BIG STEP TO SEPARATE HIMSELF FROM SANTIAGO, THEN LEANS IN TOWARD THE BASKET AND FINGER ROLLS IT IN FOR A HUGE BASKET! The Rockets now only trail 86-87. Yao is now 7-for-13 from the field with 25 points.
1:24	Free Throws	With the Rockets trailing 86-89, Yao gets the ball on the left edge of the lane guarded by Santiago. Yao spins toward the baseline and puts a shot off the glass while being fouled by Santiago. The ball goes high off the glass and ALMOST GOES IN! That could have been a valuable three-point play that could have tied it up. Instead, Yao goes to the line and calmly drains both free throws. He is now an amazing 13-for-13 from the free throw line with 27 points, and the Rockets trail 88-89. Yao is the man!
1:12		Michael Redd goes up for a shot from the left side of the court, which misses. Francis goes up strong for the defensive rebound and is fouled by Redd! That means Francis will go to the line! Francis steps up and makes both free throws, and just like that, the Rockets are leading 90-89!
:42		Desmond Mason drives toward the hoop and puts a shot off the glass that goes in! That puts Milwaukee up 91-90.
:11		After Jim Jackson misses a three-point attempt that could have put the Rockets ahead, the Bucks come down leading 91-90. Needing only a bucket to basically put the game away, Desmond Mason goes up for a shot in the lane that misses, AND YAO SLAPS THE REBOUND OFF THE GLASS WHICH COMES DOWN TO FRANCIS! With only 9 seconds remaining, Francis pushes the ball up the court. Needing only a two-pointer to win it, rather than stopping and call timeout or setting up the offense, FRANCIS GOES FOR A 'HOME RUN' LOW-PERCENTAGE THREE-POINTER (THEY ONLY NEED A TWO-POINTER TO WIN IT), AND HE MISSES! The ball comes down to Desmond Mason with 4 seconds remaining, and he is fouled with 2.9 seconds remaining on the clock! With the Bucks leading 91-90, Mason goes to the line and misses the first free throw (A VERY BIG MISS), but makes the second. The Rockets call timeout with the Bucks leading 92-90.
:02.9		Needing a basket to tie it, everyone thinks the Rockets are going to inbound it to Yao so he can put up a fadeaway jumper. But instead, Yao sets a pick for Francis, who comes toward the sideline to catch the sideline pass near the three-point line. Rather than pull up for a jumper, Francis gets by a defender, sprints down the left baseline toward the hoop, elevates and puts up a little jumper in front of the rim that goes in just as the buzzer sounds! The Rockets tie it at 92-92! We go to overtime! Francis makes up for his three-point blunder just a minute before by hitting a huge bucket!
Overtime
4:35	3-pointer!	Cuttino Mobley hits a three-pointer to put the Rockets ahead 95-92.
4:16	Good D!	Daniel Santiago gets the ball to the right of the rim and puts up a layup attempt, BUT YAO IS THERE TO INTIMIDATE AND MAKE HIM MISS! Even though he didn't get a recorded block, it looks like Yao got a hand on that shot! That was a close one. If Yao had been called for a foul on that play, he would have fouled out! On the ensuing possession for the Rockets, Cuttino Mobley throws an alley-oop to Steve Francis who is cutting into the lane from the top of the three-point line. Francis catches the perfect pass and throws it down for the dunk! The Rockets lead 97-92.
3:36		Damon Jones hits a three-pointer to bring the Bucks to within two points, 95-97.
3:19	Turnover	Yao gets the ball on the left edge of the lane, is quickly double-teamed, and gets the ball stripped from him by Desmond Mason and Santiago! In the scramble for the loose ball, Mason flops to the ground (he didn't have to do that since Santiago came up with the basketball anyway). Mason's flop was so good, he fooled his own bench into thinking that Yao pushed off on him, which would mean it would be Yao's sixth foul. Head coach Terry Porter is outraged, and is screaming at the refs. AS A RESULT, THE REF CALLS A TECHNICAL FOUL ON PORTER, HIS FIRST OF THE SEASON! That gives Jim Jackson the chance to go to the line and give the Rockets a three-point lead, which he does! The Rockets now lead 98-95. Huge!
2:37	Bad Call!	After Damon Jones misses a three-pointer, Yao gets the ball on the left edge of the lane and swoops to the basket for an apparent bucket that would put them up by 5 points, but he is called for a 3-second violation! That's insane! He wasn't in the lane for more than 2 seconds. I think that was a makeup call for the play that Porter got a technical on. On top of that, Yao was fouled on this shot by Santiago! This officiating is terrible! And Yao is absolutely livid, and for good reason! The Rockets still lead 98-95. After this bad call, the Bucks come down and Joe Smith hits a bucket to bring them within one point, 98-97.
1:59	Big bucket!	Maurice Taylor hits a big basket from the left elbow to put the Rockets ahead 100-97.
1:43		Michael Redd drives to the basket for layup, BUT YAO IS THERE TO SWAT IT AWAY WITH AUTHORITY, THEN KNOCKS IT OUT OF THE AREA TO FRANCIS! That's huge play for Yao to make considering he has 5 fouls on him!
1:30	Big bucket again!	Maurice Taylor hits ANOTHER big basket from the top of the key to put the Rockets ahead 102-97!
1:09	Intimidation!	Yao is able to put up resistance in the middle of the lane on a driving Michael Redd, who is forced to pass to Daniel Santiago underneath the rim, and Francis strips the ball out of his hands for the turnover! That was a close call for Yao, who could have been called for his 6th personal foul considering how the refs are calling this game! Francis then comes down and drains a jumper to put the Rockets ahead 104-97!
		The rest of the game becomes a free throw shooting contest, and the Rockets hit most of theirs and win! Yao finishes with 27 points (7-for-13 from the field, 13-for-13 from the line), 13 rebounds and 5 blocks! This was a huge win for the Rockets who would have been devastated if they had blown another game after holding a 9-point lead in the third quarter.