Yao goes up between Washington’s Antawn Jamison and Jarvis Hayes on Tuesday night in Houston as the Rockets dominated the Wizards, 123-93. Yao scored 23 points on 11-of-14 shooting and grabbed 9 boards. Click here for more photos from the game.

by Chia-Chi

TUESDAY, 2/15/05 – Have the dreams and expectations of the Rockets early in the season finally emerged? Have phrases like, “adjusting to a new system” and “finding their rhythm” been buried for good?

Rev up those bandwagon engines, I have a feeling the Rockets may be taking us for a ride.

It wasn’t long ago that rumors about a new coach or huge trades were floating around. But if tonight’s game, the eighth consecutive Rockets win and a blowout by 30 points, was any indication of the team’s well-being, then the rumors will just remain rumors.

The Rockets came out strong against the Washington Wizards with Yao and Tracy McGrady playing big. Yao scored 12 points in the first quarter, fed by nice passes, and missed only one shot. McGrady also had 12 points. However, what made the biggest impact was the ball movement. The Rockets had 9 assists alone in the first quarter to take the lead 35-30 heading into the second quarter.

Credit does need to be given to the Wizards, one of the better teams in the East, who kept the game tight. Gilbert Arenas played aggressively and Antawn Jamison poured in the points. But it was never
really close after the second quarter. The Rockets steamed ahead the Wizards, nearly effortlessly, with great play after great play.

Besides a short dry spell in the second for McGrady, every other Rocket was hitting their shots. Jon Barry had two nice 3-pointers in a row. Yao finished the quarter resetting the shot clock by bouncing
the ball off the rim and closing with a monster jam with one second remaining, extending the Rockets lead to 62-49 at halftime.

In the third quarter the Rockets relaxed a little, but as Houston’s announcer stated, “Sometimes it’s easy to lose your man on defense when you’re up by 25.” But the Rockets moved the ball well, open shooters rained down threes, and Yao dominated the lane.

The Wizards attempted a volley of desperation three-point shots to try to close the gap, but the stingy Rockets defense wouldn’t allow it. Garbage time started with three minutes left. The Rockets won 123-93, the hottest team in the league going into the All Star break.

How did Yao Do?

Our man was nearly flawless – 23 points, 9 rebounds, and 4 blocks with only 2 personal fouls and 2 turnovers on 11-14 shooting. I don’t think a single person on the Wizards’ team could guard Yao, and if they were, Yao didn’t notice. This is the type of game where you want to build your confidence going into the All Star Game. One could still say that the Rockets could take some shots away from McGrady and give them to Yao, but as long as they win by 30 points, I can hold my criticisms for a little longer.

How did the Rockets Do?

As a team, their play was excellent. Jeff Van Gundy even laughed and joked during the game. Did you know our beloved coach has laugh lines? Neither did I. But even beyond quantifiable numbers like 33 assists, the flow of the game was visibly better. There were very few rushed shots, our perimeter shooters were confident and accurate, and four of the five starters had over 15 points. Everyone has a role and everyone seems to like their role. Incredibly, they shot 59% from the field and 50% from the 3-point territory.

Of course, their record now is only one game better than at the same period last year. And their remaining games are the most difficult in the league by current measure of W/L record, but I have a feeling that the playoffs are definitely in sight.

Are you thinking BIG yet?

Chia-Chi
zenithnadir@YaoMingFanClub.com

This entry was posted on Tuesday, February 15th, 2005 at 11:43 pm and is filed under vs. Washington. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.