Yao shows the intensity involved in the Rockets game against the Lakers Friday night in Los Angeles. It was a wild game that went into overtime, with the Rockets pulling out an improbable 107-104 win. Yao was incredible, scoring 39 points, grabbing 11 boards, making 17-of-21 free throws, and blocking 4 shots. Click here for more photos from the game.

When you play at Staples Center these days with the kind of scoring tear that Kobe Bryant has been on this month, you can’t expect to come out with a convincing victory – you just want to survive. You know Kobe is going to get his points. You don’t care how you win — just hold on for a wild ride and hope you can withstand #24’s offensive explosion.

That sums up what the Rockets did Friday night in a crazy game against the Lakers, holding on for a 107-104 victory in overtime

There were so many twists and turns in this game, I can’t possibly describe them all. Since the game was on ESPN, I assume many of you saw it, but I’ll try to describe some key plays while also providing a perspective on who was responsible for this big victory that pulls the Rockets within ½ game of the Utah Jazz for homecourt advantage in the playoffs.

Like many games in the NBA, this one got very interesting late in the fourth quarter when the Rockets had their biggest lead of the night — 12 points — with 4:30 remaining.

We’ve all seen Houston blow leads this season, but even I thought the game was over. After all, Kobe’s shot wasn’t falling in the second half, hitting only 1-of-11 shots in the third quarter and part of the fourth after scoring 25 in the first half. I thought he had finally cooled off, and “the butter was in the refrigerator,” and “the jello was jiggling,” or whatever former Laker announcer Chick Hearn used to say.

But then Kobe finally got hot again, outscoring Houston 12-3 all by himself to cut Houston’s lead to 91-88 with 1:47 remaining. It was just a matter of time before he would resurface. Just hold on, Houston. Just hold on.

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Yao makes a spin move to the baseline on the LA Clipppers’ Chris Kaman Wednesday night. Yao finished with 24 points and 15 rebounds, including 3 rebounds down the stretch to help seal a close 92-87 victory. Click here for more photos from the game.

The Rockets game against the Clippers Wednesday night was one of the more entertaining games of the season, a 92-87 victory for Houston. But I admit it: if Houston had lost, you would hear me moaning and complaining, and I would NOT be saying it was entertaining.

There were lots of runs by both teams to keep it close whenever you thought one of the teams was going to pull away. Even though he finished shooting below 50% for the game (12-of-30), Tracy McGrady was fantastic, having his way whenever Cuttino Mobley tried to guard him.

In the first quarter alone, T-Mac must have taken Cuttino to the hole 4 different times and scored on him each time. As T-Mac would say, “my man was at my mercy.” He just blew by him, and continued to do it. And Mobley is a pretty good defender. Just goes to show how dominant T-Mac can be.

Houston got off to a hot start in that first quarter by taking a 17-9 lead, with T-Mac scoring 8 of those points. But then the Clippers went on a 20-4 run to hold a 29-21 lead after the first quarter.

Then early in the second quarter, Yao picked up his third foul. But like in a recent game where Yao was burdened by foul trouble early, he stayed in the game and made the most of it. He even got more aggressive offensively and scored the Rockets’ next 8 points by hitting a hook shot, throwing down a dunk, hitting a jump shot, and making two free throws.

That stretch by Yao kept the game from getting away and made it 33-31, Clippers. The jump shot he hit in the middle of that run was a thing of beauty. He did his favorite spin move to the baseline on Chris Kaman, but then stopped his dribble (creating space on Kaman since Yao’s defenders are accustomed to following Yao to the basket), faded away to make the shot unblockable, and drained it. I hadn’t seen that move before from Yao. I guess Yao knows everyone is watching videotape of him on that spin move and is throwing in a new wrinkle to get himself an easier shot.

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Yao throws one down over Milwaukee’s Brian Skinner on a play where he flopped a few seconds earlier in an attempt to draw a foul, but the refs didn’t fall for it. Yao finished the game with 22 points on 9-of-22 shooting, 7 rebounds, 2 assists and a block in a 107-86 victory. Click here for more photos from the game. Click here for pre-game photos.

As expected, the Rockets took care of business Monday night against the poor, injury-plagued 25-43 Milwaukee Bucks to clinch a spot in the Western Conference playoffs. With Andrew Bogut, Charlie Villanueva, Dan Gadzuric, Bobby Simmons, and Mo Williams all out, the Rockets got off to a fast start with another 30+ point first quarter (33), led by 9 at halftime, extended it to 23 in the third quarter, and cruised to a 106-87 win.

Although the Rockets were playing the second game of a back-to-back and they were embarrassed (once again) the night before by the Hornets, it was impossible to fathom the idea the Rockets would lose this game. If they had lost, they would have serious problems at this stage of the season losing a game like this one.

Yao got off to a rough start, missing his first 5 shots, and he finished 9-of-22 from the field for 22 points. I’m a little concerned Yao has started to lose his shooting confidence lately as the Rockets head into the home stretch. As much as I would like to blame it on the splint on his middle and ring finger on his shooting hand (like Rocket broadcasters Matt Bullard and Bill Worrell did), Yao has had some great shooting games since having the splint applied on March 9th, like the following:

March 9th – 6-of-11
March 11th – 14-of-22
March 16th – 8-of-18
March 18th – 10-of-18
March 20th – 10-of-17
March 22nd – 10-of-19

Also, starting since March 9th when he started wearing the splint, he has shot 67-of-79 (84.8%) from the free throw line, which is very close to his season average of 85.8%.

It’s only his last two games where he has struggled from the field, making only 16-of-44 shots for 36% shooting. If I could ask Yao one question, it would be about the effect the splint was having on his shot. He mentioned after the Hornets game the problem was that he wasn’t able to get position down low, and he vowed to get better position against the Bucks. However, getting better position still didn’t help as he started the game 0-for-5.

It was interesting that Jeff Van Gundy left Yao in the game until the very end of the game when it was well in hand, probably so he could improve his conditioning and work the kinks out of his suddenly-gone-south shot.

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The Hornets’ Tyson Chandler takes it strong to the hole against Yao Ming Sunday night in Oklahoma City. Chandler got the better of Yao statistically, and his team also got the win. Click here for more photos from the game.

The Rockets-Hornets game Sunday night tapped my emotions from the highest high to the lowest low.

In the first quarter the Rockets were that well-oiled offensive machine we have grown accustomed to seeing lately in the first quarter of games.

As a team they made their first 7 shots. Yao started off 4-for-4 from the field. T-Mac hit his first five. The Rockets moved the ball around for open shots, resulting in 12-of-21 shooting and a 10-point lead at the end of the first quarter, 30-20.

Good job. The Rockets we’re on their way to finally getting the Hornet “monkey” off their back, a team they hadn’t beaten this season in two previous match-ups, and hadn’t beaten in 4-of-5 attempts the past two seasons.

This was the new Rockets we were watching. That underachieving bunch of the past was the old Houston. This was going to be another “statement game,” one of several they have had this season that seemingly holds so much promise in the playoffs.

But then it all came tumbling down. The Rockets fell into some old patterns and folded like a tent, losing 106-94. Yao’s shot inexplicably left him, and he ended up missing 15 of his last 18 shots. That’s unheard of. I can’t believe it. Yao scored only 16 points on 7-of-22 shooting, grabbed only 7 boards, and had 1 block. Meanwhile, his opponent Tyson Chandler scored 14 points, but only needed 11 shots to do it (he made 6), and he grabbed 10 boards and blocked 3 shots.

Part of the reason Yao was having a hard time was because the refs kept calling fouls against him, but no fouls against his defenders who hacked away without fear of a whistle blowing. Yao only went to the line an unbelievably low TWO TIMES! What the hell is going on? In the 10 games since his return from his leg injury, he has averaged going to the line 8.2 times. RONNIE NUNN — WHERE ARE YOU?

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Yao pounds fists with Dikembe Mutombo in Saturday’s practice in Houston. Mutombo won’t play in Sunday’s game against the Hornets because of knee issues, and neither may Tracy McGrady. Click here for more photos of Yao at the practice. Click here for photos of other Rocket players during the practice, including Bonzi Wells, who may be activated for Sunday’s game.

The Houston Chronicle reports that Tracy McGrady has been battling the flu, so he is questionable against the Hornets Sunday. Also, Dikembe Mutombo is definitely out because his knee still is bothering him. So that may leave Yao as the main offensive option, and he may have to log more minutes than normal since Deke is unavailable to provide relief minutes to Yao. Look for seldom-used Jake Tsakalidas to get some playing time on Sunday.

He may have had games where he has scored lots of points, like the past two games where he scored 27 points against Detroit and 32 against Indiana. But Yao is still not fully back in shape after returning a couple of weeks ago to action from his leg injury where he missed 35 games.

In this article, Fran Blinebury of the Houston Chronicle gives us insight on how hard of a worker Yao really is as he tries to get back into condition.

Yao says, “I feel my post moves are still not quick enough. Some of them because my knee still bothers me a little bit. Not much. But if you just slow it that much, then you cannot pass (a defender).”

His teammate Shane Battier has noticed Yao’s fatigue. Battier said, “It’s the plays that require discipline, like a pick-and-roll rotation, where he has to cover for somebody. Sometimes when he gets fatigued, he may be a step late. To the common fan, they may not realize it. But we know it’s conditioning. That will all come. He’s gotten better every game. He’s still not 100 percent, I don’t think.”

“The amazing thing is how he’s kept his touch,” Battier said. “That’s been the most impressive part. He’s moved better since they took off the knee brace. But when he plays hard for long stretches, there are just those little things he can’t do that are all about conditioning.

“But you have to remember that he’s asked to do a whole lot on the offensive end for this team. It’s not like it’s me, who’s just out there running around and shooting 3s. He has a heavy-ended load, and we’re looking to go to him every single time down the floor. I get tired just looking at him.”

Juwan Howard gives his perspective on Yao’s recent success where he has scored 32 points and 27 points in his last two games. “We’re not surprised at all,” Howard said. “He’s a big-time player, and big-time players make plays. Yao knows how to play the game. He’s a good shooter. He’s a knowledgeable player. He has a high basketball IQ. You talk about a player like that, he’s going to perform at a high level.”

Head coach Jeff Van Gundy states, “He does look a bit tired. But I don’t think that’s due to the injury. I think he’s always looked a little tired late in games.”

Yao stated, “Actually, I feel much better. I can run much longer. That fourth quarter (against Detroit), I think I was not aggressive enough. I need to take more shots. There were times — when Kirk (Snyder) goes baseline and steps out of bounds and we have a turnover — I think that’s my fault. I need to know the time, know the position, and I need to take that shot. Not just throw the ball to him in trouble.”

Battier finishes by continuing to praise Yao for his dedication. “He doesn’t exactly look like he was eating Krispy Kremes while he was out,” Battier said. “Yao is probably the most disciplined player I’ve ever played with in terms of preparing and getting his body right and staying ready. The guy watches film in his sleep. So I’m not surprised that he’s been able to come back and play the way he’s playing.

“What really makes you feel good as his teammate is knowing how hard he’s going to work to make himself even better.”

This photo is indicative of the kind of game Yao had against the Pistons on Thursday night. On this play, Yao did his patented spin move toward the baseline, leaving Rasheed Wallace in his wake. Yao finished with a game-high 27 points on 10-of-19 shooting, 7-of-8 free throws made, 7 rebounds, only 2 turnovers, and 1 BIG BLOCK. Click here for more photos from the game. Click here for pre-game photos.

Through 3 1/2 quarters Thursday night, it appeared the Rockets were on their way to having another “statement game” similar to the 50-point win they had Sunday night in Philadelphia.

This time, they held a big 18-point lead with only 8:18 remaining in the game against arguably the best team in the Eastern Conference, the Detroit Pistons. The Pistons had won their last 6 road games, and 6 out of their last 7 games overall. So they are for real in a fairly weak East.

And in this game they were playing with Chauncey Billups, who has been out with a groin injury lately. This game was on its way to being a bona fide dismantling of Detroit, and I could only imagine what journalists and teams in the League were thinking about Houston.

Maybe something like, “Man, look at Houston. They are kicking tail. They have won 7 of their last 8 games (on their way to 8 of 9), and they dominated a good Detroit team. Watch out for them in the playoffs. No doubt now: they are going to be the surprise team in the playoffs this year.”

Well, after blowing that 18-point lead and letting Detroit close within 4 points with 2:31 remaining in the game, many of those potential accolades went out the window somewhat. Houston would hold on for a 91-85 win, which is impressive, but not as impressive as it could have been.

But I don’t care much about how a team looks when they win as much as I do with their ability to win close games any way they can. Houston has been learning lately how to close out tight games (remember the Indiana game Tuesday night?), which is undoubtedly going to be a necessity to win in the playoffs.

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Yao towers over Jermaine O’Neal in a closely contested game where the Rockets broke free from a lackluster showing and finally pulled it out in the fourth quarter, winning 86-76. Yao was awesome, scoring 32 points and grabbing 14 boards. Click here for more photos from the game. Click here for pre-game photos of Yao practicing before the game.

After beautiful offensive games where they had scored over 100 points in six of their last 7 contests, the Rockets finally had a game where they sputtered offensively, including lots of missed layups and shots around the basket. It’s strange how some of the Rockets’ stinkers have occurred at home.

But Houston overcame a lackluster performance on national TV against a sub-par Indiana team, turned on the juice in the game’s final minutes, and won 86-76.

That’s what good teams like Dallas, San Antonio and Phoenix do. They can sleepwalk through a game and struggle offensively, but have their superstars kick it into a higher gear to win it down the stretch. That’s what happened Tuesday night with the Yao/T-Mac combination.

I’m not as upset as others may be with the Rockets’ lackadaisical showing on Tuesday. The Mavericks and Suns have been known to do it. And there are still 14 games to go before the playoffs, so if they played every night like they did against Philadelphia the other night and won by 50 points, there would be nowhere else for them to go but down. Now if the type of game they had on Tuesday night against Indiana occurred in the final week or two of the regular season as they are tuning up for the playoffs, then I would be more concerned.

But more importantly, the Rockets are going to have to stick with the players they already have. It’s not going to change before the playoffs, so we just have to get used to the fact that T-Mac, Rafer Alston, and Luther Head can struggle on any given night (more on that later), meaning a first or second-round exit in this year’s playoffs.

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With the Chinese Basketball Association Finals going on, Yao offered his thoughts on China’s top NBA prospect, Yi Jianlian. In this article, Yao compares him to Amare Stoudemire. With all due respect, I would say that’s a stretch. When I think Amare, I think power and aggression. Regardless, Yao thinks Yi should prepare himself for the NBA by playing in a summer league.

Click here to read about how Yao is pulling for the Bayi Rockets, his old rival from when he played for the Shanghai Sharks.

I also love how Yao and I have alot in common: decline to pay a hotel 10 bucks for Internet usage to watch the Chinese basketball finals online when it’s not going to be too long until he can get online for free.

Even though he makes millions, Yao hasn’t let it alter his spending habits. Gotta love it! Stories like that make him very human.