Chris Paul pounds Rockets in disturbing defeat
Sunday, March 25th, 2007
by John
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?
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?