GREAT game by the Rockets. Yao completely dominated, with 29 points and 10 rebounds. He scored on an assortment of offensive moves- spin moves, midrange jumpers, long range jumpers, hook shots...the complete arsenal. Mo T also had a nice game off the bench, with 21 and 5 as the Rockets just completely manhandled New York inside. They ended up with 62 points in the paint; New York scored 71 points overall. But I thought the biggest spark was Mark Jackson, who played his first game as a Rocket, tallying 2 points, 3 assists and 2 rebounds in 15 minutes. However, he had some passes that simply ignited the crowd and the team, including a snap bounce pass to Yao on a fast break in the second quarter (Yao was fouled on the dunk attempt). All his passes were crisp and he certainly seemed to have a great grasp on the offense for only being here a week. What was even more impressive was that the Rockets trailed 26-16 after the 1st quarter (shooting horribly while NY shot 47%) yet rallied and kept their composure. It's a sign that this team is maturing and everything is slowly coming together. Another great game on national television by the Rockets, showing great resolve after a disappointing loss in Memphis. Rockets 86 Knicks 71
Yes great game; I too watched the game and was impressed with Yao and Mo taylor. JJ was solid as usual but Cat and Steve didn't shoot well but they sparked the rockets when it was needed. The return of the MJ impressed me even more; his passing was entertaining and effective. We definitely don't need Wilks anymore..he never really fit in; he couldn't create plays, all he did was run around the court..sorry but he will soon be released. A great win to keep the grizzlies sniffing our ass
I couldn't believe Rockets won after a 10 points deficit starting the 2nd quarter. Yao was amazing at the court.
One thing that really stood out to me was the heart the Rockets showed. They were down by 10 after the first quarter however they never lost faith and gave up like a lot of other teams. Instead they rallied and dominated the Knicks 31-9 in the 2nd quarter. What an impressive game down low for Yao Ming and Maurice Taylor. They completely destroyed the Knicks down low. You can start to see a trend in the Rockets victories. Whenever Yao gets 12+ shots we tend to win the game. What a coincidence? Really though, I am happy that we won the game however I think we need to do the same stuff night in and night out against everyone. Bang Yao down low and let him go to work. Talk about a defensive effort by the Rockets as well. The highest Knicks scorers were Allan Houston and Anfernee Hardaway with 12 each. This is just a testament to the Rockets great defense. One thing that I really like about this game was Steve only had one turnover. :thumbsup:
Is it just me or isn't Yao playing really well against the aging centers(mutombo, shaq) but he doesn't play well against the quick, athletic, young centers no matter what their size is.
