Yao leads the Rockets past the Kings

February 12, 12:29 AMAsian-American Sports ExaminerMichael Street

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Neither Jason Thompson nor any of the Kings
could stop Yao tonight (AP Photo/Pat Sullivan)

Houston had only two of its Big Three yet again tonight, but it only needed Yao Ming and Ron Artest, while other Rockets made significant contributions to help hold off Sacramento, 94-82.

The Rockets have had trouble in the past week with teams they were supposed to beat, particularly with those who are young, athletic, and with enough centers to keep the pressure on Yao without fouling out.

Sacramento fits these pretty well—they've got four players at or near 7' tall, their oldest starter is 29, and they like to run the floor.

Tonight, it didn't really matter. Yao dominated the middle, notching his twenty-fourth double-double of the year with 24 points and 18 rebounds, bouncing back in excellent form after his last game, one of the worst of the season for him.

He also picked up a block for the fourth time in the past five games, a product of his work with Dikembe Mutombo. 

Tracy McGrady sat once again, nursing his gimpy knee, and Luis Scola picked up the slack, putting in a double-double of his own with 19 points and 11 rebounds. Rafer Alston contributed with 13 helpers, a season high for him, and Artest, inserted in the starting lineup, sunk 19 points.

It was truly a team effort, and one that shows how good they can be when they don't rely too much on any player—even Yao. It helped that Spencer Hawes was the only one of the Kings' seven-footers to guard Yao, as Brad Miller was out with a hip flexor and Miki Moore was still out for undisclosed personal reasons.

That made them more tentative, and Yao and Scola took advantage of the smaller Sacramento frontcourt. It took them a little while to get going, and a sloppy second quarter for both teams—the Kings only scored 10 to Houston's 17—left the Rockets leading by only four at the half.

In the third quarter, Houston hit its stride, and Scola and Yao scored fifteen of the team's 17 points in a six-minute stretch. Sacramento looked disconcerted at Houston's defense, while the Rockets pressed their advantage, particularly down low, to take an 18-point lead heading into the final frame.

Down by so much, Sacramento started tossing three-point bombs, but only Bobby Jackson could connect on them. He got hot for a spell, scoring nine straight points at one point, but the deficit was too much to overcome, particularly with Brent Barry and Aaron Brooks knocking down their own long-distance shots.

The victory was an important one for the Rockets as they head into the All-Star break. Incredibly, they're sixth overall in the West, only a half-game back of fourth-place Portland. And just six games separate second from eighth in the playoff race, so every win is amazingly important.

Now, with only Yao to play in the All-Star Game, Houston—and particularly Tracy McGrady—will have a chance to rest before resuming play on next Tuesday against the New Jersey Nets.

That game should be the second all-China showdown between Yao and Yi Jianlian, although it's not clear that Yi will be healed from his broken pinkie to return in time. Regardless, the game will be an important one for Houston, looking to continue the momentum they generated tonight.