Yao scores 37 in Rockets' win over Magic
(AP)Updated: 2007-03-12 15:15
If Yao Ming still isn't all the way back from his leg injury, the Orlando Magic couldn't tell. Yao had 37 points and four blocked shots in his biggest game since returning to the lineup, leading the Houston Rockets to a 103-92 victory over the Magic on Sunday.
Yao, who also had seven rebounds, was playing his fourth game since
returning from a broken right leg that caused him to miss 32 games.
 Houston Rockets center Yao Ming (11) of China goes to the basket defended by Orlando Magic center Darko Milicic, right, of Serbia as Jameer Nelson (14) looks on in the fourth quarter in NBA basketball Sunday, March 11, 2007 in Houston. Yao scored 37 points in the Rockets 103-92 win. [AP]  |
"I don't know how long it will be before I make it all the way back. I don't have experience with this kind of injury, so I don't know how long to say."
The Rockets know he's getting closer.
"Yao's doing great," said Shane Battier, who had 12 points, eight rebounds and four blocks. "It'll be a couple of weeks before he's in great condition. But his progress has been good.
"We would be foolish if we didn't look for Yao down there, he's so efficient. And he's getting more in shape every game."
Tracy McGrady added 19 points and 10 assists for Houston, which won its third straight after losing four of five.
"We did a great job of searching out Yao tonight," McGrady said. "When the big fellow is making shots down low like that, it's quite easy just to get him the ball."
Grant Hill scored 17 points and Dwight Howard had 16 points and 12 rebounds for Orlando, which lost for the fifth time in six games. The Rockets have beaten Orlando nine of their last 10 meetings.
"He is a very tough guy to shoot over," Magic coach Brian Hill said of Yao. "We wanted to put him in as many pick-and-roll situations as we could. I wasn't so surprised to see Yao as active as he was, but I didn't think he would get 37 points."
Howard agreed.
"He's 7-6 and there isn't a lot you can do against him," Howard said. "He had a good game and his jump shot was falling. You have to run him and we didn't run him enough, coming off his injury. You have to run the floor against him. "
Yao scored 10 points in the third quarter, helping Houston extend its lead to 21 points. Hedo Turkoglu had five points in the fourth quarter as Orlando closed to 96-86 with 2:15 to play.
The Rockets reeled off a 14-2 run, including 10 in a row, early in the first quarter. Yao had 10 in the period as Houston led by as many as nine before settling for a 31-23 lead entering the second quarter.
Houston used an 11-2 run in the second quarter, sparked by a pair of 3s by Battier and one by Kirk Snyder, to open a 50-36 advantage. The lead extended to 16 as the Rockets hit 68.8 percent (22 of 32) of their first-half shots.
Houston took a 58-45 lead into halftime as Yao had 16 and McGrady 12.
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