(18-20)
Venue: Compaq Center
National TV:
(22-15)
Posted on 01/17/2003 4:59:22 PM PST by hole_n_one
| LA Lakers (18-20) |
Time: 9:30 PM ET Venue: Compaq Center National TV: |
Houston (22-15) |
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| 2002-2003 SEASON SERIES | |||||
| DATE | LOC | RESULT | HI SCORERS | HI REBOUNDERS | HI ASSIST |
| Nov. 17 | at Lal | HOU 93 | Francis 27 | Thomas 10 | Francis 6 |
| LAL 89 | Bryant 46 | Horry 9 Walker 9 |
Bryant 4 | ||
| DATE | LOC | TIME | AWAY TV | HOME TV | NAT TV |
| Feb. 18 | at Lal | 10:30 PM ET | FOX WEST | ||
| Mar. 26 | at Hou | 8:30 PM ET | KCAL 9 | ||
HOUSTON (AP) -- Fearlessly and perhaps foolishly speaking about his nose as a target, Yao Ming insists he has no fear of catching an elbow from Shaquille O'Neal.
Sure, O'Neal is the game's most dominant inside force, but the 7-foot-6 Yao is a pretty big deal, too.
"I think he has a lot of meat on his elbows, so maybe it won't hurt that much," the Houston Rockets' center said jokingly Thursday on the eve of the matchup he's anticipated for almost half his life.
A worldwide audience of several hundred million is expected to watch Friday night when O'Neal and the Los Angeles Lakers play the Rockets and their rookie from China.
It will be the first on-court meeting -- but not the first face-to-face encounter -- between the NBA's Next Big Thing and its biggest superstar.
O'Neal was injured earlier this season when Yao shot 9-for-9 against the Lakers in Los Angeles. Yao and O'Neal spoke privately after that game, a meeting that Yao said lasted one or two minutes.
He would not reveal what was discussed.
"He is always smiling and is a very happy person. I think he lives a very happy life," Yao said.
Yao did not try to play down the significance of an event that has spawned many subtitles: Shaq Fu vs. Ming the Merciless, Shaq Daddy vs. Chairman Yao, The Big Aristotle vs. The Little Giant.
Surrounded by several dozen reporters and cameramen, Yao provided some insight into one of the most anticipated matchups in recent NBA history.
"This is a very important reason that factored into my decision to come into the NBA," Yao said though his translator. "The game will be a little different than a normal game."
With a season-high five-game winning streak that has moved them within two games of .500, the three-time defending champion Lakers are playing well after struggling for much of the season.
They have not yet caught up to the top eight teams in the West, but their recent success has moved them from 11th in the conference to ninth.
The Rockets, meanwhile, are a season-high seven games over .500 after missing the playoffs the past three seasons.
Like Yao, O'Neal has been eagerly awaiting the showdown.
In a televised interview last summer, O'Neal said he might greet Yao with an elbow to test his toughness.
"I know I can take it to guys bigger than me. Playing a shot-blocker brings out the best in me, so I'm looking forward to playing him," O'Neal said after the Lakers defeated the New Orleans Hornets on Wednesday night.
"I don't have to outscore him to solidify my position in this game. Everybody knows who I am. In America, in China, Africa, they all know who I am."
The marquee matchup is so much more than simply the first career meeting between two tall players.
O'Neal is a 7-foot-1, 360-pound behemoth whose combination of brute strength and low-post talent have led the Lakers to their titles. Perhaps the most recognizable athlete in the game, O'Neal -- when playing his best -- is the most unstoppable force in the sport since Wilt Chamberlain.
Yao is one of the best athletes from the world's most populated nation, a transcendent figure who is only beginning to show why he became the first foreigner selected No. 1 in the NBA draft.
Yao stands about 5 inches taller than O'Neal, although O'Neal outweighs Yao by at least 60 pounds.
Shaq's offensive repertoire is centered around the dunk, but he also has an array of spin moves and drop steps that make him all but automatic from inside 5 feet.
Yao's game is not as power-oriented, although he has a touch from in close that is as good as or better than O'Neal's. He can do a few things that O'Neal cannot, from stepping outside to shoot turnarounds from 18-feet or face-up jumpers from a few feet farther.
Yao has better hands and is a better free-throw shooter, while O'Neal has the strength to stay rooted near the basket without letting defenders push him out as they often do with Yao.
The buildup to the game has taken several twists and turns, most recently with a flap over a mock Chinese accent O'Neal used in an interview last summer.
Then there's the issue of All-Star voting, with Yao the leading vote-getter among Western Conference centers in the most recent figures released by the NBA.
"I don't think there's any animosity," Yao said. "We're all basketball players, and we all live together on this Earth."
When the two finally compete, Earth will get a little smaller.
And if the game itself matches the hype, the planet is in for a show.
Regular-season records
| TEAM | DIV. STANDING | W | L | PCT | HOME | ROAD | CONF | STREAK | LAST 10 |
| Los Angeles | 9th, Western Conf | 18 | 20 | .474 | 13-6 | 5-14 | 10-11 | Won 5 | 8-2 |
| Houston | 7th, Western Conf | 22 | 15 | .595 | 16-5 | 6-10 | 11-11 | Won 3 | 7-3 |
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Los Angeles 104
Houston 108
Shaq: 31 Points 13 Rebounds
Yao: 10 Points 10 Rebounds
What, are you kidding?!? I can't of another player who has ever blocked Shaq 5 times in the same game. He's a rookie and he didn't appear to intimidated at all by Shaq. Just wait until Yao gains a little more weight and muscle. He will give give Shaq all he can handle.
Yao didn't have a big point total in tonight's game, but he was a real factor. The Rockets would not have won the game without him. Just look at impact Yao has had on the Rockets this year. Even with Francis they were nowhere near a playoff team last year. Yao makes them a team that other teams will fear in the playoffs.
Agreed ... but I'm not putting Shaq there yet either :-)
| NBA: Shaq's foul was not worth a flagrant call ESPN.com news services |
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The NBA on Monday reclassified a controversial flagrant foul call made against Shaquille O'Neal during the Lakers' 108-104 overtime loss to the Rockets on Friday night. On the play in question, Steve Francis drove to the basket, where O'Neal made contact with the point guard. A flagrant foul was called by referee Monty McCutchen. Lakers coach Phil Jackson was subsequently hit with a technical foul for arguing the call. The technical foul was also reclassified by the NBA. The sequence helped the Rockets increase their lead from one point to four points. "The unfortunate thing is it had to be decided by them,'' O'Neal said after the game, referring to the the officials. "A whole bunch of people who paid a lot of money had to see a game that was decided by someone who doesn't make a lot of money. That's unfortunate.'' When told of the NBA decision to overturn the calls, O'Neal clapped lightly on Monday, but did not comment otherwise, according to the Los Angeles Times. However, O'Neal was saved a point in the NBA's system of overseeing flagrant fouls. When a player accumulates six points, he is suspended for one game. The game featured the first matchup between O'Neal and Houston rookie center Yao Ming, and lived up to its billing, even though Shaq dominated Yao at times. O'Neal finished with 31 points, 13 rebounds and four assists while Yao had 10 points, 10 rebounds and six blocks. The star of the game, however, was Francis, who led the Rockets with a career-high 44 points. Information from The Associated Press was used in this report |
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