Yao’s Double-Double Rockets Houston Over Cleveland 92-77

Posted by Jeff Sack under Main

Yao Ming recorded a double-double Thursday night leading five Houston players in double figures, and the Rockets blasted past the Cleveland Cavaliers 92-77. Tracy McGrady who started and played 32 minutes, was feeling the effects of the flu, and it definitely effected his play (Now, I admire an athlete who will go into a game injured, however when you are sick and play that’s a different story. Now everybody on both teams will probably?end up with what ever Tracy has. Didn’t anybody on Houston’s coaching staff think this through? Just what you want to be playing with someone who is sick, and sweating and getting their germs all over the ball! Doesn’t the NBA have an executive vice president in charge of stuff like that? They have one for everything else!) Cleveland was shorthanded as they played without Dwight Gooden who missed his first game of the campaign with a groin injury.?Gooden was definitely missed by Cleveland, veteran Donyell Marshall started in Gooden’s place.

Houston led almost the entire game, Cleveland?had a 13-12 lead with 4:35 left in the first quarter, they would never lead again. The Rockets had a 23-17 lead at the end of the first quarter, Cleveland would pull within one point at the end of the second as Houston had a 40-39 advantage at the half. The Cavaliers would pull within 1 point again at 43-42 early in the third quarter, but the Rockets went on a 18-7 run to lead Cleveland 61-49, with less than 5 minutes remaining in the quarter. The Rockets led going into the final period 72-59 Cleveland never got closer than 7 points in the fourth quarter.

Yao shot 9-19 from the floor, 4-4 from the line for 22 points, he grabbed 12 boards, 4 assists, 1 block. Rafer Alston scored 17 points, 9 assists, 5 rebounds, 1 block, Shane Battier 15 points, 8 rebounds, 2 blocks, 1 assist. Bonzi Wells recorded a double-double?13 points, 10 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 steal, 1 block, Luis Scola scored 10 points, 7 rebounds, 4 assists.

LeBron James led all scorers with 32 points, he had 7 rebounds, 6 assists, 2 blocks, 2 steals. Larry Hughes scored 13 points, 4 boards, 1 assist, 1 steal. No other Cleveland player scored in double figures in the game. The win gives Houston a record of 29-20, Cleveland is now 27-21.

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