Yao Dominates Warriors: What The Houston Rockets Could Learn From Thomas Paine

Isn't it nice when your hometown team gets a clue? As former play-by-play announcer Gene Peterson would say, "how sweet it is." Sometime in the third quarter of the Rockets high-scoring 131-112 rout of the hapless and defensively challenged Golden State Warriors, the Rockets realized they had a player no one in a visiting uniform could guard. When Yao Ming was done pouring in 19 points in the fourth quarter to cap a 33-point, 14-rebound night, the Rockets had discovered common sense again. The 7'6" center drained 8 of his 12 shots, found three point shooters off double teams or made the hockey assist and swooshed 17 of 19 free throw attempts. He fouled out Ronny Turiaf and Andris Biedrins. He gave a few rookies and Brandon Wright some rude lessons, too. Yao will never be Hakeem Olajuwon and may never live up to the standards some think a 7'6" center should meet. To compare the two players seems like blasphemy, but that's OK. No one will ever confuse Tim Duncan with a slam-dunk champion or ... (link)