Yao and Rockets Dominate Yi and Nets As China Watches
ao Ming won the showdown with fellow Chinese Olympian Yi Jianlian on Monday night in a game that was televised live to China.
Yao had 24 points and 16 rebounds and Aaron Brooks tied his career-high with 22 points as the Houston Rockets won their season-high fourth straight game with a 114-91 victory over the New Jersey Nets.
With Yao clogging the lane, the Rockets limited the Nets to a season-low 13 points in the first quarter in taking a 29-13 lead and never being threatened again. Houston shot 58 percent for the game, including 9-of-19 from 3-point range.
Keyon Dooling had 17 points to lead New Jersey. The Nets got just 10 points apiece from Yi, Devin Harris, Vince Carter on a combined 11 of 37 shooting.
The 10 points was a season-low for Harris, who has emerged as one of the league's top point guards less than a year after being acquired in a trade for Jason Kidd.
Tracy McGrady added 12 points, six rebounds and four assists for the Rockets, who won for the eighth time in 10 games. Carl Landry added 13 points.
Houston never trailed after McGrady hit a jumper to snap a 4-all tie. Luis Scola scored in the lane against Yi and Brooks followed with the first of what would be his four 3-pointers to push the lead to 11-4.
After Yi followed a miss by Harris, Brooks converted a four-point play and McGrady hit two free throws to give Houston a 17-6 lead.
Brooks finished with 11 points in the quarter, and closing out the period by setting up Landry for a layup in the final seconds for one of the six assists by the 6-footer.
Houston led by 23 points in the second quarter and the Nets never got closer than 16 in the third. The fourth quarter was mostly garbage time for the reserves.
12/22/2008 10:00 PM
By TOM CANAVAN
AP Sports Writer
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) Ñ
New Jersey Nets' Yi Jianlian shakes hands with Houston Rockets' Yao Ming before the opening tip of an NBA basketball game Monday night, Dec. 22, 2008, in East Rutherford, N.J.
(AP Photo/Bill Kostroun)
ao Ming won the showdown with fellow Chinese Olympian Yi Jianlian on Monday night in a game that was televised live to China.
