The Rockets built up a 21 point lead in this game, but barely held on for the win.  The Rockets pounded the Bulls on the boards, out-rebounding them 48-35.  T-Mac had a good game with 21 points, 11 rebounds and 7 assists.  Yao was solid last night with 20 points & 12 rebounds.  Rafer Alston pitched in with 19 points & 4 assists.  Luther Head (13 points, 3 rebounds, 4 assists) and Scott Padgett (11 points & 6 rebounds) were huge off the bench for the Rockets.

This was a hard fought victory for the Rockets who improved to 6-3 on the season.

The Rockets looked great in the first half as they built up a 56-43 lead.  The Rockets stunk it up in the second half and it cost them the game.  The Rockets were out-scored 49-28 in the second half (21-9 in the 4th quarter) and that resulted in a loss that will hurt for awhile.  The Rockets only shot 38.1% from the floor as a team, while the Spurs hit 48.6% of their shots.  The Rockets were also out-rebounded 51-36 in the game.

T-Mac came to play as he scored 26 points, grabbed 8 rebounds and dished out 6 assists.  Yao scored 20 points, grabbed 6 rebounds and stole the ball 4 times.  Rafer Alston also pitched in with 12 points.

This was a loss that will sting the Rockets for awhile.  To lose a big lead like this in there own house against the Spurs really hurts.  The Rockets fall to 5-3 on the season.

Starting small forward Chuck Hayes will miss about two weeks after hyperextending his left knee in a collision with Shaquille O’Neal on Sunday night.  Juwan Howard will move into the starting line-up until Hayes can return.

The were down 42-39 at halftime, and then they flipped the switch and dominated the Heat in the second half, out-scoring them 55-30!  Yao was unstoppable as he dominated Shaq & Mourning with 34 points & 14 rebounds.  T-Mac had an off day shooting (6 of 18) and he finished with 12 points, 4 rebounds and 8 assists.  Shane Battier (11 points) and Luther Head (11 points) each pitched in on the offense.

The Rockets got a huge win on the road because of their defense which held the Heat to 39.4% from the floor.  The Rockets are now 5-2 on the season.

Yao Ming had his best season as a pro last year averaging 22.3 points, 10.2 rebounds and 1.5 assists per game.  At 7′6″, 310 pounds, Yao is on the verge of being the best center in the NBA.  He began to demand the ball last season and no one could stop him in the paint.  Look out this season.  For his career, Yao has averaged 17.5 points, 8.8 rebounds, 1.4 assists and 1.9 blocks per game.  He will eclipse his career averages easily and will be a finalist for the MVP award as long as he stays healthy.

Dikembe Mutombo is the perfect back-up for Yao.  Mutombo can still be dominant in short spurts, as he can still block shots and rebound well.  For his career, Mutombo has averaged 10.6 points, 10.9 rebounds, 1.1 assists and 2.9 blocks per game.