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Yao Ming Sparks Sharks to Down Rockets
Yao Ming Sparks Sharks to Down Rockets
Towering center Yao Ming scored had 32 points and 21 rebounds and sparked the Shanghai Sharks to beat five-time defending champion the Bayi Rockets 116- 105 on Sunday in their first game of the best-of-five finals of the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA) league.
The win in the Luwan Stadium ended Rockets' unbeaten record in the play-offs since the six-year-old CBA was launched in 1995.
"This is a good win," Yao said. "We'll carry on for a winning streak in the following games."
In a rivalry between Yao and Wang Zhizhi, who were dubbed as " The Moving Great Wall" in the Sydney Olympics, Yao overshadowed Wang in all aspects.
Wang, who was drafted in the second round by the Dallas Mavericks of the NBA last year, scored 22 points and had 11 rebounds, and his one block looked shabby to Yao's eight.
But the 7-1 feet Wang said Yao, 7-5 feet, beat him with the help of the referees.
"I didn't foul under the basket," said Wang, who received his fifth call with 3:26 left in the third quarter. He was benched in the rest of that quarter and came back midway in the final quarter.
The five-time defending champions Rockets led all the way from the start until Wang was substituted at 82-77 in the third quarter. They led as much as 10 points in that quarter.
Shan Weiguo chipped in three free throws to give the Sharks first lead at 84-82 with 1:25 left in the third quarter. The shaky forward drilled in six three-pointers with 25 points under his name.
Rockets' top scorer Liu Yudong had 35 points and 14 boards.
The second and third games of the best-of-five tie move to Rocket's home in Ningbo, Zhejiang Province.
The Bayi Rockets, a traditional basketball powerhouse in China, has swept all the five titles in as many seasons since the CBA league was started in December 1995 .
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