# Regular Season Game 25: Houston Rockets vs. Orlando Magic



## Cornholio (Feb 13, 2005)

​*(12-12)/(17-9)*

When/Where:
*Wednesday, December 19, 8:30 p.m. ET*
*Toyota Center* 














































*Alston / McGrady / Battier / Hayes / Yao*














































*Nelson / Bogans / Turkoglu / Lewis / Howard*


*Preview

The NBA has had its share of great individual matchups in the paint.

Chamberlain vs. Russell. Kareem vs. Moses. And, of course, The Dream vs. The Admiral.

Could Yao vs. Howard be next?

The league's leading big men -- Houston's Yao Ming and Orlando's Dwight Howard -- will take center stage Wednesday night when the Rockets host the Orlando Magic at Toyota Center.

Despite having squared off on five previous occasions, the latest matchup between the two centers is the most intriguing in the four-year history between the two pivots.

Yao and Howard are both reaching the prime of their careers and each have made a case over the past 12 months to be considered the league's best big man.

With Miami's Shaquille O'Neal inching towards the end of his career and the lack of marquee centers around the league, Yao and Howard could very well be the game's best big men over the next decade.

"There's not many big men like us in this league," Yao said. "Dwight Howard. Shaquille O'Neal. (Zydrunas) Ilgauskas. Chris Kaman has played very well this year. I feel like a dinosaur -- almost done."

Yao and Howard, though, are still far from the end of their careers.

The Rockets center was the first to emerge, putting together his coming out party during the 2006-07 season. Despite being limited to 48 games because of a small fracture on the anterior medial tibilal plateau of his right knee, the five-time All-Star led all centers by averaging a career-best 25.0 points per game. He also averaged 9.4 rebounds on his way to his first All-NBA second team nod.

Still, Howard has always been impressed with Yao's game. The Orlando center said he was in awe of Yao's frame when he saw the 7-foot-6, 310-pound big man for the first time as a rookie in 2004.

"I just remember seeing how big he was," Howard said of Yao. "He's just amazing. I was thinking, 'Why are his legs so big?' He was from China so I thought, 'He must have rode bikes all day.' I always wonder what if I was 7-foot-5. It's like a cheat code in a video game."

Howard, meanwhile, has made his ascent this season. So far, he's racked up a league-high 22 double-doubles and, as of Dec. 15, he had thrown down more dunks (108) than 23 of the 29 teams in the NBA. The center leads all big men in scoring and rebounding with 23.7 points and 15.4 rebounds.

Howard has done it with an absurd blend of power and athleticism that has intimidated his opponents.

"Dwight has elevators in his shoes," Rockets forward Shane Battier said. "The league has never seen anyone who combines his size and strength with his athletic ability. Never. You could say Wilt Chamberlain. I never saw Wilt Chamberlain play in person, but Dwight Howard is doing it against Yao Ming and doing it against Shaq when Wilt Chamberlain had Bill Russell."

The two big men certainly have differing styles.

Howard, who just turned 22 this month, is a bully in the middle. He batters other big men with his strength and pogo-like jumping ability, often finishing with an emphatic dunk.

Yao, in the meantime, uses more of a blend. He's as likely to knock down an 18-footer over an opposing big man as attacking the rim.

"We're still different," Yao said. "We play different. I play like Ilgauskas. Maybe a little younger and stronger. But Dwight Howard plays more like a Shaq -- very dominating in the paint and tries to finish with a dunk every time."

That's not to say the two big men don't have things in common.

Both are workaholics. Yao usually arrives to the arena well before practice to get in some extra work and has been known to lift weights after a game. He has also been developing his game from the minute he came into the league.

Howard is the same. Following Orlando's practice at Toyota Center on Tuesday, the Magic center headed straight for the weight room. He didn't emerge until almost an hour after he went in. Besides that, Howard has become more than just a dunker by developing his offensive game to include more hook shots.

"They're both hard workers," said Battier, who played with Howard as a member on the U.S. national team.

The work ethic and raw talent of the two big men have made others take notice.

Since O'Neal's numbers have slowly started to drop, Yao and Howard are beginning to be regarded as the game's best all-around centers. There doesn't appear to be many challengers since they are so few traditional, low-post centers left in the game. Most teams -- embracing the game's trend towards small ball -- have turned to versatile players who can run the floor and handle the ball, like Phoenix's Amare Stoudemire and Memphis' Pau Gasol. Other teams have big men who are defensive stoppers like Chicago's Ben Wallace, New Orleans' Tyson Chandler and Denver's Marcus Camby.

Few teams, however, have centers like Howard and Yao.

"There's only a handful of big men in the league and there's only two or three that are dominant," Rockets star Tracy McGrady said. "The rest are just big bodies."

Yao vs. Howard could become the league's marquee matchup between big men because of that.

The two centers are hitting the prime of their careers at the same time and have the talent to be regarded as the game's next great pivots.

Yao and Howard are already relishing their matchups.

"Playing against someone like Shaq and Yao, it's a great experience for me," Howard said. "It's going to be fun to play against (Yao)."


Magic Update: The Magic have suddenly hit a skid. The Southeast Division leaders have lost five of their past six games with a couple of home losses to Memphis and Atlanta. Still, the Magic are the NBA's best road team. Orlando is sporting a 12-4 record away from home.*


_*Next Games*_
vs.








vs.








vs.


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## Krimzon (Feb 26, 2007)

Yao Ming VS Dwight Howard...this should be fun to watch.


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## HayesFan (Feb 16, 2006)

Dear Santa, I want a pony, and a Winning Rockets game.

okay so I jumbled the quote... so what.

I NEED a win. It's not a want anymore... its a NEED!!


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## hroz (Mar 4, 2006)

Cant believe I will miss this game


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## gi0rdun (May 31, 2007)

Yao and Dwight! I'm missing this game cause I'm at school.


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## Dean the Master (Feb 19, 2006)

What should I say here. Orlando is a hot team even though they are currently on a losing streak. Dwight Howard is a beast. 

I can't believe we are still at the .500 mark. Rockets need to step up now.


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## AllEyezonTX (Nov 16, 2006)

Krimzon said:


> Yao Ming VS Dwight Howard...this should be fun to watch.



always is.....


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## Cornholio (Feb 13, 2005)

Instead of this game, I get to see Mavs-Suns. That should be fun.


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## WhoRocks (Feb 24, 2005)

Absolutely positively gonna try stay up and find a stream to watch this one.

Who do I want to win? I don't know... :redface:

Forgot to add, if anyone knows of a stream, please post, thank you!


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## Cornholio (Feb 13, 2005)

> *Brooks to get chance*
> After rookie guard Aaron Brooks' two strong days of practice, Rockets coach Rick Adelman said he would like to see what Brooks can do in a game. Adelman was not ready to say he has revised his rotation to include Brooks but seemed close to giving Brooks his first meaningful minutes.
> 
> "I will not hesitate to play him," Adelman said. "He's played well for two days at practice. I'm going to see how the game goes. We have to find a way to get him in the game and see what he can do. ...
> ...


Link


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## jdiggidy (Jun 21, 2003)

> Cant believe I will miss this game


Hey, that's ok buddy. I can't watch the rockets again until they win 4 in a row!!!!!:azdaja:

Tis the season for the Rockets to Man Up and play some good basketball.


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## Dean the Master (Feb 19, 2006)

wow, truebluefan is putting up tons of cash on the Rockets. GO ROCKETS!


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## lingi1206 (Jun 2, 2006)

jdiggidy said:


> Hey, that's ok buddy. I can't watch the rockets again until they win 4 in a row!!!!!:azdaja:
> 
> Tis the season for the Rockets to Man Up and play some good basketball.


i just hope that even if we lose(knock on wood) that Yao doesn;t become a highlight reel for Howard and try and take the best center in the nba title


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## bronx43 (Dec 9, 2005)

Why isn't Yao touching the ball every time down to get Howard into foul trouble?
Oh right, I forgot. Rick Idleman is the coach.


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## WhoRocks (Feb 24, 2005)

Argh rubbish, I can only watch San Antonio - Memphis.


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## darkballa (Sep 19, 2003)

bogans is killing us right now. 8 points already


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## darkballa (Sep 19, 2003)

Omg Omgomg Great Fast Break Basket Lead Pass By Rafer To Luther Then The Tralier Pass To Bonzi For A Dunk!!!! *(&$*(&&(


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## AllEyezonTX (Nov 16, 2006)

that luther Head assist is still sweet....


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## AllEyezonTX (Nov 16, 2006)

13-0 run by Orl. - I'm over that Dunk by Bonzi, let's get back to winning


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## Krimzon (Feb 26, 2007)

We lost the lead already. Why am I not surprised?


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## Yao Mania (Aug 4, 2003)

Look, I know Orlando's a good team, but our 30% shooting is just pathetic... and to think McGrady was once the league's most prolific scorer for the team we are playing against right now...

I propose a new starting line-up of Alston/Head/Battier/Scola/Yao. Yao will run the offense, Scola and Batman can do the dirty work, and Head/Battier Alston can spot up for open shots.


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## Dream Hakeem (Apr 20, 2006)

Holy crap 3 points total?


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## bronx43 (Dec 9, 2005)

Trade Yao please.


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## Yao Mania (Aug 4, 2003)

Howard out-scoring Yao and hitting more FTs than Yao, Yao out-rebounding Howard. That was kinda unexpected.


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## Yao Mania (Aug 4, 2003)

Alston hitting 2 key FTs towards the end of the game? I can't remember the last time that happened!

C'mon now, foul Dwight, and get back for the final posession... we can still win this


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## Yao Mania (Aug 4, 2003)

........back to below .500...


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## rocketeer (Oct 7, 2002)

bronx43 said:


> Trade Yao please.


it'd probably be the best for yao if he gets traded. but it'd be best for the rockets if we trade tmac and get some guys that fit around yao.


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## bronx43 (Dec 9, 2005)

That's why I want Yao traded, so he wouldn't be surrounded by these losers.


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## lingi1206 (Jun 2, 2006)

:curse::upset::banghead:what does houston need to do to make these guys shoot better? i mean come on how could we be in a bad shooting funk for so long??? this has to come down to coaching iam like pulling my hair watching these so call nba players shoot the ball. seriously what is going on??? WHAT!!! PLEASE WOULD SOMEONE EXPLAIN TO ME WHATS GOING ON!


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## jdiggidy (Jun 21, 2003)

So, looks like from all the posts that this game sucked as most of the recent games have. Even though I haven't been watching games this is frustrating.

The rockets have to do something to begin to salvage this season.


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## OneBadLT123 (Oct 4, 2005)

I was at the game tonight, of course it was a terrible game...

As usual, the Rockets cant shoot for ****


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