Sports / Basketball |
Rockets battle after Yao injury(AFP)Updated: 2006-12-25 08:49
Yao hurts knee in Rockets loss to Clips Yao Ming's broken right leg means the Houston Rockets face a major battle to keep what has been a promising season on track.
Yao will be sidelined for at least six weeks and could miss more time if surgery is required.
"Six weeks minimum. That means it could be more," Rockets guard Rafer Alston told the Houston Chronicle. "You're talking about a guy on a MVP pace that has been carrying this team the past two seasons. "To hear that, it hurts." Yao, 26, was in the midst of his finest NBA season, averaging 26.8 points and 9.7 rebounds a game. When star guard Tracy McGrady was sidelined by back spasms seven games ago, Yao stepped up and became an aggressive, dominating leader. Now he will need a strong rehabilitation effort to have any hope at regaining his superstar form. But should his teammates build upon the club's 16-11 start, he could yet have the chance to lead the Rockets in the playoffs. The injury came when Clippers forward Tim Thomas drove to the basket and Yao and teammate Chuck Hayes moved to block the shot. Thomas ran into Hayes and both hit Yao, sending him to the floor in pain. "I didn't know anything happened at all. I heard somebody yelling and turned around, and it was Yao. I saw he wasn't getting up and knew it was serious," Hayes told the newspaper. "When he hit the ground, I was looking at him. You can tell sometimes the way a player reacts. He was yelling and screaming and I was hoping that it wasn't the worst." If the prognosis is correct, Yao will miss at least 18 games and return in early February, possibly in time to play in the NBA All-Star Game. Voters have elected him a starter in his first four NBA seasons. Yao missed 21 games last season with a big toe injury and four more with a broken left foot. McGrady missed much of the season as well and the Rockets struggled to 34-48. The same fate could befall Houston again this time. "Things like this happen, but I can't help but think about the previous season," Alston said. |
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