But first, today's moment of torturous prose: [Jonathan Feigen, Chron.com]
For a few agonizing, heart-stopping moments, Yao Ming rocked back and forth on the floor, grimacing and holding his right knee.
The Rockets had taken the usual Lakers fourth-quarter hit and hit back harder. But then Yao crumbled to the floor, felled when Kobe Bryant’s left knee crashed into Yao’s right. All that the Rockets had built seemed to be crashing with him.
Yao, however, had been knocked down, but not out. He grew stronger, more unstoppable and so did the Rockets, until they surged through the final six minutes to stun the Lakers with a 100-92 win Monday at Staples Center in the opener of the Western Conference semifinals.
Ouch. Brutal.
Second: Today's 'huh?' moment: [Richard Justice, Chron.com]
The Rockets believe in themselves. I'm not sure when they started to believe. It probably was sometime after the trading deadline when the roster finally was stabilized.Justice' insistence on writing in an adversarial tone toward his readers, or anyone who disagrees with his take o' the day, is confusing. It's also dissapointing that writing talent of that quality is attached to the emotional and analytical equivilent of a three-year-old. Today Richard's all on the Rockets, if they lose Game two he'll be off the bus, and calling anyone who disagrees with him names.
By the end of the regular season, they were a completely different team than they'd been just a few weeks early. They were built around terrific defense and a tenacious competitive spirit.
There's also a collective ego. There are individual egos, but there's a collective ego, too.
The Rockets think they're pretty good, and if you don't believe it, that's your problem.
Finally, and most importantly, Congratulations to the Rockets.
Sure, this is only one game and can hardly be viewed as something pivitol. What it does signify however is that we have a playoff series on our plate that's got the potential to be very competitive and very exciting. In one game the Rockets have changed most people's opinion of them from 'lucky losers' to 'Western Conference Final Contenders' with a game on win...in Los Angeles.
There's still a long way to go before this very good, very talented Lakers team is beaten, but at least the Rockets have given the faithful hope.
Something they've been lacking for 13 years now.
