Yao Ming Refuses to Give Up

The cliché ''Houston, we have a problem'' is no more. Now, the rest of the NBA should say, ''Houston is the problem.'' The Houston Rockets that is.

Tracy McGrady has been slowed down by his sore back all year and the Houston Rockets certainly felt his absence during the first half of the season, finding virtually no one in their roster to fill the shoes of their fallen superstar.

When T-Mac came back, the Rockets were rejuvenated as they began stretches of winning streaks, trying to catch the Los Angeles Lakers for that last and final playoff spot.

Now, T-Mac is injured again with a sore back and is out indefinitely. Now, the Houston Rockets, instead of simply giving in to the fate laid on to them with T-Mac going down, fought back.

They fought back with the emergence of a seven-foot-six giant, dropping over 30 points, three-games-in-a-row.

The year of the Yao has officially begun.

Last Wednesday, the Rockets, losing Tracy McGrady in the second half, fell drastically behind the Indiana Pacers by as much as 17 points late in the third quarter. It seemed the Rockets were about to fall again as the Pacers kept on attacking with Peja Stojakovic's stellar play.

Yao Ming had other plans.

Yao led a fourth-quarter comeback as he dropped a season high 38 points with his 10 rebounds to pull a dramatic comeback-win, 103-99. Stojakovic and Yao went toe-to-toe but the Chinese giant was the one chosen by the stars that night.

On Sunday, the Houston Rockets will face the defending NBA Champions, San Antonio Spurs, in a game that will definitely test Yao Ming's determination. Tracy McGrady is still questionable but one thing's for sure, Yao will give Tim Duncan a tough time before bowing down.

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