Chapter 469: May Seem Minor, But It Matters
McGrady not playing might not have been a disaster for Houston. In some ways, it even made them simpler, faster, and more connected.
After 1 quarter, the Rockets led 25 to 19, a 6 point edge.
Yao Ming paced them with 6 points, 4 rebounds, and 2 assists. This season, his role had shifted. He was not just a traditional low post finisher anymore. He was the hub, the pivot that kept everything linked together. With his height and feel, he could see the entire floor and keep the offense flowing.
That was also why Rick Adelman's system looked different from most teams. His Princeton concepts needed an organizing big, someone who could catch, read, and deliver.
Last season, that very demand was the root of the friction between coach and star.
Before Adelman, Yao had always been treated as a classic centerpiece. Slow paced half court possessions, deep seals, patient entry passes, a guard who knew exactly when to feed him and exactly where. Adelman asked him to become something else, a facilitator first, a mover in a system that demanded constant cuts and quick decisions.
The philosophies collided, and the relationship felt tense.
Then the 2008 injury forced Yao to think hard about what his body could endure long term. Add in Chen Yan's repeated persuasion, and the decision became clear. If he wanted longevity, he had to evolve. Once he committed to that change, the disagreement disappeared almost overnight. He and Adelman finally clicked, and now their partnership looked smooth and natural.
Houston also got scoring from everywhere. Phoenix, meanwhile, looked strangely flat. 19 points in a quarter was one of their lowest 1st quarter outputs of the season.
On the broadcast, Charles praised Yao's overall impact.
"Yao played an excellent 1st quarter, 6 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists. Very complete. And it's not just the numbers, his screens and facilitation are helping everything."
Kenny followed with Chen Yan's line.
"Chen Yan has 7 points, 2 rebounds, and 1 block in the 1st. Both Chinese players look good. Houston's game plan tonight has clearly worked. A lot of fans are probably surprised they're leading."
"The Rockets came out with great energy. Yao is doing everything, scoring, rebounding, setting guys up. That's an all around big man."
Charles Barkley went straight to the pressure point.
"The reason Phoenix is down has more to do with Phoenix. Houston's playing well, but the Suns are not playing their game. I can't remember the last time they scored under 20 in the 1st quarter. If they want this back, they gotta look in the mirror."
…
Early in the 2nd, Phoenix went to its bench group: Jason Williams, Raja Bell, Azubuike, Barnes, and Jordan. It had a little bit of everything, a handler, shooting, rebounding, and a wing who could create.
On paper, it was a strong unit.
On the court, it still could not build separation.
Kyle Lowry and Carl Landry steadied Houston's bench offense, and defensively the Rockets shifted into a 3 2 zone, taking away clean looks outside. They were willing to live with the paint being handled by one man.
Mutombo.
Azubuike tested him, thinking the old man's legs looked heavy.
The result was a clean block that erased the idea immediately.
Every time Mutombo checked in, fans argued about the same thing. Too old. Too slow. Finished.
And every time he played, he found a way to matter. A rebound here. A block there. A few possessions where the lane simply disappeared. Enough to prove there was still fuel in the tank.
Brent Barry added another punch, drilling 2 corner 3s. Old and young, different roles, same effect. Houston's lead stretched to double digits.
With 6 minutes and 37 seconds left in the 2nd, the Rockets were up 45 to 31, a 14 point advantage.
D'Antoni adjusted immediately. He brought Chen Yan and Nash back in, keeping Jordan, Novak, and Raja Bell.
The message was obvious. Space the floor, let it fly, flip the game with 3s.
Nash called for a screen, turned the corner, got into the paint, then jumped and fired an outrageous behind the back pass to Novak.
Houston's defense collapsed on Nash for a split second, and that split second was enough.
Novak rose in perfect rhythm.
Swish.
On the other end, Brooks missed a mid range pull up.
Jordan put his body on Yao Ming, sealed him away from the ball, and Chen Yan flew in from the side to snatch the rebound over Scola.
The pace snapped upward.
Chen Yan pushed in transition. Only Brooks and Wafer were back in time.
One step beyond the 3 point line, Chen Yan slammed on the brakes.
A sharp squeal echoed across the hardwood.
He pulled up.
Swish.
A transition 3, clean as a knife, and Brooks and Wafer could only watch it drop.
Houston tried to answer, but Brooks and Yao misread each other and coughed up the ball.
Chen Yan collected it, gave Yao a quick low move to create space, then attacked again as Brooks recovered. He drove directly into the contact, finished anyway, and drew the foul.
And 1.
Brooks had no solution for that combination, the burst, the hang time, the touch.
After the free throw, Adelman called timeout.
Phoenix had found the edge of a run, and Adelman could feel the game slipping.
…
Out of the timeout, Houston still could not regain its shooting rhythm.
Wafer missed outside. Jordan fought Yao again, doing the dirty work, carving out space so Chen Yan could clean up the rebound.
Jordan had turned into Chen Yan's most loyal worker. He would do the bruising tasks without complaint. He looked simple, but he was not dumb. He knew who the rising face of the league was. He knew who the franchise was building around. Standing beside that guy was the smart play.
Yao was quietly frustrated. He had never seen a center so uninterested in personal rebound numbers. Jordan did not care who got credit, he only cared that Yao did not get position.
It was annoying in the most honest way.
Phoenix kept the formula simple. Nash and Chen Yan took turns breaking the defense, driving and kicking until the right shot appeared.
Novak and Raja Bell punished the rotations.
By halftime, the Suns had ripped off a 16 to 0 run, completely flipping the game on its head.
…
Phoenix stayed hot coming out of the break.
Stoudemire attacked immediately and converted a 2 plus 1 at the rim.
Next trip, he demanded the ball again, feeling the momentum, and tried to rise up and dunk on Yao.
Yao met him with a clean "hot pot" block, swatting it away at the summit.
That rejection lit Houston up.
Within 3 minutes, Brooks and Wafer scored back to back, and the Rockets snatched the lead again.
But late in the 3rd, Phoenix punched back even harder.
Stoudemire and Chen Yan exploded together, ripping off a 17 to 2 surge that cracked the game open.
Houston did not fold the way they often had in the past. Every time the score stretched, someone answered. They kept dragging themselves back into the fight.
Even with 3 minutes left, it was still undecided.
Houston trailed 93 to 98.
Then Chen Yan hit a pull up floater with 1 minute remaining, and that was the dagger. Adelman's face went dark as he pulled his starters, ending the suspense.
Final score, Phoenix 104, Houston 95.
Chen Yan led the way with 42 points, 10 rebounds, and 5 assists.
His field goal percentage was a ridiculous 64.3%.
That number made the Rockets organization feel awkward, because it told the truth. They had competed. They had played hard. They had even led by 14.
And Chen Yan still got whatever he wanted when it mattered.
Afterward, Chen Yan gave Houston credit in his interview.
"Without McGrady, they fought really tough tonight. They played hard, they played connected."
D'Antoni praised them too. In fact, the entire Suns group did. When both the opponent and the opposing coach compliment you after a loss, it usually means you truly left everything on the floor.
Brooks, who led Houston with 29 points and 5 assists, spoke with a bitter smile.
"We could've won from the start. We just came up a little short."
That "little short" was the difference in the final 3 minutes.
Brooks missed 3 straight shots. There was a turnover. Houston had 6 empty possessions in crunch time, scoring only 2 meaningless Landry free throws in the last 30 seconds.
That was the gap.
It looked small on the scoreboard. It felt close in the moment.
But when the game tightened, Phoenix had answers, composure, and a closer who could manufacture points against anything.
What seemed like a minor difference was actually huge, and it showed itself when it counted most.
.....
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