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"Maybe he persuaded a few Chinese voters," forward Matt Bonner said.I doubt it...
Duncan, Spurs outduel Yao, Rockets
Web Posted: 11/17/2007 12:44 AM CST
Jeff McDonald
Express-News
In February, Houston's Yao Ming will be elected to his sixth-straight start in the NBA All-Star game, and it will be a landslide.
After all, 1.3 billion potential Chinese voters can't be wrong.
Tim Duncan, now (apparently) a center, will finish a distant second.
Curiously moved from power forward to center on this year's All-Star ballot, Duncan stands little chance of beating Yao at the polls. As the Spurs' 90-84 victory over the Rockets proved Friday night, at least he can still beat Yao on the court.
In what could be construed as an early All-Star stump speech, except that Duncan would never construe it as such, the Spurs' new center scored a season-high 25 points and pulled down 13 rebounds to help his team withstand the inspired and Tracy McGrady-less Rockets.
Afterward, one Spur couldn't help but wonder how Duncan's best performance of the year had played in the biggest red state of them all.
"Maybe he persuaded a few Chinese voters," forward Matt Bonner said.
A few Chinese down, a billion more to go.
Michael Finley broke out of his shooting slump for 17 points, and Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili hit big baskets down the stretch as the Spurs won before a sellout crowd of 18,797 at the AT&T Center.
Yao, who scored 28 points when the Rockets beat the Spurs on Nov. 6, had 14. He needed a late four-point flurry to avert posting his season low.
Coming a night after the Spurs (8-2) were rocked at Dallas, Friday's victory was as important as a game in mid-November could be.
McGrady's absence with a sprained right elbow only ratcheted up the pressure.
"Those are games you don't want to lose," Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said. "If you lose the game when you have the advantage, you feel doubly bad."
Luis Scola, the Spurs' expatriate draft pick, nearly made their misery triple.
Traded from the Spurs to the Rockets in the offseason without spending a second in silver and black, Scola said he wasn't motivated by revenge in his first regular-season game in San Antonio. It just seemed that way.
A reserve, Scola had a career-high 20 points on 10-of-11 shooting. He almost made the Rockets forget about McGrady.
Scola had eight points during a 14-3 Rockets run that put Houston ahead by nine in the middle of the second quarter. By night's end, he had scored as many points as he had the previous six games combined.
"I just try to play the same," Scola said. "Sometimes I play good, sometimes I play bad. Usually, so far, I play bad. But finally, I hit my shots."
Down the stretch, the Spurs still boasted the best Argentine on the floor. They also had a clutch shooting Frenchman.
Neither Ginobili nor Parker turned in their best games. Ginobili had 19 points off the bench but committed six turnovers. Parker scored 14 but missed 7 of 13 shots.
Both players came up big when the Spurs needed them.
After Houston pulled within two on a Yao basket with 2:26 left, Parker buried a jumper to keep the Rockets (6-4) at bay.
Moments later, after Yao made another shot to scratch his team back within two, it was Ginobili's turn to respond.
He did it by venturing into a crowd of Rockets and spinning in a layup that pushed the Spurs' edge to 88-84 with 57.4 seconds remaining.
Then, Duncan provided the dramatic closing statement.
With nine seconds to go and his team still behind by four, Yao scooped up an offensive rebound and seemed on his way to an easy basket. Duncan rose to greet him, and the two would-be All-Star centers met in midair.
Duncan got there first, rejecting Yao's attempt.
"That finished the game off," Popovich said.
In the mind of at least one biased voter, it also sealed another debate. Duncan or Yao?
"Tim's got my vote," Bonner said.
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"Maybe he persuaded a few Chinese voters," forward Matt Bonner said.
I will vote for Timmy.
Thanks...but does not really matter..the race is really for 2nd place that would save the face but no help to start. Unless we guys vote like 20 times a day from different accounts, it is not possible to select Duncan.
To be honest, in this particular year Yao SO FAR played better than Duncan. Not that it really matters when China votes.
Remember even Shaq that has few fans in China could not overcome 1.3 billion people.
Two absolutely mind-boggling college like chants from the Rocket Rowdies in the AT&T Center last night:
as Duncan was shooting free throws in the first half, Those Who Would Soon be Silenced chanted "Yao is better. Yao is better. Yao is better." Um, yeah.
In the second half when Duncan shot free throws, those guys chanted "Boring. Boring. Boring." at Duncan. It made me laugh; as if Yao's game is dynamic.
I have nothing but respect for Yao and think he's a wonderful player and a good man; but those statements were just beyond my comprehension.
I really don't think Duncan is all that hopped up to go to the All Star Game...in fact he's made comments about that often in recent years. That it's not something he really loooks forward to...
All he does in the game is rebound for Kobe, TMac(and now AI) anyway...
You guys aren't doing him a service by trying to vote him in....
Of course, Duncan will be in the All-Star game either way. If he's not voted in as a starter it's not like the coaches are going to leave him off the roster.
It wouldn't surprise me if Timmy requested to be placed as center on the All-Star ballot.
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