Time to call a 4-1 series win to the Los Angeles Lakers.
Surely there can be no other result after it was revealed that Yao Ming will miss the remainder of the NBA Playoffs with a broken left foot. The hairline fracture he suffered in the Houston Rockets’ Game Three loss to the Lakers will put him out for 8-12 weeks, though he won’t need surgery — just rest.
After the Rockets lost Tracy McGrady earlier in the season, it leaves the reigns to the team in Ron Artest’s hands, as the only remaining member of their “Big Three”.
Yao had 19 points and 14 rebounds in Friday’s loss, his sixth straight double-double. But he was noticeably limping by the fourth quarter and finally hobbled off the court in the final minute, with the outcome decided.
Presumably this means the Rockets will go small — very small — the rest of the way. Already during their first round matchup against the Portland Trail Blazers they lost super geriatric backup centre, Dikembe Mutombo, who decided to retire after being injured.
Do they move power forward Luis Scola to starting centre? Chuck Hayes, already small for a power forward, will likely play bigger minutes. As will 6’9″ power forward, Brian Cook. There is not a true centre remaining on the roster.
Will Rick Adelman throw a junk offense at the Lakers that will throw them off guard with their lumbering big men, Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum being taken by surprise? Will Ron Artest at power forward cause problems for the Lakers or will Lamar Odom be the perfect antedote to Artest’s speed and power? On the contrary, will the game be won on the other end, where the Lakers will exploit a Rockets’ defense that will sorely be lacking on the interior.
All of these questions will make for an interesting conclusion to a series which began in such an intriguing way.
