Source: NBA.com

11-29-2007 17:28

		So far this season, Yao Ming, right, has outscored and outrebounded Shaquille O'Neal in their meetings.

It is one of the best individual rivalries in the NBA, and so far this season Yao Ming of the Houston Rockets holds the edge over Shaquille O'Neal of the Los Angeles Lakers. The two most dominant centers in the NBA meet for the fourth and final time during the regular season Thursday in Los Angeles (10:30 ET, TNT).

Yao has outscored and outrebounded O'Neal in the three previous meetings, and the Rockets lead the series 2-1. O'Neal scoffs at the fact that Yao has outscored him by an average of 26.7 to 24.7 in the first three games and outrebounded him nine to 8.7. He usually plays Yao straight up, while the Rockets rarely leave Yao alone on him.

"I'll always play him one-on-one. I don't think he'll ever play me one-on-one," O'Neal says. "Ever, ever, never. Never, ever, never."

The Rockets are solidly in the No. 7 spot in the Western Conference, while the Lakers, with a nine-game winning streak, the longest current streak in the league, can still finish with the best record in the West.

Head-to-head How Yao Ming and Shaquille O'Neal have fared against each other this season: Dec. 25 at Los Angeles (Rockets win 99-87) Player Min. FGM-A FTM-A Reb. Ast. Blk. Pts. O'Neal 41 5-12 12-18 10 2 3 22 Yao 30 8-14 2-2 8 2 2 18 Feb. 11 at Houston (Rockets win 102-87) Player Min. FGM-A FTM-A Reb. Ast. Blk. Pts. O'Neal 41 5-12 14-19 9 4 4 24 Yao 37 10-21 9-11 11 1 1 29 March 3 at Houston (Lakers win 96-93) Player Min. FGM-A FTM-A Reb. Ast. Blk. Pts. O'Neal 39 13-18 2-13 7 1 5 28 Yao 37 13-21 7-7 8 1 1 33

 

Editor:Yang Jie