In sudden and clear need of many things, the Rockets on Sunday received what they needed or at least wanted most.

Center Yao Ming was cleared to play Monday against the Cavaliers, moving to the active roster for the first time since he fractured the tibia in his right leg Dec. 23 in a collision with Tim Thomas and teammate Chuck Hayes against the Los Angeles Clippers.

Rockets athletic trainer Keith Jones and general manager Carroll Dawson said only that Yao would be on the active roster. But Rockets coach Jeff Van Gundy said on Sunday that Yao will start tomorrow. Forward Chuck Hayes will also return to the starting lineup, Van Gundy said.

"When they say he can play," Van Gundy said on Friday, "I'm playing him."

The doctors finally said it on Sunday after Yao went through a morning workout attended by team physician Dr. Tom Clanton and test results were examined by specialist Dr. Brian Cole in Chicago.

As late as 1 p.m. on Sunday, the Rockets were considering having Yao fly to Chicago, rather than on the 2 p.m. flight to Cleveland with the team, for one more examination by Cole. But the decision was made that it would be enough for Cole to see results of Yao's MRIs and bone scans.

Clanton attended Yao's workout before Saturday's game on the Toyota Center court and his additional running on the practice court. He also watched Yao workout on Sunday before giving the go ahead for Yao to play.

"His workouts have been tremendous," Dawson said. "They were kind of blown away. Clanton was really impressed. So we're going ahead as scheduled. He will be on the active list."

In addition to examinations by Clanton and the test results also viewed by Cole, Yao had returned from Denver a day earlier than scheduled to be examined by Dr. Walter Lowe. He also switched to a different knee brace, dramatically improving his comfort with the requirement that he wear a brace.

"The new brace Keith found is doing its thing really well," Dawson said. "Yao likes it. Everything is looking good. He's made a lot of progress."

Including the game in which Yao was hurt in the first quarter, the Rockets went 20-12 without him. But they have been slipping markedly. They have lost five of the past eight games, including consecutive home losses in which they blew a 13-point fourth quarter lead to lose to the last-place Celtics and then were routed by the Raptors and Spurs. Saturday's 97-74 loss to San Antonio was by the largest margin of any loss this season.

"It depends on the game," Van Gundy said. "Certainly at home I have not been pleased with how we played. If you take the games from Miami (Feb. 21), there have been some good, some not so good. At Atlanta, not as good. At Orlando, not bad. Boston, you know. And Toronto, obviously we would like to do it over again. (Friday) night (in Denver) was good. (Saturday, the Spurs) were the superior team from start to finish.

"We have more than enough to correct on our end. We have to be able to throw the ball into the post some. We have to make layups around the basket. We have to block out on the free throw line. We have to be able to guard our man, versus getting beat off the first dribble. Things of that nature."

Yao cannot solve each of those needs. But he is by far the Rockets' best scoring threat in the low post, most reliable shooter and productive rebounder.

Speaking of the Spurs' Tim Duncan and his impact on Saturday's game, Van Gundy might as well had been talking about his own then-missing center.

"It shows you the value of having a guy you can throw it inside to," Van Gundy said. "It collapses the defense. It gets you to the free throw line. (Duncan) by himself basically had us in foul trouble in the first half."

Yao will not be expected to do all that immediately, but the Rockets had that before Yao was hurt. Sunday's decisions allowed them to start getting it back.

"The doctors take everything into consideration, how he looks, how he feels, and what he's doing," Jones said. "They also take into consideration the only way to get in shape to play basketball is to play basketball. But we want the safest way possible. We're pulling out all stops to make sure he's progressing, and do the right thing by him and by the team. We don't want to throw him out there too soon. But he has progressed and done really well. The more information we have, the better decision everybody can make."

Everybody made it on Sunday. By tonight, the process will move from the doctors' offices and practice courts to the arena.

"It's going to take awhile get back to par," Dawson said. "His presence will help. This is a process. It's going to start tomorrow."

(China Daily via Houston Chronicle March 5, 2007)