Orlando Magic's NBA China game against the China All-Star Team
would definitely have been different if Yao Ming and Yi Jianlian
had been able to join their teammates in the national team, said
Magic coach Jeff van Gundy after the game Thursday.
"Obviously if you add Yao and Yi, that gives them two very very
talented NBA caliber guy and the whole game would change," he
said.
Orlando Magic took on the China All-Star Team -- which included
virtually all of the China national team's key players plus three
overseas players in the place of Yao and Yi -- only to maintain a
comfortable lead of around 20 points most of the time, except when
the Chinese side scored four three-pointers to lead 12 to 3 shortly
after the start.
Magic star Dwight Howard had 12 points and four rebounds in
the13 minutes on court. He took a rest on the bench throughout the
second half.
Howard said he was trying to adjust himself to tiredness as
Magic played its second game in as many days.
Magic traveled to China's southern special administrative region
of Macao after a preseason game against Cleveland Cavaliersin
Shanghai. It is yet to play Cavaliers again Saturday.
Van Gundy has said the trip to China could serve as an
opportunity to test team capacity for back-to-back games.
He said the Chinese team did a good job at the start and that
the second half of the match was "very competitive."
Van Gundy said he received presents from the China Team's
leading star and former NBA player Wang Zhihi on meeting him in
Macao.
Wang had 16 points and 7 rebounds in the 22 minutes on court
while a technical foul resulting from his complaining about one of
his four personal fouls.
China's national team head coach Jonas Kazlauskas blamed the
unsatisfactory performance of the team on bad timing.
He had just been able to hustle together all the team members
just one day ahead of the game and the Chinese players was only
able to play together with the three alternative centers from
overseas in the morning, he said.
"It would be difficult for the team members if I expect more,"
Yonas said.
(Xinhua News Agency October 19, 2007)