LeBron James scored 32 points and the Cleveland Cavaliers held off the Houston Rockets 91-85 on Monday night to spoil Yao Ming's first game back from a leg injury.
"He may not play well right away. He voiced his concerns about he doesn't want to come back and hurt us. I don't think he should worry. He is a good guy, obviously, worrying about breaking up a chemistry. But we could use him."
Yao Ming moved a 7-foot-6 step closer to returning the court, possibly by Monday's game at Cleveland.
Duncan scored 26 points and the San Antonio Spurs beat the Houston Rockets 97-74 on Saturday night for their season-high eighth straight victory.
Yao Ming's return to the National Basketball Association from a broken right leg might take longer than expected, Houston Rockets coach Jeff Van Gundy said.
For nearly two years, Rockets had believed they would be returning to China for part of the 2007 preseason.The previous trip for the China Games with the Sacramento Kings was a phenomenal success. The NBA didn't go back to China before this season and is determined to return in the preseason prior to the Beijing Olympics.
Yao Ming of the NBA's Houston Rockets has said he will come back from injury in at most 10 days.
Houston Rockets' Yao Ming of China (foreground) shoots a half-court shot in front of teammates during the 2007 NBA All-Star western conference practice in Las Vegas, February 17, 2007. [Reuters]
HOUSTON, Texas: Yao Ming, the Chinese star center for the Houston Rockets, told the Houston Chronicle he expects to resume workouts with the team within two weeks and be back in games by early March.
The China Golf Association (CGA) signed a "milestone" partnership deal with equipment makers Taylormade on Tuesday, which it hopes will help unearth a golfing Yao Ming to take the sport to a new level in the country.
Yao Ming posed for photos with children from the Chinese Community Center in Houston February 13, 2007. NBA star Yao Ming of China visited the Chinese Community Center and talked with about 100 children about upcoming Chinese Lunar New Year.[sina.com]
Yao Ming posed for photos with children from the Chinese Community Center in Houston on Tuesday, February 13, 2007. NBA star Yao Ming of China visited the Chinese Community Center and talked with about 100 children about the Chinese lunar New Year.[sports.sina.com.cn]