Hornets Beat Suns Again, Snap Three-Game Slide

New Orleans 120, Phoenix 103
NEW ORLEANS, Feb. 27 (AP) - At this rate, the New Orleans Hornets can only hope to meet the Phoenix Suns in the playoffs.

Rockets' All-Star center will miss remainder of season

Yao has stress fracture in his left foot


HOUSTON -- The Rockets will have to maintain their postseason push without their All-Star center.

Yao Ming will miss the remainder of the season and the playoffs with a stress fracture in his left foot, Houston general manager Daryl Morey revealed on Tuesday.

The Rockets' six-time All-Star is expected to be sidelined three to four months before beginning rehab...

It’s Winning Time

February 25, 2008 -- It's not like the games played before the Feb. 17 didn't count, but now that the All-Star break and the trade deadline are behind us, the games mean even more. Teams know that now is the time to turn it up a notch in preparation for the postseason.
Out West, you simply cannot take a day off. With nine teams within 5 1/2 games of each other, one little slide can put you on the outside looking in. And with the way some teams have taken big risks to improve their roster, not even making the playoffs would be absolutely unacceptable.

In the East, the Pistons and Celtics suddenly have a lot (meaning home court advantage in a potential Conference Finals matchup) at stake now that Boston has slid back a little. The Magic, Cavs and Raptors are each trying to establish themselves as Team No. 3, while several other teams are probably thinking that they could grab that No. 6 seed and have a decent shot in the First Round.

So I'm going to put a heavy emphasis on games played after the break. If you win big games from here on out, you're in good shape. But if you lay an egg against a team you're fighting for position with, you're not ready for the playoffs. That being said, I'm not going to completely ignore how well some teams (Rockets, Jazz, etc.) were playing before the break.

At this point, three teams are undefeated after the break: the Lakers (4-0), Spurs (3-0) and Rockets (4-0).

If you've got any questions or comments about this week's rankings, you know what to do. I'll answer mail later this week.

Barry Team of the Fortnight: Houston (6-0)
Pants Team of the Fortnight: Memphis (1-5)

High jumps of the week: Houston (+6), L.A. Lakers (+6), San Antonio (+6)
Free falls of the week: Charlotte (-5), Boston (-4), Detroit (-4), Indiana (-4)

Save money by China Wholesale

Always looking for a bargain, I surfed my way to a very interesting website this morning, called Light in the Box. I was looking for a Wii for my grandson, which is still in short supply. Yesterday I went and/or called all the game stores in town and could not find one. So I turned to the internet and came across this company in China that sells wholesale electronics, jewelry, sporting goods and electronics - very very cheap. I love this company!

I would not have thought that shopping a China Wholesale site would be a place for me as an individual to shop. But I have reconsidered that and I’ll tell you why, and if you have a store, this is a place to seriously consider buying some items for resale.

As an individual consumer, I’m very attracted to wholesale pricing and want to find the best bargains. I’m just concerned about having to buy in large quantities, although I do that here at Sam’s Club, and sometimes I have joined in with a local group like a co-op to make bulk purchases and save a lot of money. So it’s the same thing here on the internet!

In reading the website, which is in english, I see that the company is willing to sell single items as a sample. There you go! I can buy what I want at bargain prices, and the website lets me pay in U.S dollars, and I can get the Wii for my grandson! I even found a few things that I want to buy, like a state-of-the-art dvd camcorder and Bluetooth gear.

Lakers beat Clippers

Lakers 113, Clippers 95 (F)

Pau Gasol scored 23 points as the Lakers beat the Clippers on Saturday night for their seventh straight victory.



Noah Graham/NBAE/Getty Images
Lamar Odom puts up two on the Clippers on Saturday. The Lakers forward finished with 20 points and 10 rebounds in the win.

My new cellphone

My samsun ex-cellphone was left at somewhere I really forgot yesterday, so I chose a new one, Nokia 6300. I attatch some pictures of it. Hope you could like it.

Bless Feifei

Bless Feifei and wish that she would smile the same sweet and happy in paradize.

Edison Chen has been back HK to apologize for “sexual photo scandal”

On 2.19, Edison Chen held a conference meeting with HK reporters to apologize publicly for the first time after the “sexual photo scandal” out of control. That day, he dressed a suit which seems quite gentle and formal and serious, of course, at the same time, quite handsome. This appearance really helps him get many females’ sympathy.

a famous Chinese actress---Lin Xinru

Lin Xinru, from Taiwan, made a reputation about 10 years ago when she played Xia Ziwei in Huan Zhu Ge Ge.

After that, she played more modern TV series.

Apple iPhone

Apple iPhone

MacBook Air

MacBook Air is ultrathin, ultraportable, and ultra unlike anything else. But you don’t lose inches and pounds overnight. It’s the result of rethinking conventions. Of multiple wireless innovations. And of breakthrough design. With MacBook Air, mobile computing suddenly has a new standard.

"We have faith," Chinese premier tells country

Special Report: China's war on snow havoc

BEIJING, Feb. 2 (Xinhua) -- "We have the faith, courage and ability to overcome the severe natural disaster," Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao told the country on Saturday on board a train in disaster-hit central Hunan Province.

"I am now on a train bound for Chenzhou City with the accompany of heads of relevant departments of the State Council. We are helping with the relief work," Wen said in his address on China National Radio.



He delivered Spring Festival wishes to all people in the country.

"The general public, especially those who sacrifice their lives in the disaster relief, are those who moved me most," Wen was quoted as saying in TV footage from Hunan Economic TV Station. "Inface of the disaster, they show us composure, bravery and the spirit of sacrifice."

"I often hear people express out of their own will thankfulness to the government. But those we really should thank are the masses," he said.

It was Wen's second visit to disaster-hit Hunan.

He flew out of Beijing on Monday night to Hunan but had to land at Tianhe Airport in neighboring Hubei Province because of the bad weather. He completed his journey by train and arrived in Changsha City, the provincial capital, on Tuesday morning.

He flew to Hunan for the second time on Friday afternoon shortly after chairing a meeting that morning in Beijing. For days on end, China's senior leaders have been leaving the capital to go to disaster-affected regions to boost public morale amid the worst snow in decades.

China President Hu Jintao made an inspection tour on Thursday to coal fields in Datong, Shanxi Province, and Qinhuangdao Port in Hebei Province, through which much of Shanxi's coal is shipped.

Hu entered a mine more than 400 meters underground, taking an elevator down to meet miners of the Datangtashan coal mine co-op in Datong who had worked overtime in temperatures of minus 20 degrees Celsius to increase supply.

Other members of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee also ventured into the field to join the relief efforts.

Yao-Yi NBA showdown serves as China's Super Bowl

BEIJING, Feb. 2 -- China's two National Basketball Association superstars, Yao Ming and rookie Yi Jianlian, meet for the second and last time this season on Saturday in a major show for Chinese sports fans.

On the eve of American football's Super Bowl spectacular that galvanizes U.S. attention, the match up here between Yao's Houston Rockets and Yi's Milwaukee Bucks is expected to attract 200 million viewers in their Asian homeland.

"I look at it almost as the Chinese Super Bowl," said Bucks coach Larry Krystkowiak. "We'll have the American version of the Super Bowl the next night, which will be watched by about half as many people. It's hard to fathom really.

"It means a lot to Yi and Yao and the NBA."

Not that Yi was going to admit that.

"No, it's just a game," Yi said of "Yao versus Yi II", which is not by accident a Chinese New Year attraction.

Being an attraction, and even a source of relief given brutal snow that has snarled transportation in China, is not on Yi's mind.

"I don't think about that," Yi said. "I just focus on the game. Of course (China supporters) are really excited to see two Chinese players come together and play. They want to support us."

Yao scored 28 points and grabbed 10 rebounds in Houston's 104-88 home victory last November when the Chinese stars first played against each other in the NBA. Yi had 19 points and nine rebounds in the tension-filled meeting.

"(Yi) played a nice game," Krystkowiak said. "He's productive when he's got a set of fresh legs and I think he does now. He remains pretty constant with his emotions and his approach. He's always working his tail off."

Chinese reporters follow Yi's every move but he has handled the attention and the new challenges of an 82-game NBA schedule well.

"He has a lot of people pulling him in a lot of different directions, but his demeanor really hasn't changed from Day One," Krystkowiak said.

Yao will be the starting center for the Western Conference in the NBA All-Star Game later this month. He matched season highs with 36 points and 19 rebounds in a home victory Tuesday over Golden State.

"I look at Yao Ming's performance this season as a big improvement and now he has become a leader on the Rockets team," Yi said. "It's through his hard work. He has had a really good year."

Australian 7-foot center Andrew Bogut will have the challenge of trying to stop 2.2m giant Yao for the Bucks.

"He got a lot of criticism when he went number one (in the 2002 NBA Draft) and now he's an all-star year in and year out, the best center in the league," Bogut said. "He will be one of the all-time greats, I think.

"No one will ever be 7-foot-6 and have the touch and feel for the game that he does."

(Source: China Daily)

Yi selected for NBA rookie game

BEIJING, Feb. 2 -- Chinese forward Yi Jianlian of the Milwaukee Bucks was named by the NBA on Wednesday as one of nine first-year players and 18 players overall who will participate in the rookie-sophomore game Feb. 15 as part of the All-Star weekend in New Orleans.

Yi has averaged 9.8 points and 5.8 rebounds in 46 games for the Bucks this season after being selected sixth in last year's NBA Draft.

"I expected it," Yi said before Wednesday's game against the Philadelphia 76ers at the Wachovia Center. "This is something that I've worked hard for with my performance in a lot of games. I'm really happy and I'm just hoping that I can take this and help the rookie team win the game."

"We're playing the first game of the weekend, so I'm hoping to go through the game and have a good game and after that relax the rest of the weekend and enjoy the festivities," he said.

Coach Larry Krystkowiak was happy for Yi. "It's great," he said. "It's part of his indoctrination into the league."

Yi, one of three Bucks to play in every game this season, ranks among the league's rookie leaders in scoring (third, 9.8), rebounds (third, 5.8), field-goal percentage (second, 43.6 percent), free-throw percentage (second, 82.7 percent), minutes (fourth, 27.3), blocks (fifth, 1.02), and steals (fifth, 0.67).

Joining him among the global contingent in the event are Houston forward Luis Scola of Argentina, Memphis guard Juan Carlos Navarro of Spain and Atlanta forward Al Horford of the Dominican Republic.

Others on the rookie squad include Seattle's Kevin Durant and Jeff Green, Memphis guard Mike Conley, New Jersey center Sean Williams and Toronto swingman Jamario Moon.

NBA second-year players have beaten the newcomers in the past five challenge matchups and six of the eight staged since the rookie-sophomore format began in 2000. The rookies won the inaugural clash and most recently in 2002. Italy's Andrea Bargnani, the Toronto Raptors forward selected first overall in the 2006 NBA Draft, will lead this year's sophomore squad.

Other NBA sophomores include Utah's Paul Millsap and Ron Brewer, Rudy Gay of Memphis, Portland's Brandon Roy and LaMarcus Aldridge, Boston's Rajon Rondo, Los Angeles Lakers guard Jordan Farmar and Cleveland's Daniel Gibson.

Roy won last season's NBA Rookie of the Year honors.

The Rookie lineup is without 2007 top draft pick Greg Oden, who has missed the entire season for Portland with a right knee injury.

Beijing answers Taiwan authority's decision of "referendum on U.N. membership"

BEIJING, Feb. 2 (Xinhua) -- China's central authorities on Saturday responded to Taiwan authority's declaration to hold a "referendum on U.N. membership in the name of Taiwan" on March 22, saying such a move could seriously disturb peace in the region.

The decision of the Taiwan authority led by Chen Shui-bian to hold the "referendum" is a significant step in its attempt to change the status quo that the Chinese mainland and Taiwan belong to one China and attain "de jure independence" of Taiwan, said the statement.

It's a referendum on "Taiwan independence" in a disguised form, said the statement released by the Taiwan Work Office of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council with an authorization.

Once this scheme is realized, it certainly will seriously impact relations across the Taiwan Straits, seriously harm the fundamental interests of compatriots on both sides and seriously imperil peace in the Taiwan Straits and even peace in the Asia-Pacific region, said the statement.

It said the Chinese mainland and Taiwan belong to one China. Any issues involving China's sovereignty and territorial integrity must be decided by all the 1.3 billion people of the entire China, Taiwan compatriots included.

"We pay close attention to development of this 'referendum' issue. If the authority led by Chen Shui-bian stubbornly risks danger in desperation, it will certainly pay a heavy cost," said the statement.

People on both the mainland and the island are brothers in flesh and blood and they share the same fundamental interests, the statement said.

Conflicts and disputes between the two sides of the Straits could well be solved by equal consultations in the process of peaceful development of cross-Straits relations, it said.

The statement called on Taiwan compatriots to realize the ugly intention of Chen to raise the "referendum" and its serious consequences. It emphasized that resolutely checking activities seeking "Taiwan Independence" is an essential premise to maintaining peace in the Taiwan Straits.