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SPORTS> North America
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Impressive Yi makes triuphant debut for NBA Nets
(Agencies)
Updated: 2008-10-30 12:46 WASHINGTON - Chinese forward Yi Jianlian made a strong debut for New Jersey, scoring 17 points on 7-of-11 shooting Wednesday to power the Nets past Washington 95-85 in their National Basketball Association season opener.
Two days after celebrating his 21st birthday, the 7-footer from Shenzhen was formidable defensively as well as with the ball to emerge a winner in his first game with the Nets after being traded from Milwaukee last June. "It felt great," Yi said. "We got off to a great start by winning our first game. Our whole team played well, worked hard, showing patience, shot the ball well. In the second half we rebounded well and played great defense." Vince Carter scored a game-high 21 points and Yi contributed a team-high six rebounds as well as energy and accurate outside shooting to spark the Nets, who blew open a tight game with a 13-5 run over the final five minutes. "He has a lot of energy and that's what we need," Carter said. "He was able to get up and down the court well, rebound well and played defense. We showed a lot of poise." Yi, who has played for China in the past two Olympics, was in the locker room barely an hour before tip-off staring intently at a laptop computer with teammates and assistant coaches going over defensive schemes for the game. The work paid off. A Yi 3-pointer ignited a 10-2 run to give the Nets their biggest lead until the last seconds at 58-52 just 4:57 into the second half on a 3-point play by Carter, who was fouled in mid-leap but made a spectacular reverse layup. New Jersey led 69-67 entering the fourth quarter and the game remained tense to the end, Yi making his best move with a steal that he turned into a fast break slam dunk with 7:46 to play, putting the Nets ahead 78-75. New Jersey's defense took command from there. The Wizards made only one basket from the field in a span of nine minutes in the fourth quarter, Yi grabbing three key rebounds in the fourth quarter to help bury the Wizards. "I expected his best effort and he contributed," Nets coach Lawrence Frank said. "It's good he rebounded. He shot the ball well. Yi had a very good game. He did a very good job. "It's a good first step. Let's just continue to build and go from there." Yi, in many ways still learning about the NBA after being taken sixth in last year's NBA Draft, has bonded well and quickly with his new teammates. "I felt good," Yi said. "I've been working with them for two months so it is coming together." Yi is now on a team that has been rebuilt after missing the playoffs last season for the first time since 2001, going 34-48. "He understands what's going on in practice very well," Frank said. "This is his second year. I think he is farther along." It's not only a learning experience for Yi. Eight of 12 players on the Nets roster were not with the team last season. New Jersey added three draft picks, two free agents and three players by trades. "The big thing is we played well together. We were unselfish. We shared the ball. We all had an opportunity to shoot. I rebounded and shot well, played good defense. We helped each other on the defense." Yi averaged 8.6 points and 5.2 rebounds a game for the Bucks last season. In five pre-season starts for the Nets, Yi averaged 12.8 points and 3.0 rebounds. A sellout crowd of 20,173 watched at an arena in the Chinatown section of the US capital. |
