ChinesebasketballstarYaoMing,2.28mHoustonRocketscenter,playsduringthematchagainstSerbiaattheStankovicCupbasketballOlympicwarmuptournamentinHangzhou,capitalofeastChina'sZhejiangProvince,July,17,2008.Yao'shealthfortheBeijingOlympicshasbeenofgreatconcerntoorganizerssincehesufferedastressfracturetohisleftfootinFebruary,endinghisNBAseason.
HANGZHOU,July17(Xinhua)--YaoMingplayedhisfirstgameinalmostfivemonthsafterafootsurgery,helpingChinabeatSerbia96-72attheStankovicContinentalCupinHangzhouonThursday.
TheHoustonRockets'centerscored11pointsin12minutes,grabbinganotherfourreboundsandhavingthreeblocks.
"ThestatsareniceforYao,andhedidn'tmakeanymistakesondefence.Whatcanweaskhimmorefor?"China'sheadcoachJonasKazlauskassaid.
WangZhizhiledChinawith18pointsandYiJianlian,NewJerseyNetsforward,added14pointsforthe11consecutivewarm-upvictory.
ForwardMilanMacvanhadthegame-high23pointsandsevenreboundsforSerbia,whichiscomposedofanU-20squadforthecompetition.
Chinaopenedthematchwitha9-0runandextendedthemarginto13-2inlessthanfourminutes.
YaosubstitutedWangwith3:59minutesleftinthefirstquarterandscoredhisfirstpointonafree-throwtwominuteslater.
HeremainedonthecourtatthestartofthesecondquarterbeforehewasbenchedthreeminuteslaterwhenChinaled36-23.
Serbiamadeit51-39withabeat-the-buzzer3-pointerfromMacvanonthebreakandandcloseditby54-46inthethirdquarter,thesmallestmarginofthegame.
Thehostteamtooka14-2runtosetthetoneofthematchandledasmanyas31pointson81-62inthefourthquarter.