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(via chron.com

GUANGZHOU, China – The Rockets did not need to do much to delight China, but bolstered by exultation wherever they went, they did.

They needed only to jog out to the floor to earn raucous cheers. Yao Ming needed only to touch the ball for the roars to roll down from the rafters in excitement and anticipation. But after nearly a week spent bathed in China’s adulation, the Rockets ended their China Games schedule by giving back.

They brought Yao Ming home and as fans sang his name in tribute, Yao did more than enough to satisfy the hunger to see him do the things that made him a national hero. And to provide reason to keep cheering, the Rockets christened a glistening new arena by giving another giddily boisterous China crowd, a 95-85 win over the New Jersey Nets on Saturday.

“Each and every member of our team was motivated because we really love to see our fans cheering for us,” Yao said through a translator. “Of course in the Toyota Center, we have to wait for the regular season to feel such a warm atmosphere.”

When Yao left the floor for the night three minutes into the fourth quarter, he waved to the crowd on one side of the court and then the other, and stopped to raise his hands and applaud his countrymen.

To the Rockets, they had earned it.

“The Finals and the playoffs are more intense, definitely more on the line, but as far as the crowd and the atmosphere, the cheering, it compares,” said Rockets guard Courtney Lee, the only player to have experienced both playing in The Finals and in China with Yao. “The adrenaline starts pumping. The crowd is into the game. The crowd, this atmosphere, we feed off it.”

By the fourth quarter, when Yao’s allotment of playing time was nearly complete, the crowd began a chant that translated to “Let’s go, Yao Ming.” Moments later, he blocked a shot, then posted up with the crowd roaring in the hopes of one more Yao highlight. Double-teamed, he passed inside to a cutting Chase Budinger, and chant began again, simply, “Yao Ming, Yao Ming.”

Yao, who will play just one more preseason game, continued to look stronger through the preseason, hitting five of eight shots for his 10 points, and defending much better than in his first games back. That was enough to be named the night’s MVP in something of a “one-party” selection. He had, however, taken on more than anyone.

“A lot was asked of him this week emotionally,” Shane Battier said. “Yao is one of the most upbeat guys I know so he’s taking it all in stride. But he’s excited to get back and get back to our routine.”

There were some of the usual preseason game issues. Brad Miller played for the first time in the preseason and has some strong possessions defensively on Nets star Brook Lopez. Miller played 26 minutes, scoring 11 points with five rebounds and four assists.

“It definitely makes you better instead of going somewhere you might have 5,000 to 8,000 people who might be bored off their butts,” Miller said. “Over here, you get the excitement level. It definitely is fun, especially for me, the first game getting out there.”

Kyle Lowry came back from his bruised right knee and struggled at times, but also made several plays on the break.

Most significant perhaps was that when Rick Adelman went to his bench, he went to Jared Jeffries as the backup power forward playing behind Chuck Hayes, rather than Jordan Hill who had gotten the playing time in the first four preseason games.

With Luis Scola back in Houston after the birth of his fourth son, Hayes started and continued his strong preseason play. Hill played just four minutes in Beijing and just three first-half minutes in Guangzhou.

Those details, however, were obscured by the big picture. The game and week was about much more than minutes and statistics.

“If I was in my younger days, in the first couple years in the league, I don’t think I would be able to appreciate it,” Battier said. But 10 years in, stuff like this doesn’t happen very often, the fanfare, the excitement.

“You see a scene like this and you get an understanding of the purpose of the trip. You realize in a city like Guangzhou, they love the NBA, they love the Rockets and they love Yao.”