On April 30, Houston Rockets player Yao Ming celebrated during a game. On that day, in the sixth round of the first stage of the 2008-2009 NBA playoffs, the Houston Rockets defeated the Portland Trail Blazers at home with a score of 92 to 76, advancing to the Western Conference semifinals with a total score of 4 to 2. This was the first time in 12 years that the Rockets had broken through the first round of the playoffs.
Xinhua News Agency, Washington, April 30 (reported by Liang Junchen) The Houston Rockets realized a 12-year-old dream on April 30. Leveraging their home-court advantage, the Rockets defeated the Trail Blazers with a score of 92:76, thus eliminating their opponents in the first round of the seven-game series of the NBA playoffs with a score of 4:2 and advancing to the second round (semifinals) of the Western Conference after 12 years.
The last time the Rockets won in the first round of the playoffs was back in 1997. Since then, they have made it to the playoffs six times, but were eliminated in the first round each time.
This match was not only a breakthrough for the Rockets, but also a significant milestone in the career of "Chinese Great Wall" Yao Ming. This was the first time since he entered the NBA as the top draft pick in 2002 that he experienced the sweetness of advancing to the second round of the playoffs.
In the next phase, the Rockets will face the Lakers, one of the favorites to win the championship in the semifinals, and the winner will advance to the Western Conference finals.