Calls from Shaq motivate T-Mac vs. Mavs, Spurs

TMac's great game had help from Shaq-daddy-

HoustonChronicle.com - Calls from Shaq motivate T-Mac vs. Mavs, Spurs:

The Rockets may need to consider adding Shaquille O'Neal to their payroll. Not as a player, but as a consultant. He would be paid simply to call and criticize his buddy, Tracy McGrady, before every game.

So far, O'Neal has made that phone call twice. The first time was before the Dallas game Dec. 2. Guard Tyronn Lue gave McGrady a message that the Miami Heat center said McGrady should step up his game. That night, McGrady had a season-high 48 points.

The second time was before the San Antonio game Thursday night. McGrady hadn't scored more than 18 points in either of the two games since his 48-point outburst. O'Neal, a teammate of Lue's in Los Angeles, called Lue again and told him to tell McGrady to wake up.

As O'Neal watched the nationally televised game, it was evident his message had reached McGrady. The Rockets' star orchestrated a stunning comeback by scoring 13 points in the final 35 seconds to give the Rockets an 81-80 victory over the Spurs. ... “After the game, he was definitely in the back of my mind,” McGrady said. “I was definitely going to call him and ask him if he saw the game. He knows how I play. He's watched me. He's like my big brother. And he told Ty Lue to tell me to stop playing — I don't want to say it on camera — but to stop playing like a girl.

This would easily be played on the Hardwood Classics channel a few years from now, if this was in the playoffs. Still, what an awesome display of basketball talent - mostly with supreme defender Bruce Bowen right in his face. I watched the TiVoed last 3 minutes of the game several times, shaking my head in wonderment. Although, in general, the Spurs are one of the teams I root for, in this game I was rooting for the underdog Rockets. I don't expect much to happen with the Rockets though this year, unless Jeff VG washes that Pat Riley slow-down grease from his hair, and starts recruiting spot-up 3 point shooters. Jim Jackson is not the answer, nor is Bob Sura. Both are 4th or 5th options, at best. Not to say that both of these guys aren't valuable players to have, but neither is going to stop defenses from collapsing on T-Mac and Yao. Update, thanks to YouTube (and True Hoop), here's the video