He let out a long sigh, like a steam engine at the end of its run, and said only, "I don't know how to answer your questions."

But his body language had screamed of his discontent. For two days, he had been reminded of the many times he had believed he had been fouled before, after and during his shots without hearing a whistle.

This, he had seemed to accept between games of the Rockets' Sunday-Monday back-to-back as life of an NBA big man. But after two games struggling with many parts of his game and even his reliable shooting touch, he had grown tired of being as draped in frustration as he had been with defenders.

Choosing words carefully

"I feel like it's harder to move quicker," Yao said, choosing his words carefully. "Obviously, from my strength and my skill, when they play with deep, deep contact on me, I can't get very comfortable shots. Some of (it is) my problem. Some I would say (Sunday night) I got only two free throws; (Monday) I got seven, three in the last two minutes.

"I mean, come on. It should be more than that. I do my part. I fight inside. But if they don't give me the call, then they don't give me the call."

Yao took 22 shots in each game, making seven Sunday, nine Monday. In a stretch after his 4-for-4 start against the Hornets on Sunday, he made three of 22, admitting some of his frustration about calls had an impact on his play.

"A little bit, but move on. Move on," he said. "Think about the two games in L.A. (tonight against the Clippers and Friday against the Lakers) and hopefully, get better in those two games."

In his previous game against the Clippers in Los Angeles, he led the Rockets to a 108-103 win, scoring 32 points and at one point shouting, 'You can't ... stop me.' "

He was hurt in the first quarter of the Rockets' second game against the Clippers, and had just 14 points on 6-of-13 shooting March 14. He was 38-of-72 in the next four games, before making just 16 of 44 attempts in this week's back-to-back.

But he did seem certain of the solution to the frustration.

"For my part, I'll fight through it," he said. "I did it too late (Sunday) night."

But none of this is anything new to Yao. He and the Rockets often have spoken about how he is officiated and what he must control.

"After four years and 70 games, whatever is permissible is going to stay the same," Rockets coach Jeff Van Gundy said. "There's nothing that's going to change it."

But he said Yao can do something about playing through "whatever is permissible."

Two-step plan

"Second shots would be No. 1," Van Gundy said after Yao had gotten one offensive rebound in three games. "Two, just (play) stronger and jump through the contact. Other than that, just keep playing. Nothing is going to radically change. Whatever is deemed permissible contact is going to be deemed permissible contact going forward.

"I'm not concerned with Yao making or missing (shots). I'm more concerned with what precedes the making or missing, and defense and rebounding that I think should be consistent with our team in general."

Still, Yao's shot had long been as reliable as the Rockets' defense and rebounding.

Every complaint about non-calls, every scowl or stomp, seemed to have been followed the past two games by missed shots.

The Rockets don't expect that to last.