During Yao Ming’s exam at halftime of the Rockets’ loss to the Toronto Raptors on Wednesday, Rockets team physician Tom Clanton told Yao he would be medically cleared to begin practicing Thursday.
Yao asked if he could play in the second half.
Doctors did not allow that and did not forecast when he would be able to play in games. But Yao practiced with the team Thursday for the first time since he fractured his right tibia Dec. 23.
