Breaking News: Yao Out for the Remainder of the Playoffs!

Reports have recently surfaced that Houston Rockets' Center Yao Ming will miss the rest of the playoffs with a small hairline fracture on his injured foot. Yao was injured in the third quarter in Game Three of the Lakers-Rockets series, but played for the remainder of the game.

Others sources have indicated a broken left foot as the culprit.

Recently praised for his toughness after shaking off another lower body injury in Game One and helping the Rockets' upset L.A., Yao scored 19 points and grabbed 14 rebounds in the Lakers win over Houston in Game Three.

At 7-6, Yao has had a chronicled past with lower body injuries as he missed the playoffs last season with a stress fracture in his foot and has missed a total of 93 games in his seven-year career.

Houston is already sans their leading scorer as Tracy McGrady has been out since before the trade deadline with a knee injury that required surgery.

Without Yao, the Lakers will be able to pound the smaller Rockets' squad with the trio of Pau Gasol, Andrew Bynum, and Lamar Odom. In addition more weight now goes on the shoulders of Ron Artest who must now score at a higher level as well as help defend the game's best player and last year's MVP in Kobe Bryant.

This a devastating blow for the Houston Rockets.

Get better Yao, your team needs you.