I was just about to post this! Incredible shot, I was in Galveston with my mom and dad for the weekend and everybody was huddled around a small tv in the San Luis lobby watching that final shot. Unforgettable.
Not one play, but Brew and J-Smoove defying shooting AVGs is great to watch. The worst for me is between this and this, pretty much the opposite feeling of when the Rox defied shooting AVGs on this one.
This...FTW. This was the exclamation point to the NBA's definitive statement of 1995... The Rockets were bad, they were pretty, and they couldn't possibly be beat. SHOCK THE WORLD...!
* Kiss of Death * Maxwell three against the Knicks * Hakeem barely tips Stark's shot * Hakeem "bamboozles" Robinson * Kenny Smith three to send it to OT * Hakeem tip-in to win it in OT Those are probably my contenders. I know there are other potentials, most prominent of them Sampson's shot. And while I was alive for that, I was a kid, so (i) it doesn't hold as much weight for me, and (ii) I think it was amazing in that it happened, but it was kind of a nobody expected this and eventually they're going to lose amazing. Eddie Johnson's shot was great... but they lost that series. TMac's dunk was great, but they lost that series. TMac 13 in 33 is amazing, but not really one play - and a regular season game. If I had to choose one it would probably be that Kiss of Death. Game 7, effectively wins a series, and with them having kind of "blown it" earlier in the series, etc. and when he hit that shot... man, you just had a feeling. It was happening. Very close to making my list was Sam "Big Balls" Cassell coming out swinging in Game 3 against the Knicks. The play of note would be his late three on the assist from Olajuwon who had drawn the defense in. Knicks were up 88-86, Sam hit the shot with about 33 seconds to play to give the Rockets the lead. First championship, no lock, and of note the Rockets went on to lose the next 2, so that 2-1 game cushion they got off that game was huge.
The Shot, by Ralph Sampson, that eliminated the defending champion Showtime Lakers in LA to win the Western Conference Finals 5-1 and advance to play the Celtics, one of the greatest teams in NBA history, in my opinion, for all the marbles. I was so excited when Ralph hit that impossible shot as time expired that I nearly exploded from pure joy. What a moment! Houston took Boston to 6 games, falling 4-2 to Bird's Celtics, but we were supposed to be the next dynasty and the media loved us. Trophies were in our future. It's what everyone thought, that while we didn't win the Finals that year, we would be making several trips there before Akeem, Ralph, and a very deep team were done. It was not to be, but we didn't realize that at the time. The Rockets were on their way to greatness.
When OJ Simpson committed suicide in the white Bronco while interrupting the Rockets NBA Finals. Wait, that didn't happen, I just wished it did.
I’m all about singular defining moments of disrespect. T-Mac on Bradley because that **** was epic (and Kevin Harlan’s “here comes McGradyyyyy” commentary is perfect)... Harden ankle breaker to lick the lips combo move on Wes Johnson because that **** was cold as ice... I can’t split them.
I few plays of Chuck Hayes defending Garnet stands out to me... but Im also going to say the Harden Warrior game winner.
Kiss of Death. Most of the plays that come to mind for me have been mentioned. Always enjoyed Nachbar taking on Malone though.
This is mine too. I would probably say the Eddie Johnson shot had we gone on to win the series against the Jazz, though.
Correction: Dream wasn’t thrown out. He was baited. Effin Kupchak. And you know Riley set it up. How is the memory of that Knicks championship going Pat? Oh that’s right. You don’t have one.
One of my faves that nobody ever mentions was Dream in the playoffs against the Spurs. Obviously he had been schooling Robinson all series and in one game they put Terry Cummings on Dream. Dream did this no look behind the head finger roll right over Cummings. That just had me rolling in laughter. Dream was a special cat. I wish I had a clip of it.
Great ones! Have to mention some that I haven’t seen posted: - 1990 OT coast to coast dunk vs Bulls - 1992 Olajuwon game winning block on MJ’s three point attempt - 1994 Maxwell game winner at the buzzer @ Spurs 22-1 - 1994 Maxwell’s elbow to Ainge’s head in WCSF game 7 - 1995 Cassell balls hanging after big shot vs. ?? - 2003 Yao’s dream shake vs. Indiana - 2008 Tracy’s emphatic block in 1st game w Mutombo starting after Yao out - 2008 Rafer’s dance on Vucevic - 2009 Artest flex muscle play (playoffs) - 2009 Wafer game winner @ Celtics - 2009 Yao coming back from the tunnel @ Lakers, that was emotional - 2013 Delfino gun to the head - 2014 Beverley dunk on Bosh @ Heat - 2014 Garcia staredown of CP3 and reaction to Clutch the bear - 2014 Troy Daniels game winner @ Blazers (playoffs) - 2015 Brewer comeback on Blazers - 2015/2016 Harden SS reaction after dunk or 3 vs Pacers - 2017 Beverley bumping coach after shutdown of WB - 2017 Beverley threes flex show off to the crowd after beating OKC game 1 - 2018 Harden dunk on Draymond in playoffs
Kiss of Death without a doubt. But this always reminds me that Hakeem was indeed better than Jordan ever was:
Kiss of death by FAR But never forget Yao dunking of Ratliff. If I recall, Ratcliff said something before the game like Yao would never dunk on him or he'd block him. First play of the game The first time Yao got a tech. Well deserved
