I just watched it for the first time since being there. It was powerful then/now as it was obvious to me at the time, we were going to repeat. One of the most intense/underrated Rockets games in terms of importance. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FO-A8Yp3Xz0
Yeah why oh why would you bring this up now. Not to mention not putting the year in the thread title made it seem like a troll job till I opened it.
Oh man, what a game! Thanks, Plowman. I forgot that we set an NBA regular season record for 3 pointers that season. Sound familiar? Hakeem was a vacuum cleaner on the defensive glass, blocking shots like a madman, surrounded by talented players that knew their roles. Damn, I feel nostalgic. We'll never have another Olajuwon, but I'd love to see a Rockets team play at that level again. Heck, to just play like they know what they're doing!
two things stand out in the first two possessions: the ability of both teams to make an entry pass to the post. something the current rockets team cannot do. Robert Horry and Sean Elliot on opposing teams in the WCF, having been traded for one another the previous year, trade subsequently rescinded.
Apparently Moses Malone was on that Spurs roster? There's a weird fact. http://www.basketball-reference.com/teams/SAS/1995.html
A few things I remember about this series. It was genius to move Horry to the 4 in the Phoenix series because Barkley and then Rodman in this series had no interest in guarding him at the 3 point line and he got open look after open look which game Hakeem even more roomn to operate in the post. Elie was almost automatic with that set shot 3 point shot. Drexler and Elie were great together on the break. Two guys that knew how to finish and took the ball to the basket hard. You could almost guarantee either Kenny or Sam would have a good game every night and Rudy would just ride the hot hand. One thing that made this team so good is none of them were afraid to take the big shot. The Spurs had owned us for years in the regular season until this series I think that's one reason the Rockets winning this series was such a surprise. I still remember that bull**** after the buzzer tip in they got on us in the last regular season game in 93 which cost us home court advantage vs the Sonics. We might have had a shot to make it the finals that year too if we get that call.
Nobody gonna mention the Donald Trump as a camera man appearance? Haha that was weird. Seeing Greg Pop interviewed as a GM was weird too. Didn't realize he was the GM at that time. He was also a lot nicer to Jim Gray.
My pleasure, Deck. Yeah, I figured it was time for us to bathe in the waters. (much needed) Talk about a well oiled machine ....
So defenses were better back then??? All I saw was wide open shots and lay ups for both teams in the first 4-5 minutes. The only thing that's difference is they fouled hard when someone did go for a fast break lay up / dunk....
