http://www.sportingnews.com/nba/ We love THAT game By Bob Hille Sporting News Ah, 1994-95. Let the words roll off your tongue like a fine wine aged 10 years: Vinnie Del Negro. You should hope this year's final seven series have half the entertainment value of the conference semifinals and finals from 10 seasons ago, when none went fewer than six games and there were heroes and thrills, last-second upsets and the anointing of a dynasty that never was. Despite a shocking 4-0 sweep in the NBA Finals, it's as plain as the ears on Reggie Miller's head: The 1995 NBA postseason was the greatest of all time. CONFERENCE SEMIFINALS EAST Pacers 4, Knicks 3 Game 1: Pacers 107, knicks 105 Game 2: Knicks 96, Pacers 77 Game 3: Pacers 97, Knicks 95 (ot) Game 4: Pacers 98, Knicks 84 Game 5: Knicks 96, Pacers 95 Game 6: Knicks 92, Pacers 82 Game 7: Pacers 97, Knicks 95 How to seal your rep as a Knick killer (better known as "*$%#&" at the Garden): Get a steal and hit a pair of 3-pointers right under Spike Lee's nose as part of a personal 8-point burst in the final 8.9 seconds. Ladies and gentlemen ... Reggie Miller! Magic 4, Bulls 2 Game 1: Magic 94, Bulls 91 Game 2: Bulls 104, Magic 94 Game 3: Magic 110, Bulls 101 Game 4: Bulls 106, Magic 95 Game 5: Magic 103, Bulls 95 Game 6: Magic 108, Bulls 102 Shaquille O'Neal and Penny Hardaway were the stars of a Magic team christened a dynasty in the making. But the tipping point was the offseason signing of All-Star forward Horace Grant, who was part of three title teams in Chicago. He led Orlando in scoring in two games and rebounding in three against the Bulls, who got 31.5 points per 1995 playoff game from a former baseball player named Jordan, just back from retirement No. 1. WEST Spurs 4, Lakers 2 Game 1: Spurs 110, Lakers 94 Game 2: Spurs 97, Lakers 90 (OT) Game 3: Lakers 92, Spurs 85 Game 4: Spurs 80, Lakers 71 Game 5: Lakers 98, Spurs 96 (OT) Game 6: Spurs 100, Lakers 88 Quick: Who was the coach that led the Lakers back to the playoffs after they had missed them in 1994 under Randy Pfund and Magic Johnson, their first playoff absence in 18 years? If you guessed Del Harris, then you win two Nick Van Exel 3-pointers-one with 10 seconds to play and the winner with 0.5 seconds left in OT to avoid elimination, albeit for only one game. Rockets 4, Suns 3 Game 1: Suns 130, Rockets 108 Game 2: Suns 118, Rockets 94 Game 3: Rockets 118, Suns 85 Game 4: Suns 114, Rockets 110 Game 5: Rockets 103, Suns 97 (OT) Game 6: Rockets 116, Suns 103 Game 7: Rockets 115, Suns 114 The Rockets had trailed the Suns, 3-1, in the series, so, hey, what was a 10-point halftime deficit on the road in Game 7? Houston shot 72 percent in the second half, and Mario Elie hit a 3-pointer from the left corner with 7.1 seconds left, blew the stunned home crowd a kiss and rendered Kevin Johnson's 46 points meaningless. CONFERENCE FINALS EAST Magic 4, Pacers 3 Game 1: Magic 105, Pacers 101 Game 2: Magic 119, Pacers 114 Game 3: Pacers 105, Magic 100 Game 4: Pacers 94, Magic 93 Game 5: Magic 108, Pacers 106 Game 6: Pacers 123, Magic 96 Game 7: Magic 105, Pacers 81 All you need to know is there were four lead changes in the last 13.3 seconds, and Rik Smits hit the 14-foot "Memorial Day Miracle" at the buzzer. (OK, and this, too: Pacers coach Larry Brown told Derrick McKey, inbounding at midcourt with 1.3 seconds to play, to look not for Miller but for Smits because Shaq and Grant had fouled out, forcing into action ancient player/coach Tree Rollins, three weeks shy of 40, who was pump-faked off his feet before Smits' winner.) WEST Rockets 4, Spurs 2 Game 1: Rockets 94, Spurs 93 Game 2: Rockets 106, Spurs 96 Game 3: Spurs 107, Rockets 102 Game 4: Spurs 103, Rockets 81 Game 5: Rockets 111, Spurs 90 Game 6: Rockets 100, Spurs 95 Hakeem Olajuwon was "held" to 27 points in Game 1, one of his lowest outputs in the 1995 playoffs, which begs the question: Ya think that reunion with former University of Houston teammate Clyde Drexler, acquired in midseason from Portland for Otis Thorpe, worked out OK? FINALS Rockets 4, Magic 0 Game 1: Rockets 120, Magic 118 (OT) Game 2: Rockets 117, Magic 106 Game 3: Rockets 106, Magic 103 Game 4: Rockets 113, Magic 101 A sweep, yes, but Game 1 set the tone at the O-rena: It went to overtime because the Magic's Nick Anderson missed four free throws in the closing seconds of regulation. Olajuwon's tip-in of Drexler's miss (karmic payback for an NCAA heartbreaker?) gave the Rockets the victory.
"Mad Max and that Ken-ny Smith, Eile and his Kiss-of-Death, The Dream and his Bud-dy Glyde... Don't forget Bull and A-mi-go... Thhooooose were the dayssss!"
The first round series against Utah was pretty awesome too. Game 5 in Utah. The Rockets looking dead in the water and Clyde just comes to life with about seven minutes left in the game to pull it out. Game 1 with Dream having the huge game but losing with RudyT giving Vernon the last shot to win it. It was Vernon's last game ever as a Rocket. Game 2 when the Rocks go three point crazy. One of the best three point shooting performances I've ever seen. What a playoff run...
Yup, When was the last time a playoff season featured guys like Jordon, Shaq, Olajuwon, Drexler, Barkley, Reggie, Penny, Robinson, Rodman, and Ewing? How about never?
1995 2005 Jordan T-Mac Shaq Shaq Olajuwon Duncan Drexler Nowitzki Barkley Fortson lol Reggie Reggie Penny Wade Robinson Yao Rodman B Wallace Ewing Jermaine O'Neal
Is it just me, or does Amare Stoudemire remind anyone of Hakeem when he was in his first couple of years in the NBA? What an awesome player with unlimited potential.
"...who got 31.5 points per 1995 playoff game from a former baseball player named Jordan, just back from retirement No. 1." _______________________ I love it when the 'experts' crow about how Jordan wasn't really back until 96. *-----> <-----*
damn, i totally forgot that KJ had 46 points in Game 7, is that right? Hell, I'd think I would remember that....
Offensively, yes...Hakeem started out very raw, just like Amare Defensively, it's really not even close (and it's not the homerism talking).
I think Amare has the potential to be a shotblocking beast like Hakeem. The work ethic isn't necessarily there is all. But the Mavs game last night showed the man can seemingly come out of nowhere for a block just like Dream used to. A couple of things he needs to work on is doing that every night and learn that it's better to keep a block on the court patted to a teammate than blocking it 9 rows in the stand. I can't keep count how many times Dreams would not only make an amazing block but would also be smart enough to block it to a teammate to start a fastbreak. Amare hasn't learned that yet. The one thing Amare will always lack that Dream had was his ability to generate steals. Isn't Hakeem the only center in the history of the game to be in the top 10 among steals all time? No other center even comes close.
Does any one have the same feeling as I do that, watching the video of the 80s, Hakeem seemed to have an incredible elevation when blocking shots? I mean, not just great elevation like Vince Carter or Amare, but out-of-this-world elevation, eye-popping elevation! It looks very much like: he jumped into the air, spent sometimes thinking where to swat the ball, and started playing volleyball with his block shot. It is not a matter of him being "smart enough" to swat to ball to the right place, but a matter of blocking shot being so easy for him, that he had the leisure to decide where the ball should go. So it feels like he was grabbing a ball and passing it out in a flash. I am amazed every time I watched the old videos!
exactly. blocking shots isn't as easy as amare has athletic ability so he should block shots. hakeem just had ridiculous hops but also timing. dikembe i didn't think ever had those hops but his arms are just timed perfectly. amare will never EVER average even more than 2 blocks a game. much less near 4 like hakeem and especially dikembe. similarly amare doesn't go for the boards the way hakeem did. amare is shawn kemp. not hakeem.
Doesn't compare....doesn't compare man....and I didn't even have Scottie Pippen on their. Old Reggie is nothing like the good old Reggie, and nearly every player on the right with the exception of Wade doesn't measure up to the guy on the left. I love T-mac, but he's not Jordon. Man, the time from 1990 through 1998 was truly the golden age of professional basketball.
Stop the Amare hating, the guy is an absolute BEAST! This kid is only 20 or 21 years of age, and is already a 27/10 player. He is a freakin' monster! If you want to know this guy's upside, you should have watched last night's game in Dallas (as well as the whole series to be honest). There is no stopping this kid, he is going to be an excellent shot blocker as well in the next couple of seasons. Hakeem came into the league at what, 22? Amare is not even there and he is already better than Dream ever was at that age. Kinda like how Lebron is better now than Jordan ever was at his age. Amare is the real deal, and everytime I watch him I just cringe because I know that this guy will be in the Western Conf and giving us trouble for years and years to come. In only his 3rd season, Amare is already the best offensive big man in the league. I don't think there is anyone with more potential in the league among the young players than Amare and Lebron, I think Wade is already pretty good and the only thing he will improve on in the next few seasons is probably his shot.
Couldn't agree more! I have said exactly that in the past. The 90s throughout 1998 was definitely the golden era of basketball.
