So there are many here who had this belief that we couldn't beat Seattle in the early 90s. Well the series were very close and the refs screwing the Rockets over isn't something that's new. We could have a much earlier Clutch City if it weren't for some bad calls. Whom ever made this video was really a die hard Rockets fan. These calls were made in the critical 4th and OT periods. <object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/Ax9n6JJgq-E&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/Ax9n6JJgq-E&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object> Call 3 was Donahey bad.
For the first two calls you can argue those are human errors. But man, call 3 is inexcusable. How sweet it would be if Hakeem was to face Jordan in the Finals. It would be a legendary series no matter what the result was.
I'll give you call one, but call two was atrocious. Hakeem was just standing there with his arms extended. Despite all that BS, the Rockets still almost won. That's why I have no doubt the Rockets would've beat Seattle without the Barkley trade.
i could see missing call one, but not really. call 2 you could pretend hakeem went under him, but come on, that was as obvious a block as there is. but call 3? why even play the game if you're going to make that call?
First call was too quick to be totally sure in live action. It was bad, but understandable. Second call was flat out bad without much excuse. The third call was very bad. Even if the hands were moving too quick, there was obviously no deflection of the ball whatsoever.
Those were pretty bad, but the real problem playing Seattle was that stupid illegal D they always, ALWAYS ran, yet never got called for. But heaven forbid you run the zone against them. You'd get called in a heartbeat. I don't know what their payroll was like during the early 90's, but the cost of the refs had to put them over the salary cap.
What are you talking about, Seattle easily swept the Rockets in 1996. If it wasn't for the Malone bearhug on Clyde the Rockets would have possibly faced the Bulls that year.
In Bad call #1, Kenny Smith passed on a open layup to make a bad pass. Bad call #2, Rockets can't get a rebound (deja vu anyone). Bad call #3 was a bad call.
Agreed. Only the Kings Lakers Game 6 was worse. As for this set of calls, #1 isn't that bad and is something we see quite often. #2 was atrocious - He was jumping away from Olajuwon who was jumping straight up. #3 explains why fans believe in conspiracy theories.
The first call can't be excused. By rule, if none of the refs had a good look on it, it should have been a jump ball. Too often the refs feel a need to make a call and in my opinion guess about what it could have been. Just say we didn't see it clearly so jump it up. That still happens in the game today. The early 90's Seattle battles really made me belive in the home court advantage. We played them well, but in the end the home court got them calls like this when the building was going crazy.
That is a nice sentiment, but it is extremely unlikely. The fact is that Seattle absolutely owned the Rockets after that series until they traded for Barkley. Everyone in the organization knew the team, as constructed, couldn't beat Seattle. Seattle had our number. It happens. Too bad for them they choked when it mattered.
let the players decide the outcome, man these refs.. They're still doing this same crap now-post donaghy(1994-2007). I know this game was pre-donaghy, but he had to learn it from some of those refs. that called this game.
they didn't 'own' the rockets when otis thorpe was our pf. they kept beating us consistently when horry was our pf. that's why we traded him and got chuck
I had a sense that this game was fixed when I saw it way back when, but now I am sure after what has come to light with NBA referees.
