Did Ralph Sampson get Injured during the 1986 Finals?

I think he got undercut, and got hurt.

DD

 

I posted the article in the last thread, that proved you were right

http://www.chron.com/CDA/archives/archive.mpl?id=2006_4062974

What the Rockets also didn't know was the first crack in their foundation had appeared when Sampson was undercut while going for a rebound at Boston Garden on March 24. There was a sickening thud when his head cracked against the parquet floor. However, the real damage was done to his back and left hip.

Big man hobbled

Sampson sat out for the first time in his career, missing three games and coming back with a limp. When he began to overcompensate for the pain in his hip, it led to the start of knee problems that would require three operations and cut short his career as an All-Star player. For the final six weeks of the regular season, Fitch closed practice to the media to keep a lid on the extent of the injury.

"It was hard thing to see," Fitch said. "A lot of days, he could barely run, and he couldn't do anything to stop Dream defensively."

"I was never the same from the time I went down in Boston," Sampson said. "It was like I couldn't play my game."

The Rockets started the next season 2-0 but then struggled. On the morning of Jan. 13, 1987 they were 15-18 when word came down that Lloyd and Wiggins had failed drug tests and been suspended by the league.

"I'll never forget. The night before that test, I was in the Summit and Wiggins was there shooting," Fitch said. "The news then was that Micheal Ray Richardson had flunked a drug test with a huge quantity in his system. Wig looked at me and said, `Don't worry about a thing, Coach. I'm clean.' The very next day he broke Micheal Ray's record. He was off the charts on the test."

The would-be dynasty was coming unglued.

"It's one thing to have injuries," said McCray. "But when guys have drug problems, there's a different kind of feeling. It's a personal letdown. You feel for them. You want them to recover. But you sit back and reflect and say, `Why did they have to do that?' "

Lack of focus

Olajuwon agreed with McCray.

"I believe we really had the potential to be a dynasty," he said. "There were a lot of championships there for us. But being a dynasty doesn't just come by accident. You have to stay focused on the goal, on and off the court."

On Feb. 3, while trying to make a cut against Bill Hanzlik of Denver, Sampson slipped on a wet spot at the Summit and tore ligaments in his left knee. The injury required surgery and forced him to miss 39 games.

The Rockets finished the regular season 42-40 and lost to Seattle in the second round of the playoffs, eliminated on a night when Olajuwon scored 49 points and grabbed 25 rebounds.

Seven months later, Sampson was traded to Golden State in a deal for Joe Barry Carroll and Sleepy Floyd.

 

What did i miss?

 

How did the series finish? I'm too lazy to search it up?

 

Gary Schisting . .. I think he injured him in his FIGHT TO SAVE THE CHAMPIONSHIP
[He went into the game to take Sampson out . . and he did just that . . . .HATE THE CELTICS FOREVER!!]

Rocket River

 

History. It's real.