I don't remember which game this was but the Rockets were playing the Suns in Phoenix in the playoffs and Ainge inbounded the ball off of Elie's head. I know it seems petty but I don't think I've ever been so mad in my whole life.
"stockton for three..." barkley with hands in air, stockton celebrating going to finals in our gym, I think I cried for a month. -the best finals matchup IN HISTORY never happened because of those last crucial seconds... the Bulls vs. Houston would have been the best finals EVER!!!!!! BELIEVE IT!!!!! I can't say I hate anyone but I think I dislike the whole utah organization more than anything I have ever had a distaste for. I became a huge Bulls fan for those consecutive finals appearances by the Jazz. I wish Barkley would have been more reliable and played better defense. we gave up our best role players (other than Mario, who didnt get along with Barkley) to get Charles. He didn't help us as much as I really thought he would in the playoffs,(although we did get past Seattle thanks to him) and to see him in that frame with Stockton shooting the three to beat us and go to the finals said more than wordsever could, alot of symbolism there. I , like everyone else, thought that with Charles, Clyde, AND Dream we were a lock for years to come, even against the Bulls and Mike. We had Hall of Famers at all positions( guard, forward, center)when I think about it still, the only thing that I can think of as to why we didn't OWN the league was about 5 things and in this order as well: 1. chemistry(personally I think it was CB4$.) 2. conditioning( they were past thier prime) 3. the injury bug didn't help 4. the uniforms I still believe had some pyschoanalytical effect (or were jinxed) on our players and fans 5. no Cassell and no Horry (who continues sizing rings). looking back it is a dissapointment to think what could have been at least for one year to have faced off against mike and the Bulls to see who the team of the 90's really was. JUST ONCE!!! the Dream would have carried us to the promised land and... oh how sweet it would have been!!
I don't know if that's my worst or not but I never hated anyone more. I think it was when we finished the Suns off that series that I hated Barkley. He asked for the assignment on Dream at the end of the game 'cuz Dream was goin off on whatever Joe Klein wanna be the Suns were running out at him. Dream scored at will on Charles and Charles tackled him when Dream hit a fadeaway on him. He could have seriously injured Hakeem on that cheap shot. The day I lost respect for CB. Incidentally, I was all smiles when my boy Horry gave Ainge a towel in the face and said he would never respect him for what he did to Mario. Best shot he ever made!
Dirty Stocking's shot is the my worst moment. I didn't cry, cause I was more in shock. The Rocks had a huge lead down the stretch too. But Stocking just kept burning Maloney for layups and Clyde forgot how to manage clock with his bricked fadaway and of course Malone mugged Clyde and y'all know the rest........... I really was shocked. I vividly remember that it was right after the school year had ended in 10th grade. I put on some shoes, and ran to Barkley's neighborhood, and around, and around, and around. I must of ran for 3 or 4 miles. I was just shocked and pissed and sad the whole time. It was weird. 2nd worst moment was the 98 playoffs game 4 in Houston vs the Jazz with the Rocks up 2-1. I was in New Orleans on school trip chillin in the hotel hot tub with two hotties. It was one of the worst dilemmas I've ever had. I consciously chose to leave the situation, and go watch the second half of the game. I then saw replays of Barkley unable to lift his arms, and I became very very sad. Willis kept it close with some big jump hooks, but it was false hope. I was on the road back to Htown for game 5 so it didn't get to me too bad.
My two worst Rockets moments (coming from a Vancouverite who does not always cheer for the rox, though they are one of my top 5 teams). 1) Steve Francis being traded away from my home town Grizzlies for Dickerson and some potatoe chips. The Grizz knew it was coming, should have just drafted Odom or somethin. 2) The Stockton shot, even though i was not a rockets fan at the time...just hated the jazz...and that choir boy stockton.
In terms of all-time Houston sports lows, I think we have to throw the Oilers 4th quarter choke vs. the Broncos in the year before the Buffalo collapse in there. Not many people remember this as a low point, since the Bills game was so overshadowing the next season. I was physically ill after both games.
Oilers all time lows.....watching Oliver Luck and Giff Nielson and co. play quarterback. Ugh. Astros all time lows...Dickie Thon getting beaned, DK passing away, and losing that game Kevin Brown pitched on short rest so the Padres wouldn't face the Unit again.
For anyone who was at the game where Stockton hit the shot, can you think of any other time where a crowd went from echoing roars to piercing silence in such a short time?
stockton shot was a knife to my head. the pippen dribble was pretty bad for me, or the lack of a foul against shaq at the end of that game with mobley driving in on the last possession, the ref blowing the whistle but all the people running on the court anyways.... that pissed me off pippen but the stockton wow... yeah, thats like the oilers vs. the bills in this town
1997 West Conf Finals vs Utah Game 6 Stockton's 3pt shot that killed me. God I just sat there in shock. I was sure we would win that game and then take game 7 back to Utah and win it, we didn't lose game 7's. Prior to that it was the Game 7 OT loss to Seattle back in the 1992-1993 season in the West Conf Semi's. We were 55-27 that year, so close. That was an awesome series.
Kobe "Ratface" Bryant didnt actually dunk over Hakeem's Back in 1999. He grabbed the rim and hung on with his off hand before having enough hang time to dunk on the greatest center ever. If I'm not mistaken, he was called for a violation and the shot did not count. Initially, it did piss me off though.
hmm... Before Stockton made that shot they were : 1) in 1977..when Rudy got his face smashed in by Kermit (where's Ms Piggy?) Washington 2) Losing Moses in 1982 for Caldwell Jones and a pick 3) Losing to the Sonics in 93 in the WC Semis game7 in OT but everything gets shoved down 1 position after "the shot"..
I'm surprised only one other person has mentioned the introduction of the new uniforms. Yes, the Stockton shot was terrible, but it was just one season. The uniforms, on the other hand, have been here for years now. Seeing Clyde walk down that runway wearing that clown costume just made my heart sink. It said to me, "Les is just some carpet-bagger from Florida who's here to make a buck. He doesn't give a damn about the fans." And he proved that by trying to dump Calvin and Turbo while bringing in that stupid @#%*ing bear to sell stuffed animals. I honestly believe that those uniforms have stripped the players, the organization, and the fans of the pride that was earned during the championship runs. I don't think that the Clutch City spirit will return until they're dumped.
Sorry this reply comes so late, I hadn't re-checked this thread. But I had the fouls on. Thats what made it so remarkable for me. I was just hitting every three, getting to the line, dunking. I didn't waste time trying to make plays look good, i just went for the quickest available points possible. i wanted to hurt those bastards the way they had hurt me. Before I knew it, I was like, "Holy freaking sh*t. I have over 200 points..." No one could've been more surprised than I was.
I was watchin' that game in my appartment, at Starbird Park, San Jose, California.. Everything was going great and it looked like rockets had the jazz for sure, I was gonna laugh at my brother and my friend when they come home because they're bulls fans and hate the rockets so much (and obviously didn't wanna play them in finals), but then those last 2 minutes came.. I couldnt' believe what I was watchin', but there was still a lot of hope, and with them few seconds left, stockton took the ball and made that longgg ass three over charles.......... I sat there motionless, didnt' move a muscle, no emiotions or feelings whatsoever was in me or on my face.. I I just sat and stared straight , more then 15 minutes passed, I was still sitting there, my brother and my friend came in running and laughing at me.. they saw me just sitting there and they understood, it made them laugh even more, rolling on the floor, they walked out to go to the park to play ball and "celebrate", and I just stayed there in the exact same position since stockton hit the shot..
1. The Stockton shot left me in a blue funk for 2-3 days-couldn't shake it. 2. Watching Pippen fall down and lose the ball in game 1 against the Lakers in the playoffs with 7 seconds left in the game and possession of the rock (I was at that game and caught hell from idiot Laker fans as I left the Forum. I went to the Century Plaza Hotel where the Rockets were staying and called Cat's room and told him to keep his head up and how proud I was of him despite him getting his shot blocked by Whaquille) 3. The day we traded Horry and Sam I Am to Phoenix for Barkley even though it helped us to finally beat Seattle. 4. Draft day when we passed on Rashard Lewis with the last of our 3 first round draft picks, knowing Lewis was gonna dedicate his career to making the Rockets pay for passing on him (now, he's pimpin' the Rockets for leverage in his contract talks)
