Since theres nothing to talk about lately, I was wondering what ya'll would think the best Rocket Buzzer Beater of All Time? To me it would be Mario Elie's Kiss of Death
I posted this same thread earlier this summer. But anyway its a tie between the "kiss of death" and Eddie Johnson's 3 against the Jazz at the Western Conference Finals.
game 1. nba finals. 1995. houston. orlando. that big african paw tipping in the drexler bricked layup. followed with a confused celebratory look on dream's face.
I can't decide which was best, but here are my top 3. Obviously, the following list will be somewhat skewed by what I've actually had an opportunity to watch: 1. Sampson's shot in '86: I wasn't paying any attention in 1986, but the shot is so famous, it makes the list. I've seen replays too: not bad. 2. Hakeem's tip-in. He thought time had expired from the look on his face. Then he realized the refs were counting it and he had this confused but happy look, like he had just emerged from the greatest moment in his life, but he hadn't been paying attention. 3. Same game (I think). Dream is doubled down low and passes it to Kenny Smith at the top of the key. Penny Hardaway makes a mad dash for him and leaps for the block, only to have Smith calmly step to the side and bury the 3 to tie the game as time expired with Penny vainly reaching back. That one just gets me all giddy. Honorable mention goes to the Kiss of Death, which was definitely cool but just a half-step behind these three.
Sampson's prayer...I don't think it's even all that close. That was unbelievable. The others were all ones you could see being repeated...not that one.
Without a doubt, Sampson's shot ranks #1. I've written about this before, but bears mentioning again here. Two friends and myself had tickets to the next home playoff game. All indications were that game would be game 6 of the WCF against LA. Because Sampson hit that shot, our tickets were now good for Game 3 of the NBA Finals. Rockets and Celtics. That was my one and only time I have been to a finals game. And I have Sampson's buzzer beater to thank for it.
Sampson's prayer has to be the best. You can't really match that with anything except Elie's Three. That three was pretty damn dramatic too. But to beat the Lakers, who were all but unbeatable, at the buzzer, to heard into the finals was sweet. Perhaps the most underrated buzzer beat of all time, ever, has to be Olajuwon's tip in to beat Orlando. I mean that was a great game. It was the finals. It was full of drama. And it was like ok. Good shot. Now let's play game 2. It still boggles me how that shot was all but forgotten. Strange. Maybe because it was on the road. I don't know. Just weird to me.
I was only three or something to remember Ralph Sampson's shot. I would go with Mario Elie's somewhat buzzer beater, even though there were seven seconds or so left. Eddie's three at the end of the game was classic. After Matt Maloney passed him the ball, and Eddie shot it, the ball just kept going up higher, and higher. It felt like the ball was in the air FOREVER. Anyhoo, he makes the shot, and there was Pandamonium everywhere.
Not only the Rockets best but the shot that was heard arround the World......Ralph Sampson 1986 Western Conference Finals vs Lakers.
Elie's Kiss of Death. Awe-some. Awe-inspiring. QUESTION: Does (did) anyone else get so worked up during playoff games that you could barely watch them? I'd be going nuts. I'd turn off the set, leave the room, throw up my hands in disgust and return. Ah, those were the days.
Hmmm. Seeing Rocket moments like those these days are hard to come by I'll go with the last significant made by this franchise in the Eddie Johnson shot. Gumble - "Johnson at the buzzer!....... GOT IT!!!!"
I'm going to go regular season on ya. In 93-94, I went to the Miami Heat game. We were being beat by 10 or so the whole night and managed somehow to get within 3 with like 3 or 4 seconds left. Inbounds to V-Max with a turn around 3 pointer 4 or 5 feet behind the line. We killed them in overtime. Man, I get heartbroken every time I think of how Max went out.
Eddie's is number one! Vernon Maxwells shot against golden state (not sure when) is was the one that horry threw an errant inbound to the Dream and maxwell chucked it up falling out of bounds.
Kiss of Death was not a buzzer beater. The Eddieeeeeeeeeeee shot was the best. I sooooo wanted meet the Bulls in the Finals that year. I know we would have taken them out. **** the Jazz!
