[sbnation]1993 Playoffs Retrospective Part VII: Houston And Seattle Stage A Classic

Sep 7, 2011 - If the blogosphere existed in 1993, NBA bloggers would be going crazy over the second-round series between the Houston Rockets and Seattle Supersonics. There are so many reasons for this. Here are just a few reasons why the matchup provided a lot of sizzle.

* These were two teams on the rise, neither of whom were serious contenders the year before.
* They both won 55 games, so it was a very even matchup.
* Both had a legitimate chance to top Phoenix if they got by San Antonio. Since January 5, the two teams were a combined 5-0 against Phoenix in the regular season.
* It was new blood against new blood. Neither team won 50 games the year before, and neither was among the top four seeds either.
* It was a matchup of contrasts. Houston had the major advantage inside with Hakeem Olajuwon against the Sonics' small inside players, but Seattle had the major advantage with their pressure defense against Houston's erratic guards. Size vs. speed.
* The extracurricular storylines were great. Olajuwon was seeking even more redemption following his amazing comeback year, while Seattle was looking to break through and join the NBA's elite far earlier than anyone expected.

With these storylines in mind, the series to this point was kind of a dud. It went seven games, but it was a seven-game series like that god-awful Heat-Hawks series in 2009. The games weren't competitive, with the home team winning by double digits each time. Prior to Game 5, the Rockets were ridding momentum from two easy wins in Houston. They ended up getting spanked by 25 points. Seattle took that momentum and promptly lost by 13 in Houston.

That left Game 7 as the final chance for this series to really live up to the hype. In the end, it did just that with a thrilling, if controversial result.


http://www.sbnation.com/nba/2011/9/7/2410059/1993-nba-playoffs-sonics-vs-rockets


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I believed Seattle's deal with the devil that allowed them to get favorable and phantom calls ultimately led to their exodus to Oklahoma City.

We know that the Basketball Gods love the Rockets with the good looking jerseys.