Today in Sports History 6/14/1995

Jun 14

The 1995 Houston Rockets repeated as NBA Champions, sweeping the upstart Orlando Magic. After besting the New York Knicks in seven games during the 1994 NBA Finals, Hakeem Olajuwon's Rockets, with Kenny Smith's and Clyde Drexler's help, went on an improbable run back to the championship.

The defending champs limped into the playoffs at 47-35, entering as the number six seed. The Rockets gelled together and peaked during the playoffs. The Rockets defeated the three-seeded Utah Jazz three games to two in the first round. In the following series, the Rockets found themselves down three games to one versus Charles Barkley's Phoenix Suns. They came back, winning in seven games. The Rockets matched up with the San Antonio Spurs in the Western Conference Semi-Finals and won after six games.

Photo by Ben Van Hook/Sports Illustrated/Getty Images

The Rockets faced off against an electric and youthful Orlando Magic squad that featured Nick Anderson, Jeff Scott, Horace Grant, Penny Hardaway, and Shaquille O'Neal. The Magic were a 1989 expansion franchise, and few pundits expected them to succeed in the playoffs because they lacked experience.

The Magic entered the playoffs with the number one seed and beat up the Boston Celtics in 4 games. They then upset an semiretired Michael Jordan's Bulls in the conference semi-finals. They defeated Reggie Miller and the second-seeded Indiana Pacers in the conference finals, punching their ticket to an NBA Final. O'Neal and Hardaway's one-two punch primed the Magic to become the NBA's next dynasty. Still, Nick Anderson derailed a city's dreams.

In Game 1, Anderson, the Magic's first draft pick in franchise history, who shot 75.4 percent from the line during the playoffs, missed four free throws in the fourth quarter to seal the victory. The Magic forced overtime but lost after Olajuwon tipped in the game-winner, following up a missed lay-up by Drexler.

The remaining games saw the Rockets impose their will on the young Magic squad. In Game 2, The Rockets shot 52.3 percent from the field, winning by 11 points. The Magic fought hard in Games 3 and 4 but could not overcome Olajuwon and company.

The 1995 Houston Rockets were a team of destiny. They won an NBA record nine road postseason games; they were the first team to beat four teams with 55 or more wins and four teams without home-court advantage in at least one of their series. The Rockets also staved off elimination twice, falling two-one against the Jazz and three to one versus the Suns.

Many fans put an asterisk on the Rocket's back-to-back championships because Michael Jordan played baseball during the '94 and '95 seasons. The Rockets never faced Jordan when he returned full-time in the Finals, leaving many doubters.

However, Rocket's head coach Rudy Tomjanovich said, "This is a special team. Everybody we beat during the playoffs could have been a championship team. The lack of respect for this team has to stop. I'm the proudest guy in the world."