After the 1994 title, when they beat the New York Knicks in the Finals, the Houston Rockets had a target on their backs ahead of their title defense. Houston had a mediocre regular season, only getting a sixth-seed finish.
Despite that mediocre regular season, they would embark on a magical postseason run, as they had the disadvantage of being the road team during all of their series. That did not matter because Houston won every series en route to a successful title defense. Former Rockets wing Clyde Drexler sees it as the most impressive run in NBA history.
“ Coming from the sixth seed and going through all of the best teams in the NBA on the road and winning the championship. That was perhaps one of the greatest accomplishments, I think, in NBA history,” Drexler said on NBA Stories on NBA TV.
The Rockets had a grueling path to the Finals
From the start of their postseason run, the Rockets had a tough test with the Utah Jazz in the first round. It was one of the most competitive series of the first round, as Houston had to go the distance and beat the Karl Malone and John Stockton-led Jazz team in a do-or-die fifth game.
After that series, they had to face Charles Barkley and the Phoenix Suns, who held the second seed. It went the distance again as Barkley tried to carry his team to victory, but championship experience paid off and helped the Rockets take down the red-hot Suns.
Lastly, Houston played against the first-seed San Antonio Spurs, led by David Robinson. They were a strong team due to Robinson’s presence, which gave them a player on a similar level to Hakeem Olajuwon , who played the same position. The Rockets won the series in six games because Olajuwon was motivated by David winning the regular season MVP .
Houston’s experience helped them win the Finals
Houston played against the surging Orlando Magic in the NBA Finals. The Magic were a team spearheaded by the young guns Shaquille O’Neal and Anfernee “Penny” Hardaway. Due to the two superstars, the Magic were quite an exciting team with a strong supporting cast.
Orlando struggled since they were inexperienced in playing for a championship. The Rockets won the title a season before, which was evident because they looked natural and more comfortable on the biggest stage. Houston won the title with a four-game sweep, as Shaq could not overpower Hakeem in the paint.
It was a fantastic run because the Rockets had to go through the top three seeds in the West. They all had superstars on their teams, but Hakeem, Clyde, and the rest of the Rockets roster showcased why championship experience mattered.
“ We have non-believers all along the way, I have one thing to say to those non-believers, ‘Don’t ever underestimate the heart of a champion,’ ” Champion coach Rudy Tomjanovich said after the Finals.
Houston has tried to get back to that level since 1995, but they have failed to relive the same championship euphoria. That showcases how much Hakeem and his supporting cast showed the right approach in the playoffs, as many Rockets teams have been better in the regular season since then, but they have flamed out in the playoffs.
Related: "The only reason we made it" – Rudy Tomjanovich praises Clyde Drexler for being Houston's driving force in the '95 title
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