1994 NBA Finals
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Dates | June 8–22 | |||||||||
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Western Finals | Rockets defeated Jazz, 4–1 | |||||||||
The 1994 NBA Finals was the championship round of the
This matchup was
The series was hailed as a meeting of the two great centers who had previously played for a championship in college. In 1984, while Olajuwon was with the
During the series, the Rockets played seven low-scoring, defensive games against the Knicks. After splitting the first two games in Houston, the Knicks won two out of three games at
The Rockets beat the Knicks in Game 7, 90–84, enabling the city of
It was the first championship series since 1990 without the Chicago Bulls.
NBC Sports used Ahmad Rashad (Knicks sideline) and Hannah Storm (Rockets sideline). Marv Albert and Matt Guokas called the action.
Background
Houston Rockets
The Rockets chose Hakeem Olajuwon as the first overall pick in the 1984 NBA draft. Olajuwon's first nine NBA seasons included numerous All-Star, All-NBA and All-Defensive selections, but the closest he got to a championship was in 1986, when the Rockets fell two games short of a title against a powerful Boston Celtics team.
By his tenth season, Olajuwon became a more complete player, and he led the Rockets to a 15–0 start en route to a 58–24 record. But after a four-game defeat of the Portland Trail Blazers in the first round, they blew a pair of big fourth-quarter leads at home and lost to the Phoenix Suns to begin the second round (in the process earning the derisive nickname "Choke City" from the Houston Chronicle).
In response, the Rockets used the headline as motivation, overcoming a 0–2 deficit to defeat the Suns in seven games (earning the nickname '"Clutch City"). In the conference finals, Houston defeated the Utah Jazz in five games to claim their third conference title. Olajuwon won the MVP and Defensive Player of the Year awards at season's end.
New York Knicks
Like Olajuwon, Patrick Ewing was a first overall pick of the NBA draft. Ewing was picked by the Knicks in the 1985 draft, and won Rookie of the Year that season. But despite earning All-Star accolades of his own, the Knicks teams he played with only made it past the first round twice during his first six seasons (in 1989 and 1990).
In the 1991 off-season, the Knicks hired
Their playoff run began with a 3–1 victory over their cross-river rival New Jersey Nets. They had a hard time disposing of a Chicago Bulls team that had lost Michael Jordan to retirement (which lasted until the final months of the following season), but managed to win all four home games to advance. In the conference finals, they were pitted against the upstart Indiana Pacers, led by Reggie Miller. The Pacers gave the Knicks a scare, but the latter's experience proved too much as they won the series in seven games.
Road to the Finals
Houston Rockets (Western Conference champion) | New York Knicks (Eastern Conference champion) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Regular season |
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Defeated the (7) Portland Trail Blazers, 3–1 | First round | Defeated the (7) New Jersey Nets, 3–1 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Defeated the (3) Phoenix Suns, 4–3 | Conference Semifinals | Defeated the (3) Chicago Bulls, 4–3 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Defeated the (5) Utah Jazz, 4–1 | Conference Finals | Defeated the (5) Indiana Pacers, 4–3 |
Regular season series
The Houston Rockets won both games in the regular season series:
1994 NBA Finals rosters
Houston Rockets
1993–94 Houston Rockets roster | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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New York Knicks
1993–94 New York Knicks roster | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Series summary
Game | Date | Road team | Result | Home team |
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Game 1 | June 8 | New York Knicks | 78–85 (0–1) | Houston Rockets |
Game 2 | June 10 | New York Knicks | 91–83 (1–1) | Houston Rockets |
Game 3 | June 12 | Houston Rockets | 93–89 (2–1) | New York Knicks |
Game 4 | June 15 | Houston Rockets | 82–91 (2–2) | New York Knicks |
Game 5 | June 17 | Houston Rockets | 84–91 (2–3) | New York Knicks |
Game 6 | June 19 | New York Knicks | 84–86 (3–3) | Houston Rockets |
Game 7 | June 22 | New York Knicks | 84–90 (3–4) | Houston Rockets |
Game 1
June 8
9:00et |
New York Knicks 78, Houston Rockets 85 | ||
Scoring by quarter: 24–26, 22–28, 17–18, 15–13 | ||
5 | Pts: Hakeem Olajuwon 28 Rebs: Otis Thorpe 16 Asts: Kenny Smith 5 | |
Houston leads the series, 1–0 |
The Summit, Houston , TexasAttendance: 16,611 Referees:
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Game 2
June 10
9:00et |
New York Knicks 91, Houston Rockets 83 | ||
Scoring by quarter: 24–20, 18–22, 30–23, 19–18 | ||
John Starks 9 |
Pts: Hakeem Olajuwon 25 Rebs: Otis Thorpe 12 Asts: Kenny Smith 6 | |
Series tied, 1–1 |
The Summit, Houston , TexasAttendance: 16,611 Referees:
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Game 3
June 12
7:30et |
Houston Rockets 93, New York Knicks 89 | ||
Scoring by quarter: 26–18, 19–20, 24–25, 24–26 | ||
7 | Pts: John Starks 9 | |
Houston leads the series, 2–1 |
Madison Square Garden, New York City
Attendance: 19,763 Referees:
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Game 4
June 15
9:00et |
Houston Rockets 82, New York Knicks 91 | ||
Scoring by quarter: 14–19, 19–21, 28–20, 21–31 | ||
5 | Pts: Derek Harper 21 Rebs: Charles Oakley 20 Asts: Derek Harper 5 | |
Series tied, 2–2 |
Madison Square Garden, New York City
Attendance: 19,763 Referees:
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Game 5
June 17
9:00et |
Houston Rockets 84, New York Knicks 91 | ||
Scoring by quarter: 21–22, 16–26, 24–13, 23–30 | ||
6 | Pts: Patrick Ewing 25 Rebs: Patrick Ewing 12 Asts: Derek Harper 7 | |
New York leads the series, 3–2 |
Madison Square Garden, New York City
Attendance: 19,763 Referees:
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Game 6
June 19
7:30et |
New York Knicks 84, Houston Rockets 86 | ||
Scoring by quarter: 21–21, 15–25, 26–19, 22–21 | ||
10 | Pts: Hakeem Olajuwon 30 Rebs: Olajuwon, Thorpe 10 each Asts: Otis Thorpe 6 | |
Series tied, 3–3 |
The Summit, Houston , TexasAttendance: 16,611 Referees:
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Game 7
June 22
9:00et |
New York Knicks 84, Houston Rockets 90 | ||
Scoring by quarter: 21–22, 22–23, 17–18, 24–27 | ||
5 | Pts: Hakeem Olajuwon 25 Rebs: Hakeem Olajuwon 10 Asts: Hakeem Olajuwon 7 | |
Houston wins the NBA Finals, 4–3 |
The Summit, Houston , TexasAttendance: 16,611 Referees:
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External videos | |
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Full game broadcast by NBC on YouTube |
Olajuwon vs. Ewing
Although most fans in New York, and some members of the national media, considered John Starks, who shot 2-for-18 from the field in Game 7, a contributing factor in the Knicks' loss in the series, another important factor was Olajuwon's performance. Olajuwon outscored Ewing in every game of the series, while Ewing outblocked (4.3 to 3.9 bpg) and outrebounded him (12.4 rpg to 9.1 rpg). Ewing set a then NBA Finals record with a total of 30 blocks.[4]
1994 NBA Finals | Gm 1 | Gm 2 | Gm 3 | Gm 4 | Gm 5 | Gm 6 | Gm 7 | Totals |
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Hakeem Olajuwon | 28 | 25 | 21 | 32 | 27 | 30 | 25 | 26.9 apg 3.9 bpg
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Patrick Ewing | 23 | 16 | 18 | 16 | 25 | 17 | 17 | 18.9 ppg 36.4% fg 12.4 rpg 1.7 apg 4.3 bpg |
Player statistics
GP | Games played | GS | Games started | MPG | Minutes per game |
FG% | Field-goal percentage | 3P% | 3-point field-goal percentage | FT% | Free-throw percentage |
RPG | Rebounds per game | APG | Assists per game | SPG | Steals per game |
BPG | Blocks per game | PPG | Points per game
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- Houston Rockets
Player | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3FG% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
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Matt Bullard | 2 | 0 | 13.5 | .200 | .286 | .500 | 3.0 | 0.0 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 4.0 |
Sam Cassell | 7 | 0 | 22.6 | .422 | .438 | .926 | 3.1 | 2.9 | 1.3 | 0.3 | 10.0 |
Earl Cureton | 1 | 0 | 2.0 | .000 | .000 | .000 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
Mario Elie | 7 | 0 | 11.3 | .250 | .400 | .833 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 0.3 | 0.1 | 2.4 |
Carl Herrera | 7 | 0 | 17.3 | .579 | .000 | .750 | 3.6 | 0.4 | 0.4 | 0.1 | 7.1 |
Robert Horry | 7 | 7 | 37.9 | .324 | .306 | .619 | 6.1 | 3.7 | 1.3 | 0.6 | 10.3 |
Chris Jent | 3 | 0 | 2.3 | .000 | .000 | .000 | 0.3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
Vernon Maxwell | 7 | 7 | 37.7 | .365 | .225 | .682 | 3.3 | 2.9 | 0.6 | 0.0 | 13.4 |
Hakeem Olajuwon | 7 | 7 | 43.1 | .500 | 1.000 | .860 | 9.1 | 3.6 | 1.6 | 3.9 | 26.9 |
Kenny Smith | 7 | 7 | 25.4 | .389 | .357 | 1.000 | 1.4 | 3.1 | 0.7 | 0.0 | 5.6 |
Otis Thorpe | 7 | 7 | 39.6 | .519 | .000 | .500 | 11.3 | 3.3 | 0.9 | 0.0 | 9.3 |
- New York Knicks
Player | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3FG% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
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Greg Anthony | 7 | 0 | 11.4 | .323 | .125 | 1.000 | 0.9 | 2.4 | 0.4 | 0.1 | 3.3 |
Anthony Bonner | 2 | 0 | 5.5 | 1.000 | .000 | .000 | 1.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 2.0 |
Hubert Davis | 5 | 0 | 7.6 | .200 | 1.000 | .500 | 0.4 | 0.4 | 0.0 | 0.2 | 1.6 |
Patrick Ewing | 7 | 7 | 44.0 | .363 | .200 | .714 | 12.4 | 1.7 | 1.3 | 4.3 | 18.9 |
Derek Harper | 7 | 7 | 38.0 | .467 | .436 | .824 | 3.0 | 6.0 | 2.4 | 0.1 | 16.4 |
Anthony Mason | 7 | 0 | 29.3 | .468 | .000 | .640 | 6.9 | 1.3 | 0.7 | 0.0 | 8.6 |
Charles Oakley | 7 | 7 | 40.7 | .484 | .000 | .833 | 11.9 | 2.4 | 1.1 | 0.1 | 11.0 |
Charles Smith | 7 | 7 | 26.7 | .441 | .000 | .684 | 4.3 | 1.7 | 0.6 | 1.0 | 9.3 |
John Starks |
7 | 7 | 41.9 | .368 | .320 | .769 | 3.1 | 5.9 | 1.6 | 0.1 | 17.7 |
Herb Williams | 4 | 0 | 1.8 | .000 | .000 | .000 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.3 | 0.0 |
Breaking news interruption
During Game 5, most NBC affiliates split the coverage of the game between NFL Hall of Famer O. J. Simpson's slow speed freeway chase with the Los Angeles Police Department. At the time, Simpson was an NFL analyst on NBC.
NBA studio host Bob Costas acted as the anchor for both events, tossing to Marv Albert for the game and then to Tom Brokaw of NBC News for updates on the chase. Costas, a colleague of Simpson's on the network's NFL coverage, later learned that Simpson had called 30 Rockefeller Plaza during the chase and asked to speak to him but Costas had been on site at the Garden.[7][8]
A complete re-broadcast of Game 5, with natural crowd audio substituting for the parts for which NBC did not provide audio, is part of the DVD release of this series from
Aftermath
The Rockets repeated as NBA champions in 1995 although their season record was worse. Plagued by a lack of chemistry, the Rockets were stuck in the middle of the conference standings most of the year. Then, as the NBA's trading deadline approached, on February 14, 1995, the Rockets acquired Olajuwon's "Phi Slama Jama" teammate Clyde Drexler. The Rockets finished the regular season as the 6th seed but the team on the court at season's end was clearly better than its 47–35 record. The new Rockets team had only had about two months to gel. The playoffs started rough for Houston, the team down 2 games to 1 to Utah in the First Round. But the Rockets battled back and won that series, stealing the deciding Game 5 in Utah. The Rockets' ability to overcome adversity became more evident as the postseason wore on. They beat four 50-win squads (Utah, Phoenix, San Antonio and Orlando) to win the championship, becoming the lowest seed ever to win it all.
During the Finals,
Before this victory, the
represented Houston's only professional championships. The 1994 NBA Championship represented the city of Houston's first professional championship since those two teams, and the first in a league that did not later merge.This was the last NBA Finals for three of the league's longest-tenured and most recognizable referees: Darell Garretson, Jack Madden and Jake O'Donnell. Garretson and Madden retired after the 1994 Finals, while O'Donnell worked the 1994-95 season, but did not work past the second round of the playoffs, marking the first time since 1971 he did not officiate in the championship series. O'Donnell retired in December 1995 following the end of a lockout of NBA referees by Commissioner David Stern.
Overall, as of 2019, Houston's teams in the
See also
- 1993–94 New York Knicks season
- 1993–94 Houston Rockets season
- 1994 NBA Playoffs
- 1994 Stanley Cup Finals
References
- ^ Araton, Harvey (June 23, 1994). "ON PRO BASKETBALL: N.B.A. FINALS; Long-Sought Title That Ewing Needed Eludes Him Again". The New York Times. Retrieved April 1, 2008.
But he (Ewing) was just not as good as Hakeem Olajuwon, never has been.
- ISBN 0-07-141788-5.
Olajuwon clearly outplayed Ewing
- ^ "Daily Dime: Special Edition The game's greatest giants ever". ESPN. March 6, 2007. Archived from the original on March 25, 2007. Retrieved April 12, 2007.
He (Olajuwon) outplayed Ewing, Robinson and O'Neal to lead Houston to back-to-back titles...
- ^ a b "History of the NBA Finals: Hakeem Olajuwon: The NBA's Best In The Mid '90s". hollywoodsportsbook.com. Retrieved February 16, 2007.
- ^ "Patrick Ewing Bio". NBA. Archived from the original on February 22, 2007. Retrieved April 19, 2007.
- ^ a b Beck, Howard (June 17, 2008). "Celtics Remain Mindful Of a Missed Opportunity". The New York Times. p. D2. Retrieved June 20, 2010.
- ^ "NBC broadcaster Bob Costas remembers why O.J. Simpson called during the infamous Bronco car chase: "His character was being defamed"". Sportskeeda. April 12, 2024. Retrieved April 12, 2024.
- ^ "Bob Costas recalls O.J. Simpson car chase following his death: 'It was surreal, to put it mildly'". Yahoo! Sports. April 12, 2024. Retrieved April 12, 2024.
- ^ "VIACOM STEPS UP EFFORTS TO SELL RANGERS, KNICKS". June 14, 1994. Retrieved February 11, 2024.
- ^ Chass, Murray (August 28, 1994). "ITT-Cablevision Deal Reported To Buy Madison Square Garden". Retrieved February 11, 2024 – via NYTimes.com.
- ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved February 17, 2023.