The first big thing that happened in 1995 was that the defending NBA champion Rockets entered the playoffs with the sixth place in the Western Conference. After a fierce battle with ups and downs, they reached the Western Conference finals and faced off against the league's first regular season player.
Spurs.
As the defending champions, the Rockets in the 1994-95 season aim to win two consecutive championships and establish a glorious Rockets dynasty. At the same time, they will give the career of power center Olajuwon, who is at the end of his sports career, a perfect ending.
However, due to injuries, the team's record in the 1994 regular season has been tepid, and the journey has been very difficult.
Even in the middle of the season, the Rockets used the precious opportunity opened by the trade window to strengthen the lineup by waving checks, but the teammates still had the impact of running-in, and the chemical reaction was not as good as expected.
At the end of the regular season, the Rockets ranked sixth in the Western Conference with 47 wins and 35 losses, and their prospects were bleak.
Many people in the sports media, including Houston, do not believe that the Rockets can get past the first round, let alone win the championship, because so far, in the history of the NBA, there has been no tradition of defeating the top.
In the first round of the playoffs, a best-of-five-game system was adopted. Karl Malone and "Glove" Stockton, who were in peak condition, relied on the home advantage gained during the regular season to face the Rockets at home in the Devil's Arena at an altitude of 1,300 meters in Salt Lake City.
After the first three games, the Rockets trailed the Jazz 1-2. It seemed as if the Rockets' playoff journey was about to end.
At this time, Olajuwon and "Glider" Drexler stood up and joined forces to break out. With their extreme desire for the championship, Drexler scored 41 points, leaving the suspense until the fifth station.
.
The total score was tied at 2:2.
In Game 5, Utah Jazz's Karl Malone's 35 points and 10 rebounds were evenly matched with Rockets' dream Olajuwon's 33 points and 10 rebounds. The performance of the two famous centers was equally outstanding.
However, the Rockets won 95-91 and eliminated the Utah Jazz in the first round.
second round of playoffs;
The Rockets faced the Suns, their old rival with 59 wins in the regular season, and adopted a best-of-seven system. Last year, the Rockets stepped on the corpse of the Suns to win the championship. This feud can be said to be very deep.
The two sides met again in the playoffs, and "Flying Pig" Barkley's new and old hatreds came to his heart. His eyes were red when he saw the Rockets, and he wanted to tear them all apart.
There was no need to mobilize at all. In the first four games, the Suns, led by "Flying Pig" Barkley, had a strong offensive and played very tough games. They led the Rockets by a big score of 3-1. The Rockets were miserably beaten.
At this crucial critical moment, Rockets head coach Tomjanovich said a famous saying that resounds throughout the league: You should never underestimate the heart of a championship.
This is what the veterans of the Rockets said, and they also did this. Faced with a desperate situation, Rockets leader Olajuwon completely broke out and led the entire team to fight against the opponent.
In the crucial fifth game, "Glider" Drexter went into battle even though he was ill. The entire Rockets team relied on a fighting spirit that refused to admit defeat and had the last laugh with their tenacious willpower.
The situation changed dramatically. The Rockets once again won two games in a row and dragged the game into a tiebreaker. The total score was tied at 3:3.
Both sides were furious in the tiebreaker, and the Suns stood on the edge of the cliff with no way to retreat. This battle also broke out with unprecedented bloody courage.
The score on the field alternated, and the situation was very anxious. The Suns were still leading by two points until the last minute. In the end, Mario Ally hit a three-pointer for the Rockets, and successfully overturned the Suns 1-3.
Luck is on the Rockets' side and they are destined to make history.
Relying on their rich experience in the playoffs and the unity of their veterans, the Rockets finally overturned their old rival Suns, leaving deep wounds in their hearts.
These two seasons were also the highlight of "Flying Pig" Barkley's career. Unfortunately, they became a stepping stone for the great dream Olajuwon to return to the top, and he was severely stepped on again.
The pain of this kind of failure will never be forgotten. After retiring, Barkley worked as a TV commentator to broadcast Rockets games, and he was a famous Rockets troll. This grudge has been entangled for many years.
later generations
After the Rockets got Yao Ming as the No. 1 pick, Barkley made a bet with his partner Smith and teased Yao Ming for not being able to score 19 points in a single game during his rookie season. As a result, Yao Ming scored 20 points in a game against the Lakers. Barkley, who lost the bet, had to go kiss him.
Donkey butt.
Tracing back to the source, "Flying Pig" Barkley is still brooding about the two disastrous defeats in his career.
In the last three games, the Rockets' core center Olajuwon became the decisive factor in the victory. He averaged 45 minutes per game and scored 30 points, 12 rebounds, 5.6 assists, 4 blocks and 5 fouls. Dominant data
.
Led the team to defeat the Suns and advance to the Western Conference Finals.
After the game, "Flying Pig" Barkley said with frustration;
The rocket is like an extra-large cockroach in Texas. You step on it hard and hear the sound, then lift your foot, only to see it run out alive again.
The playoffs started in April 1995 and were already decided by mid-May.
In the Western Conference finals, the Rockets will face the Spurs, a traditional strong team in the Western Conference, and the emerging Magic team in the Eastern Conference. They eliminated the Bulls led by Jordan in the Eastern Conference semifinals and took the lead in advancing to the Eastern Conference finals.
In the Western Conference Finals, the Rockets faced the league's regular season champion Spurs. This is the team of "General" David Robinson, the regular season MVP winner, and the team's strength is recognized as the best in the league.
Compaq Sports Center in Houston, home of the Rockets
8:40 am,
The home court of the Rockets has turned into a sea of red. Rockets fans have turned this place into a sea of joy. The interactive program before the game triggered a roar of cheers like a mountain and a tsunami.
The fans were expressing their joy in this way, and they were playing in crowds in their seats with great interest.
Today, the Rockets will wear the traditional red uniforms and face the Spurs in black uniforms. This will be an important game that may go down in basketball history.
Before the game, the Houston Rockets had already grasped the match point. In the entire series, the Rockets led by a score of 3:2 in the first five games. In the best-of-seven game, they held two match points.
If the Rockets defeat the Spurs, they will eliminate the third team with 50+ wins in the regular season and join the Magic in the Finals to compete for the league's highest honor, the Larry O'Brien Trophy.
Player tunnel
Every Rockets player who appears will receive warm cheers from the fans. The penultimate "Glider" Drexler made a brilliant appearance and received unanimous applause from the fans in the audience.
This is a great player, the second-best guard in the basketball league. Drexler's performance throughout the series saved the Rockets from danger several times, and was highly recognized by Rockets fans.
As for the best defender in the league, it is naturally the "Flying Man" Jordan of the Bulls.
Houston is Drexler's hometown. He is willing to retire his jersey at the Compaq Center. This veteran still has a firm heart in pursuing championships.
When the last core member of the team, "Big Dream" Olajuwon, came on the stage, the audience stood up, applause and shouts resounded, and the atmosphere reached its climax.
Accompanied by head coach Tomjanovich and team general manager Carroll Dawson, team owner Wang Yaocheng walked into the Compaq Center with a smile, which immediately caused a burst of exclamations.
The boss king has risen again and his fame has resounded throughout the financial world. He is regarded as a miracle and almost everyone does not know him.
Serious financial news newspapers and entertainment tabloids often reported news about him in large sections. The photos they quoted still showed Wang Yaocheng's desolate figure on the streets of Los Angeles, and the content was mostly speculative.
There is no other way. The boss king, a tycoon in the financial industry, generally does not accept reports and rarely appears in front of the public media.
While the masses are eager to learn about the success trajectory of this business genius, in order to sell newspapers and magazines, media reporters can only rack their brains to write articles on Wang Yaocheng's resume, making all kinds of bizarre claims.
Courtside
The boss king smiled and waved, and the flashlights of the news media on the sidelines turned into a blur, murdering countless films.
Some impatient reporters already tried their best to squeeze in this direction, wanting to conduct interviews immediately, but they were politely stopped by the stadium staff.
Wang Yaocheng sat on the sidelines with a relaxed expression, watching the players warm up and practice, very busy;
"Hi, Dameng, you are the best."
"I know you, Glider Drexler, you are the best basketball star my team manager has ever brought in and you have the best chemistry on the team."
"Hey Cassel, you performed very well. You kicked the Spurs' butt hard today and brought the victory home."
Hakeem Olajuwon, who was warming up, threw the basketball over from a distance; "Hey, boss, throw one for us so that everyone can see it."
Wow! That's going to be bad.
Wang Yaocheng's basketball level is basically that of a primary school student in China. He is the kind who can knock the ball away. He took the basketball with a bit of an awkward smile.
Dribbling is absolutely not allowed, and don't even think about three-step baskets, facing three threats or double-teaming to help defend, etc. I will listen to what you have to say, but I don't necessarily guarantee that I will understand.
Amid the crazy cheers of the fans, Wang Yaocheng couldn't show any flinch, as that would be too destructive. He calmly walked into the field holding the ball, and at the same time raised his hands and waved to the enthusiastic audience around him.
In this way, there is no need to dribble or walk.
Stopping outside the three-point line, Wang Yaocheng seemed to throw it to the basket casually, and the basketball drew a beautiful arc and flew towards the net.
Hakeem Olajuwon and Drexler were dumbfounded.
The ball was high and floating, but the key was that the arc was too high and the distance was not enough. As soon as they took the shot, they knew it was a miss and it was too far away.
Just then
A bolt of black lightning rushed up at high speed, leaped high at the top of the free throw arc, grabbed the high and floating basketball with one hand, moved it several meters in the air, and made a powerful windmill dunk, slamming the basketball into the air.
The ball hit the basket.
This is Robert Horry, who has excellent physical fitness, a key player with a big heart, a role player who can always make key shots in fierce playoff-level games, and an indispensable player in the championship puzzle.
Wang Yaocheng was so satisfied. This Robert Horry was quite good. He raised his hands like a cheer, causing the fans in the stadium to cheer enthusiastically, making the atmosphere of Compaq Arena lively again.
At the same time, Wang Yaocheng naturally said hello to the Spurs head coach, and Shi Shiran strolled out of the stadium.
Run away quickly.
If there are any more players with poor eyesight, the secret will really be exposed.