Rockets vs Los Angeles Lakers

Lore & Background

The Rockets got off to a fast start by winning their first nine games of the regular season. On February 14, 1995, the Rockets traded Otis Thorpe to the Portland Trail Blazers in exchange for All-Star guard Clyde Drexler and Tracy Murray. The team finished in third place in the Midwest Division with a 47–35 record, earning the sixth seed in the Western Conference. In the playoffs, they defeated the Utah Jazz in five games, the Phoenix Suns in seven games, the San Antonio Spurs in six games, and swept the Orlando Magic in the NBA Finals to win their second consecutive NBA championship. As the 6th seed, the 1994–95 Rockets are the lowest seeded team in league history to win an NBA championship.

Reader's Guide

The Rockets' season included a nine-game winning streak to start the season, a six-game winning streak between December and January, and a .500 record after the Drexler trade. Key players included Hakeem Olajuwon (27.8 points, 10.8 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 1.8 steals, 3.4 blocks per game), Clyde Drexler (21.4 points, 7.0 rebounds, 4.4 assists, 1.7 steals per game in 35 games after the trade), Vernon Maxwell (13.3 points per game, 143 three-point field goals), Kenny Smith (10.4 points per game, 142 three-point field goals), Robert Horry (10.2 points per game), Sam Cassell (9.5 points, 4.9 assists per game), Mario Elie (8.8 points per game), Carl Herrera (6.8 points, 4.6 rebounds per game), and Pete Chilcutt (5.3 points, 4.7 rebounds per game). Olajuwon and Drexler were both named to the All-NBA Third Team. Olajuwon was selected for the 1995 NBA All-Star Game.

Did You Know?

• Hakeem Olajuwon and Clyde Drexler were teammates at the University of Houston in the early 1980s.
• The Rockets swept the Orlando Magic in the 1995 NBA Finals, winning their second consecutive championship.
• Olajuwon was named NBA Finals Most Valuable Player for the second straight year.