1994 NBA Playoffs: Denver Nuggets upsets Seattle Sonics

Denver fired Westhead prior to the 1992-1993 season and hired ABA legend and former Nugget Player Dan Issel. The Nuggets had two lottery picks that year and drafted University of Notre Dame forward LaPhonso Ellis and University of Virginia guard Bryant Stith. Denver improved to 36-46, just missing the playoffs that year. Denver ditched their rainbow colors for a dark blue and gold scheme starting in the 1993-1994 season. Led by Mutombo, Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf (who changed his name from Chris Jackson prior to the season), and Ellis, Denver would finish with its first winning season since the Doug Moe era at 42-40. Denver clinched the 8th seed in the Western Conference playoffs, playing the first place Seattle SuperSonics. Denver was a heavy underdog, having only a couple of players on their roster with actual NBA playoff experience. After dropping the first two games of the five game set in Seattle, the series returned to Denver. Denver won both games and tied the series at two games apiece. The Nuggets would make NBA history in Game 5, upsetting Seattle in overtime 98-94. They became the first 8th seeded team to defeat a 1st seeded team in NBA playoff history. Denver would almost do the same in the next round, falling to the Utah Jazz in game seven of the second round.

• Category

  Sports

[KiPwnNubs]

they almost made history again in that very same playoffs..when nuggets were down 0-3 against the jazz..and came back 3-3..but lost the 7th game

[cbaldwinjr]

You cannot climb Mt. Mutombo!

[KWCline91]

Good point! Would've been nice for them to beat the Jazz and become the 1st team to overcome a 3-0 series lead. I don't think they would've beaten the Rockets though. Houston would've won in 4 or 5 games.

[asktheNBAguru]

That iconic moment when Kemp tries to rip that ball from Mutombo, but Mutombo clasps it and screams...he got 31 blocks in that 5 game series too

[taintedtapper]

4:08 DAFUQ MIKE BROWN?!!

[LILLAY303KINGZ]

Yep the next year 95 was the year I got into sports nba and nfl and I remember playing nba live 95 on super nintendo. and also the sonics losting to Jordan and the Bulls in the 96 finals. But man I wish I could of seen this series cuz after 95 the nuggets didnt make the playoffs until we drafted Melo in the 04 playoffs

[LILLAY303KINGZ]

Thats my city baby Denver. Was 5 years old then 1994 yeah

[Qayvon Williams]

ha they upseted OKC

[ProdigyPhoenix]

can anyone tell me whats the background music starting at 2:43?

[Jack Baylor]

It's funny. George Karl coaches the Nuggets now.

[johncaveosborne]

that series haunts me to this day. that was, quite literally, the only three-game losing streak the sonics had all season. but this was NOT the beginning of the end in Seattle. 2 years later, they played tough against a Jordan-led Bulls team in the Finals. hoops was alive and well, despite the fact that the we'd missed their best chance to win a championship (no Jordan in NBA) the year of the collapse. the end of the sonics was when Ackerley sold the team to Schultz. he's an entitled loser.

[funkyflights]

I hear ya...yeah starting Perk would a been good to try and draw Mutombo out of the paint... Denver was just backing off and forcing Seattle to try and shoot the ball because Payton and Gill were not great outside shooters at this time... Shremph and Perk were both great shooting outside.. But we kept forcing it in the paint playing right into Mutombo's hands...