1995 NBA Finals Game 1 Houston Rockets vs Orlando Magic

Houston Rockets highlights from their classic Game 1 victory in the 1995 NBA FINALS!

Category:

Sports

Tags:

• 1995
• nba
• finals
• houston
• rockets
• orlando
• magi
• hakeem
• olajuwon
• clyde
• drexler
• shaq
• vs
• penny
• hardway
• shaquille

[fredd10123]

2:14 i didnt know Will Smith played for the rockets

[JRDollas732]

how the hell you miss 4 free throws?

[mrmacross]

@FuShengAlex For whatever it's worth, I think Houston was a deserving champ, and they don't have to apologize for anything. You play the opponents who face you, and if those guys can't beat you then you're the champs, period. If the other guys aren't ready to play and deliver, then they deserved to lose. It's fun to debate reasons why stuff happens, but the only thing that really counts is the bottom line, and in 1995, the bottom line was Houston was clutch and were champs again.

[mrmacross]

The advanced metrics state clearly worse. Playoff career PER is 28.6, 1995 was 24.8. ORtg worsened from 118 to 110, DRtg 104 to 107, WS48 .255 to .150. TO% from 9.4 to 12.7.

If you want to argue Houston would've won anyway, sure. I have no problem with that. But the advanced stats say there's no good argument that Jordan was just as good in 1995. I'm only theorizing it's the lack of training camp, but the numbers and on-court results speak loudly that his game was off that year.

[FuShengAlex]

mrmacross....."he was clearly worse that year"?

Every all-time great has suffered some sort of subpar play in their playoff careers, and they don't sit here making up EXCUSES for their shortcomings. Magic dribbled out the shotclock in '84, Isiah commited a fatal turnover in '87...but I guess MJ was so invincible that such a thing could never happen to him. 

Shaq was ironically very subpar in the Chicago series and Orlando still won, further proof Chicago would've lost to Houston.

[KJdadon15]

nick the brick

[mrmacross]

@FuShengAlex Won't disagree about "gaping holes" because your point is valid. But Jordan's performance itself, the stats (and I) disagree big time. 1995 playoff Jordan shot decently, and put up numbers, but all his efficiency ratings are way down. 1993, 1996-8 playoffs Jordan was much better than 95 playoff Jordan in PER, ORtg, DRtg, WS/48, and TO%. 95 Jordan saw career lows or near lows in all of those categories, and by not by small margins, either. He was clearly worse that year.

[FuShengAlex]

mrmacross....what's more "idiotic" is the general consensus that Jordan playing the full season would've filled the gaping holes in the Bulls and just throwing a "full season" Jordan would've won. I don't think Jordan from 96-98 proved to be any superior to the one that lost in '95. Nor the Jordan that won in '93. Only 91 and 92 MJ were superior to the MJ that lost in '95. Orlando and Houston were matchup nightmares for the '95 Bulls.

[mrmacross]

@FuShengAlex Yeah, just ignore advanced stats because they don't support the point you want to believe.

At least in 1995 the Bulls were able to hang with Orlando, losing the series 4-2 with close losses in games 1 and 6. Bring in Rodman and a Jordan in with a full training camp and the team goes 72-10 and sweeps Orlando 4-0. I'm not saying the Bulls would've necessarily beaten Orlando, just saying it's idiotic to insist Jordan was on top of his game. No advanced stat says so.

[FuShengAlex]

mrmacross....yeah whatever. Jordan playing the "full season" still couldn't account for Orlando dominating the frontcourt/rebounding. And the result would've been the same in '96 had Rodman not come and Grant was healthy. Nobody wins titles without interior 'D/rebounding which the '95 Bulls lacked. Kukoc/Longley/Wennington couldn't do anything on the glass vs Oneal/HoG. When Horry played, he outplayed Grant in the Finals, shot 3pters well, which kept him from dominating the glass.