Though both meetings came in the Western Conference semifinals, former Rockets swingman Mario Elie says the Phoenix Suns were Houston’s toughest opponent in their 1994 and 1995 NBA title runs.
Hakeem Olajuwon‘s Rockets were forced into three do-or-die Game 7s during those championship seasons, and two of the three were against Charles Barkley, Kevin Johnson, and the Suns.
In 1994, Houston won a home Game 7 after rallying out of a 2-0 series deficit following home losses in both Game 1 and Game 2. In 1995, the Rockets — courtesy of Elie’s renowned “Kiss of Death” 3-pointer — won a road Game 7 and overcame a 3-1 deficit to take the series.
When factoring in Game 5 and Game 6 of the 1995 series, the Rockets went 4-0 in elimination games versus Phoenix in those title years.
Nonetheless, even though the Rockets overcame the odds each time, their opponent and rival clearly earned respect. After defeating the Suns in the 1995 semis, Houston beat the San Antonio Spurs in six games in the West Finals and the Orlando Magic in a four-game NBA Finals sweep.
Phoenix, which had won the West in 1993, had 115 wins in the 1993-94 and 1994-95 regular seasons, as compared to just 105 for the Rockets. But Elie’s squad often saved its best for when it mattered most.
The May 1994 series against Phoenix became the birth of the franchise’s “Clutch City” nickname, which came in response to the Houston Chronicle‘s “Choke City” headline following the opening two losses.
As for this week’s Twitter Q&A with fans, Elie also broke down his famed shot to put away the Suns in Game 7 of the 1995 series — which came in the final seconds of the fourth quarter, with the game tied.
Known for his hard-nosed defense and clutch shooting, Elie averaged 9.8 points (36.3% on 3-pointers) and 3.1 assists in 27.8 minutes per game over his five seasons in Houston from 1993-94 through 1997-98.
