Fresh off back-to-back NBA titles, the 1995-96 Houston Rockets weren’t able to make it three in a row. But led by Hall of Fame center Hakeem Olajuwon, they still showed glimpses of their past glory.
One of those occasions came 24 years ago on April 13, 1996, at The Summit in Houston versus the in-state rival Dallas Mavericks.
Olajuwon had a rare triple-double involving blocked shots (31 points, 13 rebounds, 10 blocks), and he also hit the game-winning shot at the buzzer as the Rockets defeated the Mavs, 112-111 (box score).
The Rockets (46-32) trailed by a point with only 0.4 seconds left in the game, but inbounder Robert Horry found Olajuwon for a clean look in the paint — which the big man swished as time expired.
Olajuwon scored his 31 points on 13-of-21 shooting (61.9%), and he also had six assists. In all, the April 13, 1996 game featured three future Hall of Famers between Olajuwon, Clyde Drexler, and Jason Kidd, who led the Mavs with 18 points, 15 assists, and nine rebounds.
The classic game can be watched in its entirety below.
A few weeks later, the Rockets lost in the second round of the 1996 NBA playoffs to Seattle — ending Houston’s reign as back-to-back champions.
