Don't forget game 1 Horry hit a game winner that proved critical. Assuming Hakeem still goes beast mode in game 2, a 1-1 series instead of 2-0 is a big difference.
This series (along w/the finals afterwards) is the exact reason many don't put Shaq at the top when debating who was the best at that position during the era. The level of competition was one of the deciding factors there, the other was the overall diversity in the offense. Opposing teams w/the right personnel could get away w/single covering Shaq because he only played 1 style. He'd still score his points however it was also easier to stay home on everyone else that's why he needed a perimeter scorer.
Dennis Rodman's final game in a Spurs uniform as the Bulls pulled off a highway robbery of a trade ahead of 95-96 only having to give up Will Purdue to acquire him.
Yeah Rodman had PTSD from Olajuwon stomping all over him. And when he camped out in the paint fixated on gobbling up rebounds instead of defending Horry, SA were burned by the 3. His "mind games" weren't effective on Hakeem.
I noticed some people (not referring to you just in general) are quick to bash Rodman in 1995 vs Rockets. Yet Rodman actually tried more than he gets credit for and showed up early to most of the team reports and meetings during that series. The media tried to make a big deal out of nothing during the Rockets series. It was the 1995 Lakers series everyone is thinking of... which they won. Hakeem was just that good.
@FuShengAlex Well in Dennis defense (pun intended). The spurs lost because the entire team shot under par. They feel behind because of this... not Rodman. Oh and the Rockets shooting threes helped a little as well like you pointed out.
@@JamesHardenoverKobe13 Oh strongly disagree. It's funny how he bashed Robinson and the Spurs in his autobiography for not being serious about winning. And this was the season his foolish self crashed a motorcycle (a huge no no for a nba player.....see Jason Williams) and got injured and they still paid his salary while he missed almost the entire year.
@@JamesHardenoverKobe13 Johnson and Elliott gave SA more than enough scoring help that series.....they offset what Clyde and Kenny Smith posted. Houston only outscored SA by 2ppg in the series. It boiled down to Hakeem outperforming Robinson by a large margin in every facet and also Rodman wasnt doing his job either save for gobbling up rebounds. He couldn't just camp out in the paint and play interior defense like he was able to do in Chicago vs Shaq and Zo. Hakeem was much more versatile and rangier than either of them. He tried in this game 6 to bait Hakeem to swinging on him in game 6 by deliberately tripping him. And he didnt like guarding Horry, he wasnt used to guarding stretch 4s at the 3 pt line. One of the most overrated and dirty players in NBA history imho. Cant believe he got DPOY over Hakeem in 89-90 When alpha no nonsense guys like Isiah and Michael werent the leaders he was a malcontent everywhere else. GOAT tier rebounder yes, but they let him get away with flopping so much it was ridiculous. Of course Bulls fans dont care, but they're the same ones that cried about what he did in Detroit to the same Bulls. He would get fined so much in today's NBA.
The 1995 Rockets were the comeback kids and road warriors rolled up in one. What an improbable and resilient playoff run for a '47-win' team. Plus the greatest center of his era.
The 95 version of the Bulls would have the exact same problem w/the Rockets frontline they had w/the Magic. The thing is the Rockets were able to handle both Grant and Rodman in 95 and they actually played beside dominant big men, just thought that was interesting to bring up considering the Bulls usually played small w/Kukoc at PF late in games. I know Rodman was able to hold his own against Shaq, however Shaq was strictly a low post power player which was the style Rodman was good at defending. As these highlights show trying to stop face up moves and turnaround fadeaways is a different story.
He wasn't playing bad defense, he even said it himself in the post game interview afterwards that he tried as hard as he possibly could've good offense just happened to beat good defense in the long run. He still ended up leading the playoffs in defensive ws when including this series which says a lot right there.
At elimination game David Robinson only win 4 over 14 games. And score only 17.2points with 0.408shooting. Also he never won the playoff series after 2nd round without homecourt advantage.
