The underrated story of the 1995 NBA Finals between the Orlando Magic and Houston Rockets was the difference in role players.
Superstars Hakeem Olajuwon and Clyde Drexler did their part for the Rockets, while Shaquille O’Neal and Anfernee “Penny” Hardaway carried the Magic. But Houston often had key role players step up — such as Kenny Smith’s record seven 3-pointers in Game 1, and Sam Cassell’s 31 points off the bench in Game 2 — to supplement the star performances.
Meanwhile, the most noteworthy contribution from Orlando’s supporting cast was the four missed free throws late in Game 1 by Nick Anderson.
All of those trends continued in Houston’s 106-103 victory (box score) on June 11, 1995, which gave the Rockets a commanding 3-0 lead in the best-of-seven series. They went on to win the title three days later.
After the two point guards stole the show in the first two games, it was a pair of young forwards who stepped up in Game 3 at The Summit in Houston. Robert Horry (20) and Mario Elie (17) combined for 37 points on 60% shooting, including 5-of-9 from 3-point range (55.6%).
Those 3-pointers included one of the renowned daggers by “Big Shot Bob,” which extended Houston’s lead from one point to four with just over 10 seconds left and sent the “Clutch City” crowd into a frenzy.
Meanwhile, as Horry and Elie stepped up, their counterparts on the young Magic struggled. Anderson and Dennis Scott combined for 20 points on just 6-of-25 shooting (24.0%) from the field.
Generally speaking, the stars were all brilliant. Olajuwon had 31 points and 14 rebounds while Drexler added 25 points and 13 rebounds. Each had seven assists, headlined by Olajuwon’s pass to Horry for the clinching shot. For the Magic, O’Neal scored 28 points (64.7% FG) and grabbed 10 rebounds, while Hardaway added 19 points and 14 assists.
Yet again, it was the role players who gave the biggest comparative advantage to the Rockets. This time, it put them just one game away from a second consecutive NBA championship.
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