Who Won The 95 Nba Finals?

The 1995 NBA Finals was the championship series of the National Basketball Association’s (NBA) 1994–95 season, and the culmination of the season’s playoffs. The Western Conference champion Houston Rockets played the Eastern Conference champion Orlando Magic, with the Rockets winning the series 4 games to 0.

The Chicago Bulls

The Regular Season

The Chicago Bulls had a great regular season, finishing with a record of 72-10. They were led by their star player, Michael Jordan, who was named the league MVP. The Bulls were the favorites to win the NBA Finals, and they did not disappoint. They defeated the Orlando Magic in the Finals in six games, winning their fourth NBA championship.

The Playoffs

The Chicago Bulls entered the 1995 NBA Playoffs as the Eastern Conference’s number one seed, after compiling a regular season record of 67 wins and 15 losses. They advanced to the Finals by beating the Shaq- and Penny-led Orlando Magic in the Eastern Conference Finals, four games to two. The Houston Rockets, led by Hakeem Olajuwon, Clyde Drexler, and head coach Rudy Tomjanovich, were the defending NBA Champions and racing through the Western Conference playoffs with a 12-1 record. They defeated the San Antonio Spurs in six games in the Western Conference Finals. This set up a Finals match up that many thought would be one of the best ever; it was between two teams that had both won approximately 70% of their games in two grueling seven-game playoff series’.

The Orlando Magic

The Regular Season

The Orlando Magic had a lot of success in the 1995 NBA season. They had a regular season record of 60-22, which was the second best record in the NBA behind only the Chicago Bulls. They were also the Eastern Conference champions, and they made it to the Finals for the first time in franchise history.

The Playoffs

In the 1995 NBA Finals, the Orlando Magic defeated the Houston Rockets 4 games to 0, becoming the first team in NBA history to sweep an opponent in the Finals that had won at least sixty regular season games. The championship was the first in franchise history, and it would be the only one the Magic would win until 2009 (when they again defeated the Los Angeles Lakers for their second championship).

The Magic entered the 1995 NBA Finals having swept both the Boston Celtics and Indiana Pacers in the Eastern Conference Playoffs. They were also coming off of a regular season in which they had won 57 games, which was good for second place in the Eastern Conference behind only the Chicago Bulls (who would go on to win 72 games).

In contrast, the Houston Rockets were coming off of a regular season in which they had won 62 games, which was good for third place in the Western Conference behind only the San Antonio Spurs and Utah Jazz. They had also swept both the San Antonio Spurs and Utah Jazz in the Western Conference Playoffs.

The Finals

The Orlando Magic won the 1995 NBA Finals, beating the Houston Rockets 4-0. This was the Magic’s first NBA Finals appearance and they became the first team in NBA history to make a Finals appearance without winning a playoff series the previous year.

Game 1

The Houston Rockets took an early lead in the best-of-seven series by winning the first game 119–106. After holding a slim lead for much of the game, the Rockets blew the game open with a 20–6 run in the fourth quarter to seal the victory. Hakeem Olajuwon led Houston with 28 points, 10 rebounds and 8 blocks, while Clyde Drexler added 25 points. For Orlando, Shaquille O’Neal scored 30 points and grabbed 13 rebounds, while Anfernee Hardaway had 21 points.

Game 2

The Houston Rockets evened the series at 1–1 with a 112–102 victory over the Orlando Magic in Game 2. Hakeem Olajuwon (pictured) helped the Rockets to a double-digit lead early in the fourth quarter with a flurry of baseline turnaround jumpers, and they held on to win despite an Orlando comeback that saw the Magic take several one-point leads in the last two minutes. Olajuwon ended up scoring 35 points, grabbing 12 rebounds and blocking four shots, while Clyde Drexler added 26 points. Anfernee Hardaway led Orlando with 32 points.

Game 3

The Orlando Magic took a 3-1 lead in The Finals with a 103-96 victory in Game 4 on Tuesday night at Amway Center. The Magic now have a chance to close out the series on Thursday night in Los Angeles.

Game 4

The Houston Rockets were leading the series, 2-1. They were looking to take a commanding 3-1 lead in the series, but the Orlando Magic had other plans. The Magic came out firing in Game 4, and they never looked back. They won the game convincingly, 122-103.

Game 5

On June 11, 1995, the Houston Rockets won their second consecutive NBA championship by defeating the Orlando Magic in Game 5 of the 1995 NBA Finals, four games to one. The Rockets became the first team in NBA history to win back-to-back championships with identical records (63–19).

Game 6

The Houston Rockets take on the Orlando Magic in the final game of the 1995 NBA Finals. The Rockets win the first three games, but the Magic win games four and five to force a game six. The Magic jump out to an early lead in game six, but the Rockets come back to win the game and the championship.

Game 7

The Houston Rockets and Orlando Magic met in the NBA Finals for the second time in 1995. The Rockets, led by hall of famers Hakeem Olajuwon and Clyde Drexler, won the first matchup in seven games. This time, the Rockets were determined to close out the series in five games.

Orlando brought a different energy to game five. Shaquille O’Neal, who was fouled out of game four, 25 points and 13 rebounds. Anfernee “Penny” Hardaway had 27 points, eight rebounds and eight assists. The Magic held a three-point lead with just under 10 seconds to play but couldn’t close it out. Houston’s Robert Horry hit a game-tying three-pointer with 7.1 seconds left in regulation to force overtime.

In the extra period, Houston took control and never looked back. The Rockets outscored Orlando 15-5 in OT to win the game 111-103 and take a 3-2 series lead. Olajuwon was named Finals MVP for the second time in his career after averaging 32 points, 9 rebounds and 5 blocks per game in the series.