1995 NBA Playoffs
| 1995 NBA playoffs | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | 1994–95 | ||||
| Teams | 16 | ||||
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The 1995 NBA Playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 1994–95 season. The tournament concluded with the Western Conference champion Houston Rockets defeating the Eastern Conference champion Orlando Magic 4 games to 0 in the NBA Finals. Hakeem Olajuwon was named NBA Finals MVP for the second straight time.
As of 2016, the 1995 Rockets are the lowest-seeded team to ever win the NBA Championship.
Houston became the eighth team to win back-to-back titles (after the Minneapolis Lakers of 1949 and 1950, and again 1952-54, and the Celtics dynasty of 1959-66 and again in 1968-69, as the LA Lakers of 1987 and 1988, Pistons of 1989 and 1990 and Bulls of 1991, 1992 and 1993). It would go on to happen ten more times, with the Bulls winning 3 more from 1996 to 1998, the Lakers from 2000–2002 and 2009–2010, and the Miami Heat from 2012–2013. The Rockets championships were also part of a run that saw 4 teams win consecutive titles (The Lakers 1987-88, Pistons 1989-90, Bulls 1991-93, Rockets 1994-95, Bulls 1996-98). That streak was stopped, ironically by a Spurs franchise who like the Celtics of the 1980s, didn't win back-to-back titles, but did win numerous championships and is considered a dynasty.
The sixth-seeded Rockets (47-35) took out 4 impressive opponents on their way to the title, defeating the 3rd-seeded Utah Jazz (60-22), 2nd-seeded Phoenix Suns (59-23), top-seeded San Antonio Spurs (62-20) and Eastern Conference champion Orlando Magic (57-25) in the NBA Finals. In the Conference Semifinals against the Suns, the Rockets came back from a 2-0 and 3-1 series deficit without home-court advantage, winning Games 5 and 7 in Phoenix. Rockets center Hakeem Olajuwon dominated league MVP David Robinson and Shaquille O'Neal in consecutive series to win the title.
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