June 22nd, 1994. Led by Hakeem Olajuwon's 25 points, 10 rebounds, and 7 assists; the Houston Rockets defeat the New York Knicks 90-84 in game 7 of the NBA Finals. The Dream averaged 27 points, 9 rebounds, and 3.9 blocks per game during the series and was named the Finals MVP. Olajuwon became the first player ever to win the Defensive player of the year, and both the regular season and finals MVP awards in the same season.
Game 7 was a tough, physical game like the rest of the series. The Rockets outscored the Knicks in every quarter, determined to finish off the comeback after trailing 3-2 in the series. John Starks killed the Rockets in game 6 until Hakeem saved the game with a last second block on Starks, but the Knicks point guard didn't have any magic left for game 7. A night after scoring 27 points on 9-18 shooting including 5-9 from behind the arc, Starks shot a miserable 2-18, including 0-11 on 3-pointers, and scored only 8 points. Helping out Olajuwon in game 7 were Vernon Maxwell, Sam Cassell, and Kenny Smith who combined to shoot 14-24 for 45 points. Clutch City was born with Houston's first major sports championship. That Rockets team will always have a special place in the hearts of Houston sports fans.
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