1994 NBA Finals - wikipedia 1994 NBA Finals 1994 NBA Finals Team Coach Wins Houston Rockets Rudy Tomjanovich New York Knicks Pat Riley Dates June 8 -- 22 MVP Hakeem Olajuwon ( Houston Rockets ) Television NBC ( U.S. ) Announcers Marv Albert and Matt Guokas Referees Game 1 : Joe Crawford, Jack Madden, Dick Bavetta Game 2 : Darell Garretson, Ed T. Rush, Hue Hollins Game 3 : Jake O'Donnell, Jess Kersey, Bill Oakes Game 4 : Hugh Evans, Joe Crawford, Mike Mathis Game 5 : Darell Garretson, Ed T. Rush, Dick Bavetta Game 6 : Jake O'Donnell, Jess Kersey, Jack Madden Game 7 Hugh Evans, Joe Crawford, Ed T. Rush Hall of Famers Knicks : Patrick Ewing ( 2008 ) Rockets : Hakeem Olajuwon ( 2008 ) Coaches : Pat Riley ( 2008 ) Officials : Dick Bavetta ( 2015 ) Darell Garretson ( 2016 ) Eastern Finals Knicks defeat Pacers, 4 -- 3 Western Finals Rockets defeat Jazz, 4 -- 1 < 1993 NBA Finals 1995 > The 1994 NBA Finals was the championship round of the National Basketball Association ( NBA ) 's 1993 -- 94 season, and the culmination of the season 's playoffs. The Western Conference champion Houston Rockets played the Eastern Conference champion New York Knicks for the championship, with the Rockets holding home - court advantage in the best - of - seven series. The Rockets defeated the Knicks 4 games to 3 to win the team 's first NBA championship. This matchup was Hakeem Olajuwon 's second NBA Finals appearance, his other being in 1986, where Larry Bird and the Boston Celtics defeated the Houston Rockets four games to two. The series was Patrick Ewing 's first NBA Finals appearance. The Rockets came in with strong determination to win not only the franchise 's first NBA championship, but the city 's first championship in a league that still existed, while the Knicks were looking to add a third NBA championship trophy, as the Knicks ' last trophy came from the 1973 NBA Finals. The Knicks also hoped to impress their new owners Viacom, who had just bought Paramount Communications ( formerly Gulf + Western ), their longtime owners ( after the series however, Viacom sold the Knicks and the rest of the Madison Square Garden properties ). The series was hailed as a meeting of the two great centers who had previously played for a championship in college. In 1984 while Olajuwon was with the University of Houston and Ewing was with Georgetown University, Georgetown had beaten Houston 84 -- 75 in the 1984 NCAA Championship game. In this series, however, Olajuwon outperformed Ewing, outscoring him in every game of the series and posting numbers of 26.9 ppg on 50.0 % shooting compared to Ewing 's 18.9 ppg on 36.3 % shooting. However, Ewing set an NBA finals record in the series with a total of 30 blocks, and he tied the single - game record of 8 blocks in Game 5. Tim Duncan would later set the record for most blocks in a Finals series ( 2003 ) with 32 blocks in six games while Dwight Howard would set the record for most blocked shots in a Finals game with 9 blocked shots in Game 4 of the 2009 Finals while with the Orlando Magic. During the series, the Houston Rockets played seven low - scoring, defensive games against the New York Knicks. After splitting the first two games in Houston, the Knicks won two out of three games at Madison Square Garden, which also hosted the Rangers first Stanley Cup celebration in 54 years during the series. In Game 6, however, Rockets center Hakeem Olajuwon blocked a last - second championship - winning shot attempt by John Starks, giving the Rockets an 86 -- 84 victory and forcing a Game 7, which made Knicks Coach Pat Riley the first ( and to this date, the only ) coach in a Game 7 NBA Finals on two different teams, having been with the Los Angeles Lakers in 1984 and 1988. In addition, the Knicks set a record for most playoff games played in one season, with 25. The Detroit Pistons tied this record in 2005. The Boston Celtics, coached by Doc Rivers, would surpass it during their championship season of 2008 when they played 26. The Rockets beat the Knicks in Game 7, 90 -- 84, enabling the city of Houston to not only celebrate its first NBA and fifth professional sports championship ( first in an existing league ), but also deny New York from having both NBA and NHL championships in the same year ( Chicago had suffered this fate two years earlier in 1992, with the Bulls winning their second NBA championship and the Blackhawks losing in the Stanley Cup Finals ). For his efforts Olajuwon was named NBA Finals Most Valuable Player. For the Knicks, Riley had the unfortunate distinction of having become the first ( and to this date, the only ) coach to lose a Game 7 NBA Finals on two different teams, having lost to the Celtics in 1984. It also denied him the distinction of being the first coach to win a Game 7 NBA Finals with two different teams, having defeated the Detroit Pistons in 1988. NBC Sports used Ahmad Rashād ( Knicks sideline ) and Hannah Storm ( Rockets sideline ). Hal Douglas narrated the season - ending documentary Clutch City for NBA Entertainment. Contents 1 Background 1.1 Houston Rockets 1.2 New York Knicks 1.3 Road to the Finals 1.4 Regular season series 2 1994 NBA Finals rosters 2.1 Houston Rockets 2.2 New York Knicks 3 Series summary 3.1 Game 1 3.2 Game 2 3.3 Game 3 3.4 Game 4 3.5 Game 5 3.6 Game 6 3.7 Game 7 4 Olajuwon vs. Ewing 5 Player statistics 6 New York Rangers win Stanley Cup 7 Telecast interrupted by O.J. Simpson car chase 8 Aftermath 9 See also 10 References 11 External links Background Houston Rockets Main article : 1993 -- 94 Houston Rockets season The Rockets chose Hakeem Olajuwon as the first overall pick in the 1984 NBA draft. Olajuwon 's first nine NBA seasons included numerous All - Star, All - NBA and All - Defensive selections, but the closest he got to a championship was in 1986, when the Rockets fell two games short of a title against a powerful Boston Celtics team. By his tenth season, Olajuwon became a more complete player, and he led the Rockets to a 15 -- 0 start en route to a 58 -- 24 record. But after a four - game defeat of the Portland Trail Blazers in the first round, they blew a pair of big fourth quarter leads at home and lost to the Phoenix Suns to begin the second round ( in the process earning a derisive nickname of ' Choke City ' by the Houston Chronicle ). In response, the Rockets used the headline as motivation, overcoming a 0 -- 2 deficit to defeat the Suns in seven games ( earning the nickname ' Clutch City ' ). In the conference finals, Houston defeated the Utah Jazz in five games to claim their third conference title. Olajuwon won the MVP and Defensive Player of the Year awards at season 's end. New York Knicks Main article : 1993 -- 94 New York Knicks season Like Olajuwon, Patrick Ewing was a first overall pick of the NBA draft. Ewing was picked by the Knicks in the 1985 draft, and won Rookie of the Year that season. But despite earning All - Star accolades of his own, the Knicks teams he played with only made it past the first round twice during his first six seasons ( in 1989 and 1990 ). In the 1991 off - season, the Knicks hired Pat Riley as head coach. In contrast to the fast - paced style of Showtime he used with the Los Angeles Lakers, Riley decided to go for a more deliberate and physical approach in New York. Aided by the likes of Charles Oakley, Anthony Mason, John Starks and Charles Smith, Ewing and the Knicks rose to prominence under Riley, and in 1994, they won 57 games to finish second in the Eastern Conference. Their playoff run began with a 3 -- 1 victory over their cross-river rival New Jersey Nets. However, they had a hard time disposing a Chicago Bulls team that lost Michael Jordan to retirement, but managed to win all four home games to advance. In the conference finals, they were pitted against the upstart Indiana Pacers, who were led by Reggie Miller. Though the Pacers gave the Knicks a scare, the latter 's experience proved too much as they won the series in seven games. Road to the Finals Main article : 1994 NBA Playoffs Houston Rockets ( Western Conference champion ) New York Knicks ( Eastern Conference champion ) # Western Conference Team PCT GB z - Seattle SuperSonics 63 19. 768 -- y - Houston Rockets 58 24. 707 5 x-Phoenix Suns 56 26. 683 7 x-San Antonio Spurs 55 27. 671 8 5 x-Utah Jazz 53 29. 646 10 6 x - Golden State Warriors 50 32. 610 13 7 x-Portland Trail Blazers 47 35. 573 16 8 x-Denver Nuggets 42 40. 512 21 9 Los Angeles Lakers 33 49. 402 30 10 Sacramento Kings 28 54. 341 35 11 Los Angeles Clippers 27 55. 329 36 12 Minnesota Timberwolves 20 62. 244 43 13 Dallas Mavericks 13 69. 159 50 2nd seed in the West, 2nd best league record Regular season # Eastern Conference Team PCT GB c - Atlanta Hawks 57 25. 695 -- y - New York Knicks 57 25. 695 -- x-Chicago Bulls 55 27. 671 x-Orlando Magic 50 32. 610 7 5 x-Indiana Pacers 47 35. 573 10 6 x-Cleveland Cavaliers 47 35. 573 10 7 x-New Jersey Nets 45 37. 549 12 8 x-Miami Heat 42 40. 512 15 9 Charlotte Hornets 41 41. 500 16 10 Boston Celtics 32 50. 390 25 11 Philadelphia 76ers 25 57. 305 32 12 Washington Bullets 24 58. 293 33 13t Milwaukee Bucks 20 62. 244 37 13t Detroit Pistons 20 62. 244 37 2nd seed in the East, 4th best league record Defeated the ( 7 ) Portland Trail Blazers, 3 -- 1 First round Defeated the ( 7 ) New Jersey Nets, 3 -- 1 Defeated the ( 3 ) Phoenix Suns, 4 -- 3 Conference Semifinals Defeated the ( 3 ) Chicago Bulls, 4 -- 3 Defeated the ( 4 ) Utah Jazz, 4 -- 1 Conference Finals Defeated the ( 5 ) Indiana Pacers, 4 -- 3 Regular season series The Houston Rockets won both games in the regular season series : December 2, 1993 Houston Rockets 94, New York Knicks 85 Madison Square Garden, New York City February 24, 1994 New York Knicks 73, Houston Rockets 93 The Summit, Houston, Texas 1994 NBA Finals rosters Houston Rockets 1994 Houston Rockets Finals roster Players Coaches Pos. # Name Ht. Wt. DOB From 1.0 ! PG 7000100000000000000 ♠ 1 Brooks, Scott 7000180340000000000 ♠ 5 ft 11 in ( 1.80 m ) 165 lb ( 75 kg ) 1965 -- 07 -- 31 UC Irvine 4.5 ! PF 7001500000000000000 ♠ 50 Bullard, Matt 7000208279999999999 ♠ 6 ft 10 in ( 2.08 m ) 215 lb ( 98 kg ) 1967 -- 06 -- 05 Iowa 1.0 ! PG 7001100000000000000 ♠ 10 Cassell, Sam 7000190500000000000 ♠ 6 ft 3 in ( 1.91 m ) 185 lb ( 84 kg ) 1969 -- 11 -- 18 Florida State 4.5 ! PF 7001350000000000000 ♠ 35 Cureton, Earl 7000205740000000000 ♠ 6 ft 9 in ( 2.06 m ) 210 lb ( 95 kg ) 1957 -- 11 -- 03 Detroit 3.0 ! SF 7001170000000000000 ♠ 17 Elie, Mario 7000195580000000000 ♠ 6 ft 5 in ( 1.96 m ) 210 lb ( 95 kg ) 1963 -- 11 -- 26 American International 4.5 ! PF 7000700000000000000 ♠ 7 Herrera, Carl 7000205740000000000 ♠ 6 ft 9 in ( 2.06 m ) 215 lb ( 98 kg ) 1966 -- 12 -- 14 Houston 4.5 ! PF 7001250000000000000 ♠ 25 Horry, Robert 7000205740000000000 ♠ 6 ft 9 in ( 2.06 m ) 220 lb ( 100 kg ) 1970 -- 08 -- 25 Alabama 3.0 ! SF 7001210000000000000 ♠ 21 Jent, Chris 7000200659999999999 ♠ 6 ft 7 in ( 2.01 m ) 220 lb ( 100 kg ) 1970 -- 01 -- 11 Ohio State 2.0 ! SG 7001110000000000000 ♠ 11 Maxwell, Vernon 7000193040000000000 ♠ 6 ft 4 in ( 1.93 m ) 180 lb ( 82 kg ) 1965 -- 09 -- 12 Florida 6.0 ! C 7001340000000000000 ♠ 34 Olajuwon, Hakeem 7000213360000000000 ♠ 7 ft 0 in ( 2.13 m ) 255 lb ( 116 kg ) 1963 -- 01 -- 21 Houston 6.0 ! C 7001340000000000000 ♠ 34 Petruška, Richard 7000208279999999999 ♠ 6 ft 10 in ( 2.08 m ) 260 lb ( 118 kg ) 1969 -- 01 -- 25 UCLA 6.0 ! C 7001420000000000000 ♠ 42 Riley, Eric 7000213360000000000 ♠ 7 ft 0 in ( 2.13 m ) 245 lb ( 111 kg ) 1970 -- 06 -- 02 Michigan 2.0 ! SG 7001200000000000000 ♠ 20 Robinson, Larry 7000190500000000000 ♠ 6 ft 3 in ( 1.91 m ) 180 lb ( 82 kg ) 1968 -- 01 -- 11 Centenary College of Louisiana 1.0 ! PG 7001300000000000000 ♠ 30 Smith, Kenny 7000190500000000000 ♠ 6 ft 3 in ( 1.91 m ) 170 lb ( 77 kg ) 1965 -- 03 -- 08 North Carolina 4.5 ! PF 7001330000000000000 ♠ 33 Thorpe, Otis 7000205740000000000 ♠ 6 ft 9 in ( 2.06 m ) 225 lb ( 102 kg ) 1962 -- 08 -- 05 Providence Head coach Rudy Tomjanovich Assistant coach ( es ) Bill Berry Jim Boylen Carroll Dawson Legend ( C ) Team captain ( DP ) Unsigned draft pick ( FA ) Free agent ( S ) Suspended Injured New York Knicks 1994 New York Knicks Finals roster Players Coaches Pos. # Name Ht. Wt. DOB From 1.0 ! PG 7001500000000000000 ♠ 50 Anthony, Greg 7000182880000000000 ♠ 6 ft 0 in ( 1.83 m ) 176 lb ( 80 kg ) 1967 -- 11 -- 15 UNLV 2.0 ! SG 7001200000000000000 ♠ 20 Blackman, Rolando 7000198120000000000 ♠ 6 ft 6 in ( 1.98 m ) 190 lb ( 86 kg ) 1959 -- 02 -- 26 Kansas State 3.0 ! SF 7000400000000000000 ♠ 4 Bonner, Anthony 7000203200000000000 ♠ 6 ft 8 in ( 2.03 m ) 215 lb ( 98 kg ) 1968 -- 06 -- 08 Saint Louis 2.0 ! SG 7001440000000000000 ♠ 44 Davis, Hubert 7000195580000000000 ♠ 6 ft 5 in ( 1.96 m ) 183 lb ( 83 kg ) 1970 -- 05 -- 17 North Carolina 6.0 ! C 7001330000000000000 ♠ 33 Ewing, Patrick 7000213360000000000 ♠ 7 ft 0 in ( 2.13 m ) 240 lb ( 109 kg ) 1962 -- 08 -- 05 Georgetown 2.0 ! SG 7000700000000000000 ♠ 7 Gaines, Corey 7000190500000000000 ♠ 6 ft 3 in ( 1.91 m ) 195 lb ( 88 kg ) 1965 -- 06 -- 01 Loyola Marymount 1.0 ! PG 7001110000000000000 ♠ 11 Harper, Derek 7000193040000000000 ♠ 6 ft 4 in ( 1.93 m ) 185 lb ( 84 kg ) 1961 -- 10 -- 13 Illinois 4.5 ! PF 7001140000000000000 ♠ 14 Mason, Anthony 7000200659999999999 ♠ 6 ft 7 in ( 2.01 m ) 250 lb ( 113 kg ) 1966 -- 12 -- 14 Tennessee State 4.5 ! PF 7001340000000000000 ♠ 34 Oakley, Charles 7000203200000000000 ♠ 6 ft 8 in ( 2.03 m ) 225 lb ( 102 kg ) 1963 -- 12 -- 18 Virginia Union 3.0 ! SF 7001540000000000000 ♠ 54 Smith, Charles 7000208279999999999 ♠ 6 ft 10 in ( 2.08 m ) 230 lb ( 104 kg ) 1965 -- 07 -- 16 Pittsburgh 2.0 ! SG 7000300000000000000 ♠ 3 Starks, John 7000190500000000000 ♠ 6 ft 3 in ( 1.91 m ) 180 lb ( 82 kg ) 1965 -- 08 -- 10 Oklahoma State 6.0 ! C 7001320000000000000 ♠ 32 Williams, Herb 7000208279999999999 ♠ 6 ft 10 in ( 2.08 m ) 242 lb ( 110 kg ) 1958 -- 02 -- 16 Ohio State Head coach Pat Riley Assistant coach ( es ) Dick Harter Jeff Nix Bob Salmi Jeff Van Gundy Legend ( C ) Team captain ( DP ) Unsigned draft pick ( FA ) Free agent ( S ) Suspended Injured Series summary Game Date Home Team Result Road Team Local Time Game 1 Wednesday, June 8 Houston Rockets 85 -- 78 ( 1 -- 0 ) New York Knicks 8 : 00pm CDT Game 2 Friday, June 10 Houston Rockets 83 -- 91 ( 1 -- 1 ) New York Knicks 8 : 00pm CDT Game 3 Sunday, June 12 New York Knicks 89 -- 93 ( 1 -- 2 ) Houston Rockets 7 : 30pm EDT Game 4 Wednesday, June 15 New York Knicks 91 -- 82 ( 2 -- 2 ) Houston Rockets 9 : 00pm EDT Game 5 Friday, June 17 New York Knicks 91 -- 84 ( 3 -- 2 ) Houston Rockets 9 : 00pm EDT Game 6 Sunday, June 19 Houston Rockets 86 -- 84 ( 3 -- 3 ) New York Knicks 6 : 30pm CDT Game 7 Wednesday, June 22 Houston Rockets 90 -- 84 ( 4 -- 3 ) New York Knicks 8 : 00pm CDT This was the second NBA Finals that went to a Game 7 since the Finals went to the 2 -- 3 -- 2 format in 1985. Game 1 NBC June 8 9 : 00et New York Knicks 78, Houston Rockets 85 Scoring by quarter : 24 -- 26, 22 -- 28, 17 -- 18, 15 -- 13 Pts : Patrick Ewing 23 Rebs : Charles Oakley 14 Asts : Derek Harper 5 Pts : Hakeem Olajuwon 28 Rebs : Otis Thorpe 16 Asts : Kenny Smith 5 Houston leads the series, 1 -- 0 The Summit, Houston, Texas Attendance : 16,611 Referees : No. 17 Joe Crawford No. 14 Jack Madden No. 27 Dick Bavetta Game 2 NBC June 10 9 : 00et New York Knicks 91, Houston Rockets 83 Scoring by quarter : 24 -- 20, 18 -- 22, 30 -- 23, 19 -- 18 Pts : John Starks 19 Rebs : Patrick Ewing 13 Asts : John Starks 9 Pts : Hakeem Olajuwon 25 Rebs : Otis Thorpe 12 Asts : Kenny Smith 6 Series tied, 1 -- 1 The Summit, Houston, Texas Attendance : 16,611 Referees : No. 10 Darell Garretson No. 4 Ed T. Rush No. 42 Hue Hollins Game 3 NBC June 12 7 : 30et Houston Rockets 93, New York Knicks 89 Scoring by quarter : 26 -- 18, 19 -- 20, 24 -- 25, 24 -- 26 Pts : Hakeem Olajuwon 21 Rebs : Hakeem Olajuwon 11 Asts : Hakeem Olajuwon 7 Pts : Derek Harper 21 Rebs : Patrick Ewing 13 Asts : John Starks 9 Houston leads the series, 2 -- 1 Madison Square Garden, New York City Attendance : 19,763 Referees : No. 11 Jake O'Donnell No. 20 Jess Kersey No. 21 Bill Oakes Game 4 NBC June 15 9 : 00et Houston Rockets 82, New York Knicks 91 Scoring by quarter : 14 -- 19, 19 -- 21, 28 -- 20, 21 -- 31 Pts : Hakeem Olajuwon 32 Rebs : Otis Thorpe 10 Asts : Sam Cassell 5 Pts : Derek Harper 21 Rebs : Charles Oakley 20 Asts : Derek Harper 5 Series tied, 2 -- 2 Madison Square Garden, New York City Attendance : 19,763 Referees : No. 25 Hugh Evans No. 17 Joe Crawford No. 13 Mike Mathis Game 5 NBC June 17 9 : 00et Houston Rockets 84, New York Knicks 91 Scoring by quarter : 21 -- 22, 16 -- 26, 24 -- 13, 23 -- 30 Pts : Hakeem Olajuwon 27 Rebs : Otis Thorpe 13 Asts : Robert Horry 6 Pts : Patrick Ewing 25 Rebs : Patrick Ewing 12 Asts : Derek Harper 7 New York leads the series, 3 -- 2 Madison Square Garden, New York City Attendance : 19,763 Referees : No. 10 Darell Garretson No. 4 Ed T. Rush No. 27 Dick Bavetta Game 6 NBC June 19 7 : 30et New York Knicks 84, Houston Rockets 86 Scoring by quarter : 21 -- 21, 15 -- 25, 26 -- 19, 22 -- 21 Pts : John Starks 27 Rebs : Patrick Ewing 15 Asts : Derek Harper 10 Pts : Hakeem Olajuwon 30 Rebs : Olajuwon, Thorpe 10 each Asts : Otis Thorpe 6 Series tied, 3 -- 3 The Summit, Houston, Texas Attendance : 16,611 Referees : No. 11 Jake O'Donnell No. 20 Jess Kersey No. 14 Jack Madden Game 7 NBC June 22 9 : 00et New York Knicks 84, Houston Rockets 90 Scoring by quarter : 21 -- 22, 22 -- 23, 17 -- 18, 24 -- 27 Pts : Derek Harper 23 Rebs : Charles Oakley 14 Asts : Derek Harper 5 Pts : Hakeem Olajuwon 25 Rebs : Hakeem Olajuwon 10 Asts : Hakeem Olajuwon 7 Houston wins the series, 4 -- 3 The Summit, Houston, Texas Attendance : 16,611 Referees : No. 25 Hugh Evans No. 17 Joe Crawford No. 4 Ed T. Rush Olajuwon vs. Ewing Although most fans in New York, and some members of the national media, blamed John Starks ' poor performance, who shot 2 - for - 18 from the field in Game 7, as a contributing factor in the Knicks ' loss in the series, another important factor in the Rockets series win was Olajuwon 's performance. Olajuwon outscored Ewing in every game of the series, while Ewing outblocked ( 4.3 to 3.9 bpg ) and outrebounded him ( 12.4 rpg to 9.1 rpg ). Plus, he set a then NBA Finals record with a total of 30 blocks. 1994 NBA Finals Gm 1 Gm 2 Gm 3 Gm 4 Gm 5 Gm 6 Gm 7 Totals Hakeem Olajuwon 28 25 21 32 27 30 25 26.9 ppg 50.0 % fg 9.1 rpg 3.6 apg 3.9 bpg Patrick Ewing 23 16 18 16 25 17 17 18.9 ppg 36.4 % fg 12.4 rpg 1.7 apg 4.3 bpg Player statistics Legend GP Games played GS Games started MPG Minutes per game FG % Field - goal percentage 3P % 3 - point field - goal percentage FT % Free - throw percentage RPG Rebounds per game APG Assists per game SPG Steals per game BPG Blocks per game PPG Points per game Houston Rockets Player GP GS MPG FG % 3FG % FT % RPG APG SPG BPG PPG Bullard, Matt Matt Bullard 0 13.5. 200. 286. 500 3.0 0.0 0.5 0.5 4.0 Cassell, Sam Sam Cassell 7 0 22.6. 422. 438. 926 3.1 2.9 1.3 0.3 10.0 Cureton, Earl Earl Cureton 0 2.0. 000. 000. 000 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 Elie, Mario Mario Elie 7 0 11.3. 250. 400. 833 1.0 1.0 0.3 0.1 2.4 Herrera, Carl Carl Herrera 7 0 17.3. 579. 000. 750 3.6 0.4 0.4 0.1 7.1 Horry, Robert Robert Horry 7 7 37.9. 324. 306. 619 6.1 3.7 1.3 0.6 10.3 Jent, Chris Chris Jent 0 2.3. 000. 000. 000 0.3 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 Maxwell, Vernon Vernon Maxwell 7 7 37.7. 365. 225. 682 3.3 2.9 0.6 0.0 13.4 Olajuwon, Hakeem Hakeem Olajuwon 7 7 43.1. 500 1.000. 860 9.1 3.6 1.6 3.9 26.9 Smith, Kenny Kenny Smith 7 7 25.4. 389. 357 1.000 1.4 3.1 0.7 0.0 5.6 Thorpe, Otis Otis Thorpe 7 7 39.6. 519. 000. 500 11.3 3.3 0.9 0.0 9.3 New York Knicks Player GP GS MPG FG % 3FG % FT % RPG APG SPG BPG PPG Anthony, Greg Greg Anthony 7 0 11.4. 323. 125 1.000 0.9 2.4 0.4 0.1 3.3 Bonner, Anthony Anthony Bonner 0 5.5 1.000. 000. 000 1.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 2.0 Davis, Hubert Hubert Davis 5 0 7.6. 200 1.000. 500 0.4 0.4 0.0 0.2 1.6 Ewing, Patrick Patrick Ewing 7 7 44.0. 363. 200. 714 12.4 1.7 1.3 4.3 18.9 Harper, Derek Derek Harper 7 7 38.0. 467. 436. 824 3.0 6.0 2.4 0.1 16.4 Mason, Anthony Anthony Mason 7 0 29.3. 468. 000. 640 6.9 1.3 0.7 0.0 8.6 Oakley, Charles Charles Oakley 7 7 40.7. 484. 000. 833 11.9 2.4 1.1 0.1 11.0 Smith, Charles Charles Smith 7 7 26.7. 441. 000. 684 4.3 1.7 0.6 1.0 9.3 Starks, John John Starks 7 7 41.9. 368. 320. 769 3.1 5.9 1.6 0.1 17.7 Williams, Herb Herb Williams 0 1.8. 000. 000. 000 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.3 0.0 New York Rangers win Stanley Cup This article may lend undue weight to certain ideas, incidents, or controversies. Please help to create a more neutral presentation, with details put in their proper context. Discuss and resolve this issue before removing this message. ( February 2012 ) Further information : 1994 Stanley Cup Finals Game 4 took place at Madison Square Garden less than 24 hours after it hosted the New York Rangers ' first Stanley Cup celebration in 54 years, following their 3 -- 2 win over the Vancouver Canucks in Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Finals. Rangers Captain Mark Messier attended the game, bringing the Stanley Cup in a bid to inspire the Knicks, first to their locker room before the game, and again out onto center court at halftime, much to the delight of fans. Game 5 took place hours after the ticker - tape parade in the Canyon of Heroes in Lower Manhattan honoring the new Stanley Cup champions. Players and representatives of both the Knicks and the Rockets were among the 1.5 million who attended. Both teams came away motivated, as evidenced by the remaining series. Telecast interrupted by O.J. Simpson car chase During Game 5, most NBC affiliates split the coverage of the game between NFL Hall of Famer O.J. Simpson 's slow speed freeway chase with the LAPD. At the time, Simpson had been an NFL analyst on NBC. The coverage was presented on a split screen, with the game taking up the smaller portion of the television screen on the left, while live coverage of the chase was shown in a bigger screen on the right. The audio came from the chase as narrated by NBC News anchor Tom Brokaw. KNBC in Los Angeles, serving the media market where the police were tracking Simpson, left game coverage completely for the chase and did not even put up a split screen until the end of the game, which was still close at the time. By this point, Simpson had returned to his mansion in Brentwood and had surrendered to police. A complete re-broadcast of Game 5, with natural crowd audio substituting for the parts for which NBC did not provide audio, is part of the DVD release of this series from Warner Home Video. Aftermath The Rockets would repeat as NBA champions in 1995 although their season record was n't so promising. Plagued by a lack of chemistry, the Rockets were stuck in the middle of the conference standings most of the year. Then, as the NBA 's trading deadline approached, on February 14, 1995, the Rockets acquired Hakeem Olajuwon 's `` Phi Slama Jama '' teammate Clyde Drexler. The Rockets finished the regular season as the 6th seed but the team on the court at season 's end was clearly better than its 47 -- 35 record. The new Rockets team had only had about two months to gel. The playoffs started rough for Houston, the team down 2 games to 1 to Utah in the First Round. However, the Rockets battled back and won that series, stealing the deciding Game 5 in Utah. The Rockets ' ability to overcome adversity became more evident as the postseason wore on. They beat four 50 - win squads ( Utah, Phoenix, San Antonio and Orlando ) to win the NBA championship, becoming the lowest seed ever to win it all. Also in 1995, the Knicks enjoyed another strong season, with 55 wins. However, they were eliminated in seven games by the Indiana Pacers during the second round as Pacers guard Reggie Miller 's ' Knick Killer ' legacy continued. After the season Pat Riley departed for the Miami Heat, with whom he would win three championships. The Knicks would make the finals again in 1999, but fell to the Spurs in five games, and have not returned since. Before this victory, only the Houston Oilers ' AFL two championships at the close of the 1960 season and 1961 season and the Houston Aeros ' two WHA Avco World Trophies in 1974 and 1975 represented Houston 's only professional championships. The 1994 NBA Championship represented the city of Houston 's first professional championship since those two teams, and the first in a league that did not later merge. See also 1993 -- 94 New York Knicks season 1993 -- 94 Houston Rockets season 1994 NBA Playoffs 1994 Stanley Cup Finals References Jump up ^ Araton, Harvey ( June 23, 1994 ). `` ON PRO BASKETBALL : N.B.A. FINALS ; Long - Sought Title That Ewing Needed Eludes Him Again ''. The New York Times. Retrieved April 1, 2008. But he ( Ewing ) was just not as good as Hakeem Olajuwon, never has been. Jump up ^ Kalb, Elliot ( 2003 ). Who 's Better, Who 's Best in Basketball ? : Mr. Stats Sets the Record Straight on the Top 50 NBA Players of All Time. McGraw - Hill Professional. p. 163. ISBN 0 - 07 - 141788 - 5. Olajuwon clearly outplayed Ewing Jump up ^ `` Daily Dime : Special Edition The game 's greatest giants ever ''. ESPN. March 6, 2007. Archived from the original on March 25, 2007. Retrieved April 12, 2007. He ( Olajuwon ) outplayed Ewing, Robinson and O'Neal to lead Houston to back - to - back titles... ^ Jump up to : `` History of the NBA Finals : Hakeem Olajuwon : The NBA 's Best In The Mid ' 90s ''. hollywoodsportsbook.com. Retrieved February 16, 2007. Jump up ^ `` Patrick Ewing Bio ''. NBA. Retrieved April 19, 2007. ^ Jump up to : Beck, Howard ( June 17, 2008 ). `` Celtics Remain Mindful Of a Missed Opportunity ''. The New York Times. p. D2. Retrieved 20 June 2010. Jump up ^ NBA on NBC : Game 4 of the 1994 NBA Finals ( television ). NBC. June 15, 1994. Jump up ^ Zipay, Steve ( June 14, 2009 ). `` ' 94, a vintage year for Rangers, Knicks ; Rangers ended 54 - year Stanley Cup drought ''. Newsday. p. A78. Retrieved September 7, 2009. Jump up ^ MacMullan, Jackie ( June 18, 1994 ). `` Knicks pull away, close in on crown ''. The Boston Globe. p. 33. Capping a day when their fellow New Yorkers celebrated the Rangers ' Stanley Cup with a parade, the Knicks were always there, keeping pace. Jump up ^ Barron, James ( June 18, 1994 ). `` New Yorkers Bury the Rangers ' Curse in a Sea of Confetti ''. The New York Times. p. 28. Retrieved 28 February 2012. ^ Jump up to : Blinebury, Fran ( June 13, 2004 ). `` BELIEVE IT : 10 YEARS LATER ; ' The Times of Our Lives ' ''. The Houston Chronicle. p. 1. Jump up ^ Hahn, Alan ( June 14, 2009 ). `` After huge effort, Knicks fall short ''. Newsday. p. A79. Retrieved September 7, 2009. Jump up ^ Brett Morgen, Director ( June 16, 2010 ). 30 for 30 : June 17, 1994 ( television ). ESPN. External links NBA Finals Champions O'Brien Trophy Most Valuable Player Award Brown Trophy Championship ring Broadcasters Game sevens Droughts Streaks TV ratings 1940s 1947 1948 1949 1950s 1950 1951 1952 1953 1954 1955 1956 1957 1958 1959 1960s 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 1970s 1970 1971 1972 1973 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980s 1980 1981 1982 1984 1985 1986 1988 1989 1990s 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1997 1998 1999 2000s 2000 2001 2002 2003 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010s 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 Houston Rockets 1993 -- 94 NBA champions 1 Brooks 3 Petruška 7 Herrera 10 Cassell 11 Maxwell 17 Elie 20 Robinson 21 Jent 25 Horry 30 K. Smith 33 Thorpe 34 Olajuwon ( Finals MVP ) 35 Cureton 42 Riley 50 Bullard Head coach Tomjanovich Assistant coaches Berry Boylen Dawson L. Smith Regular season Playoffs Houston Rockets Founded in 1967 Played in San Diego ( 1967 -- 1971 ) Based in Houston, Texas Franchise Franchise History Expansion Draft All - time roster Seasons Records Draft history Head coaches Current season Arenas San Diego Sports Arena Hofheinz Pavilion HemisFair Arena The Summit / Compaq Center Toyota Center Culture and lore Red Rowdies ClutchFans Clutch City Clutch the Rockets Bear Dancing Barry Kermit Washington punches Rudy Tomjanovich The Clock Incident The Kiss of Death The Dream Shake 13 points in 35 seconds 22 wins in a row NBA Championships ( 2 ) 1994 1995 Western Conference Championships ( 4 ) 1981 1986 1994 1995 Administration Owner Tilman Fertitta General Manager Daryl Morey Head Coach Mike D'Antoni Retired numbers 11 22 23 24 34 45 CD Most Valuable Players Moses Malone Hakeem Olajuwon Hall of Famers Charles Barkley Rick Barry Clyde Drexler Elvin Hayes Moses Malone Tracy McGrady Calvin Murphy Dikembe Mutombo Hakeem Olajuwon Scottie Pippen Ralph Sampson Yao Ming G League affiliate Rio Grande Valley Vipers Rivals Dallas Mavericks San Antonio Spurs Utah Jazz Media TV AT&T SportsNet Southwest Radio Sportstalk 790 Announcers Bill Worrell Clyde Drexler Matt Bullard Craig Ackerman New York Knicks Founded in 1946 Based in New York City, New York Franchise Franchise All - time roster Draft history Head coaches Seasons Current season Arenas Madison Square Garden III 69th Regiment Armory Madison Square Garden IV Personnel Owner The Madison Square Garden Company President Steve Mills General manager Scott Perry Head coach David Fizdale Culture Dancing Harry Eddie Spike Lee Diedrich Knickerbocker Whatever Happened to Micheal Ray ? Mike Walczewski George Kalinsky Lore Trent Tucker Rule Disputed foul against Scottie Pippen John Starks ' 2 - for - 18 in Game 7 of the 1994 Finals June 17th, 1994 Knicks -- Nuggets brawl Linsanity Rivals Boston Celtics Brooklyn Nets Chicago Bulls Indiana Pacers Miami Heat Retired numbers 10 12 15 15 19 22 24 33 613 NBA G League affiliate Westchester Knicks NBA Championships ( 2 ) 1970 1973 Eastern Conference Championships ( 8 ) 1951 1952 1953 1970 1972 1973 1994 1999 Division titles ( 5 ) 1971 1989 1993 1994 2013 Media TV MSG Network Radio WEPN - FM Announcers Mike Breen Walt Frazier Kenny Albert Mike Crispino 1993 -- 94 NBA season by team 1993 NBA draft All - Star Game Playoffs Finals Transactions Eastern Atlantic Boston Miami New Jersey New York Orlando Philadelphia Washington Central Atlanta Charlotte Chicago Cleveland Detroit Indiana Milwaukee Western Midwest Dallas Denver Houston Minnesota San Antonio Utah Pacific Golden State L.A. Clippers L.A. Lakers Phoenix Portland Sacramento Seattle NBA on NBC Related programs NBA Showtime NBA Inside Stuff NBA on USA Non-NBA programs College Basketball on NBC Olympics on NBC Related articles Ratings ( NBA Finals ) NBA Showtime : NBA on NBC Like Mike 2002 FIBA World Championship NBC Sports Regional Networks Bay Area ( Golden State Warriors ) Boston ( Boston Celtics ) California ( Sacramento Kings ) Chicago ( Chicago Bulls ) Northwest ( Portland Trail Blazers ) Philadelphia ( Philadelphia 76ers ) Washington ( Washington Wizards ) Commentators All - Star Game NBA Finals WNBA Finals Key figures Marv Albert Mike Breen Bob Costas Don Criqui Jerry Doggett Dick Enberg Marty Glickman Jim Gordon Curt Gowdy Greg Gumbel Tom Hammond Dan Hicks Jim Lampley Joel Meyers Bob Neal Lindsey Nelson Bill O'Donnell Bud Palmer Paul Sunderland Bob Wolff Color commentators Quinn Buckner P.J. Carlesimo Doug Collins Chuck Daly Mike Dunleavy Sr. Cotton Fitzsimmons Mike Fratello Matt Guokas Dan Issel Steve Jones Magic Johnson Joe Lapchick Ron Rothstein Isiah Thomas Bill Walton Sideline reporters Jim Gray Lewis Johnson Andrea Joyce Lisa Malosky Ahmad Rashād Hannah Storm Studio analysts Pat Croce Julius Erving Kevin Johnson Pat Riley John Salley Tom Tolbert Peter Vecsey Jayson Williams NBA Finals 1955 ( Games 2, 6 ) 1956 ( Game 1 ) 1957 ( Games 1, 7 ) 1958 ( Game 1 ) 1959 ( Games 1 - 2 ) 1960 ( Games 1, 3 - 4, 7 ) 1961 ( Games 1, 3 - 4 ) 1962 ( Games 1 - 2 ) 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 WNBA Finals 1997 ( Game 1 ) 1998 ( Games 1 - 2 ) 1999 ( Games 2 - 3 ) 2000 ( Game 2 ) 2001 ( Game 2 ) 2002 ( Game 2 ) All - Star Game 1959 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1997 1998 2000 2001 2002 Music `` All Fired Up '' `` An American Symphony '' `` Cliffhanger Theme '' `` Crockett 's Theme '' `` Desert Ride '' `` Fly Away '' ( 1999 NBA Finals ) `` Gettysburg '' ( main theme ) `` How 's It Going to Be '' `` I Believe I Can Fly '' ( 1997 NBA Finals ) `` Return to Innocence '' `` Roundball Rock '' `` The Dream Is Still Alive ( 1991 NBA Finals ) `` These Are Days '' `` Titan Spirit '' `` To the Flemish Cap '' `` Unbelievable '' `` Winning It All '' ( 1992 - 1996 ) Lore Christmas Day O.J. Simpson 's low - speed freeway chase The Clock Incident Clutch City Game 6 of the 1998 NBA Finals Memorial Day Miracle Rivalries Bulls -- Knicks Jazz -- Rockets Website : NBA - NBC Sports Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=1994_NBA_Finals&oldid=843467118 '' Categories : National Basketball Association Finals 1993 -- 94 NBA season Houston Rockets games New York Knicks games 1994 in sports in New York City 1994 in sports in Texas 1990s in Houston Sports competitions in New York City Sports competitions in Houston June 1994 sports events GMA Network television specials 1994 in American sports Hidden categories : Use mdy dates from February 2012 Articles with hCards Articles needing POV - check from February 2012 Talk Contents About Wikipedia Español Edit links This page was last edited on 29 May 2018, at 10 : 03. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution - ShareAlike License ; additional terms may apply. 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Question: who played in the nba finals in 1994
Answer: Houston Rockets