The Rockets took the city of Houston on its first championship ride. The Knicks' quest for glory ended in anguish.
Winning their first National Basketball Association title in franchise history, the Rockets defeated the Knicks, 90-84, in Game 7 of the N.B.A. finals tonight at the Summit. It was the first professional sports championship for the city of Houston.
After losing in the finals to the Boston Celtics in both 1981 and 1986, the Rockets finally accomplished their ultimate goal.
It was the crowning moment in the brilliant career of Hakeem Olajuwon, the Rockets' center who had 25 points and 10 rebounds and was unanimously voted the most valuable player of the series. Olajuwon became the first player to be named regular-season m.v.p., defensive player of the year and m.v.p. of the finals during the same season.
"If you write a book, you can't write it any better," said Olajuwon.
It was a crushing defeat for the Knicks, who hoped to win their first championship since 1973. Instead, New York became the 20th consecutive road team to lose an N.B.A. Game 7 on the road. The home-court advantage made a major difference for the Rockets, who won both Game 6 and Game 7 at the Summit.
The Knicks hoped to join the Rangers as league champions, giving New York City both the hockey and basketball titles in the same season, something no city has ever accomplished.
Ewing and Company Denied
Patrick Ewing, in his ninth season with the Knicks, had never been this close to an N.B.A. title. Neither had his teammates. And losing in the final game only made the defeat more difficult for them to accept.
And it was a cruel finale for John Starks, the All-Star guard who had one of his worst performances in the biggest game of his life -- 2 for 18 shooting, including 0 for 11 from 3-point range, finishing with just 8 points.
The Rockets' locker room was a scene of joy and celebration, with players dousing each other with champagne. In the Knicks' locker room the scene was quiet and dry -- except for the players' eyes.
"They played as hard as they could for as long as they could," said a gracious and stoic Pat Riley, who fell short of winning his first championship with the Knicks, after winning four championships as head coach of the Los Angeles Lakers. "There isn't any solace in anything I could say to them right now. I don't think I've ever been more proud of a team in my life. I can't tell you how I feel about the guys on this team. They have been through the wars, been through so much."
Asked about Starks, Riley said he never considered taking him out in the fourth quarter, when the guard missed 9 of 10 shots.
"John almost single-handedly won it for us in Game 6," said Riley. "You go with your players. You go up with them, you go down with them. He's one of the greatest competitors I've ever been around in my life. I love him dearly for that competitiveness. He's a tough kid. He'll bounce back, as we'll all have to. There's another year and you have to bounce back. Tonight was Houston's night and I hope they wear it well."
Stymied Starks Subdued
A subdued Starks said: "I don't know what it was. It was very discouraging. My shot kept coming up short. When I went out before the game to shoot, I felt real good. My teammates were behind me. The shots I had were good looks. I can't explain it."
But Houston's defense had something to do with Starks's performance. Vernon Maxwell was all over Starks, refusing to give him daylight for shots. And when Starks did get past Maxwell and drove to the basket, Olajuwon was waiting. Maxwell played his best game of the series, scoring 21 points, including a late 3-point jumper that virtually sealed the outcome.
"I was talking to Kenny Smith before the game, and he told me that we'd have to hold John under 15 points for us to win the game," Maxwell said. "He said that if Starks got more than 15 points, it would be a long night for our team."
Instead, it was a long night for the Knicks. They fell behind early in the third quarter, and they were never able to catch up, trailing by a deficit of 4 to 7 points for most of the second half.
Charles Oakley made two free throws to pull New York to within 78-75 with 2 minutes 51 seconds left, but Olajuwon answered with a tough hook shot over Ewing. Then Ewing, who finished with 17 points and 10 rebounds on 7 for 17 shooting, missed a nine-foot jump shot from the left baseline.
Then Maxwell struck. Taking a pass from Olajuwon, who smartly passed out of a double-team, Maxwell calmly made a 3-pointer from 25 feet, giving the Rockets an 8-point lead with 1:48 left. The Knicks called a timeout. Maxwell fell to the floor and was mobbed by teammates racing on the court from the bench.
The Rockets knew this victory belonged to them. The Knicks never gave up, but they never got closer than 4 points thereafter.
"I don't have words to explain or describe what it feels like," said Houston Coach Rudy Tomjanovich. "It's almost like being a a dream."
For the Knicks, it was a nightmare.
"I'm extremely disappointed," Ewing said, "but I'm still proud of my teammates. It hurts, period. this is a game we could have won, but we didn't. We made too many mistakes."
A 5-0 run, capped by a 3-point jumper by Greg Anthony, pulled New York to within 74-71 with 6 minutes 26 seconds left. The Rockets had built a 71-64 lead with 9:34 left in the fourth quarter, forcing New York to call a timeout. There were several key plays that went against the Knicks during the first two minutes of the quarter. After Charles Oakley grabbed a rebound, he made a careless outlet pass that was intercepted by the rookie Sam Cassell, who quickly made a jumper from the foul line, giving Houston a 67-62 lead.
Moments later, Derek Harper -- who led the Knicks with 20 points -- missed a jumper, then he allowed Cassell to sneak behind him. Robert Horry spotted Cassell streaking at midcourt, and as Horry made the long pass, Harper collided with Cassell in midair. A breakaway foul was called on Harper, because there was no one between Cassell and the basket. Cassell made both free throws to give Houston a 7-point lead.
It was another example of Cassell making big plays. And the clock was becoming an enemy of the Knicks, who were losing time to make a comeback.
Houston took a 63-60 lead into the final quarter, as the Knicks stayed well within range, despite Starks's poor shooting. Vernon Maxwell was all over Starks, refusing to give him daylight for shots. And when Starks did get past Maxwell and drove to the basket, Olajuwon was waiting. On one drive to the basket, Starks appeared to have a clear path, but at the last second Olajuwon emerged and made a sensational block, spiking Starks's shot to the floor.
Ewing found his shooting touch in the third quarter, scoring 8 points and helping offset the lack of production by Starks. But Olajuwon kept pace with Ewing, also scoring 8 points in the third quarter.
A Kiss From Harper
After a first half that was tense and tight, Houston led by 45-43. Harper was the Knicks' best player on the floor during the first half, leading all scorers with 13 points on 5 for 8 shooting. Instead of relying on jumpers, Harper drove past Kenny Smith three times for easy baskets. Harper even got to the basket too quickly for Olajuwon to react, giving New York several easy baskets, a rarity in this series.
