More Than Just A Dream Olajuwon’s Teammates Come Up Big In The Clutch As Rockets Take Commanding 3-0 Lead On Magic

The team that wasn’t supposed to be here, much less repeat as NBA champion, is one win from a sweep.

In a tight game that ended with a 3-point duel, Houston eked out a 106-103 victory over the Orlando Magic on Sunday night to take a 3-0 lead in the NBA Finals.

The Rockets’ improbable march through the playoffs as a sixth seed can conclude with a victory Wednesday night in Game 4.

“This is beyond human explanation, said Hakeem Olajuwon, who had 31 points and 14 rebounds to lead the Rockets. “You have to have faith in yourself. It just shows people you don’t worry about your regular-season record and believe in yourself.”

With the kind of help Olajuwon has been getting in this series, how can the Rockets not believe?

Even after the Magic’s Nick Anderson hit two clutch 3-pointers in the final 61 seconds, Houston held on down the stretch.

“We always feel very comfortable in a close game at the end,” swingman Mario Elie said. “Our execution has been great throughout the playoffs and especially late in this game. It’s amazing they left our guys open for the big shots.”

Olajuwon kept Houston going in the third quarter, but Robert Horry took over in the fourth, scoring 11 of his 20 points in the period. With 14.1 seconds left, he found himself open on the left wing and put up a 3-pointer that made it 104-100.

“I’ve got that confidence now to win a game, and I’ve got that confidence to win a championship,” Horry said.

After Horry’s shot, Clyde Drexler made one of two free throws, then watched in wonder as Anderson, whose 3-pointer with 1:01 left pulled Orlando within two points, hit a 28-footer with 2.2 seconds left to make it a two-point game again.

“I was all over him, and when he hit that 3, I just told him great shot,” said Drexler, who had 25 points and 13 rebounds. “I couldn’t believe it went in.”

The Magic immediately fouled Sam Cassell, who missed the first of his two foul shots. But Orlando’s hopes ended when Anfernee Hardaway’s desperation 3-point attempt missed the rim as time expired.

So full of youthful hope and confidence when the series started, Orlando was deflated after the game.

“Maybe it should be on Ripley’s Believe It Or Not,” Anderson said. “I guess it’s happening. It’s reality.”

The Rockets can become the first team to sweep the finals since 1989. That year, Detroit beat the Los Angeles Lakers in four games to win the first of two consecutive titles.

No team in NBA playoff history in any round - has come back from a 3-0 deficit. After the final buzzer, Houston fans began chanting, “Sweep! Sweep!”

Unlike Game 2, won 117-106 by Houston, this one was close all the way. Orlando had a two-point lead after one quarter, Houston led by one at halftime and the third quarter ended tied.

In all, the game was tied 16 times. The last time was with 7:29 left, when O’Neal converted a three-point play after being fouled by Olajuwon.

The Rockets then scored the next five points, including Horry’s two free throws with 5:14 left to give Houston a 91-86 lead.

Mario Elie’s 3-pointer with 3:16 left gave the Rockets a 96-90 lead, but Shaquille O’Neal, who led the Magic with 28 points and 10 rebounds, scored the next four points before Anderson’s first 3-pointer pulled Orlando to 100-98.

“It’s not over yet,” O’Neal said. “We’ve gone down to the wire in all the games. We’ve just got to get that first win and go from there. We can’t give up just yet.”

Drexler rescued the Rockets after Orlando pulled within two points with 2:26 to go. He finished off a floor-length run with a swooping jam that put Houston ahead 98-94.

However, he was assessed a technical after the dunk for knocking the ball away. Dennis Scott made the free throw and the Magic were within three.

“You can see how much he does on the fastbreak,” Olajuwon said of Drexler. “As a one-man fastbreak, he creates so many problems for the opponents.”

Even though Orlando’s 3-point shooting kept the Magic in the game at the end, they were 8-of-31 in the game, and their perimeter shooters all struggled.

Anderson was 4-of-14, Scott was 2-of-11 and Hardaway 4-of-10 from the field. Hardaway had a far better game running the floor, finishing with 14 assists.

“The shots were there, so we had to take them,” said Brian Shaw. “There was nowhere to go inside. At times, it seemed like they were almost daring us to take them. We got the shots. They just weren’t falling.”

Rockets 106, Magic 103

ORLANDO

Min FG FT Reb A PF Pts

Grant 40 9-13 0-0 3-10 1 3 18

Scott 39 2-11 3-3 1-6 0 5 8

O’Neal 45 11-17 6-11 2-10 6 3 28

Anderson 37 4-14 0-0 0-10 3 3 12

Hardaway 41 4-10 10-11 1-4 14 4 19

Shaw 20 6-12 0-0 0-1 3 3 14

Turner 11 0-1 0-0 0-0 1 1 0

Bowie 7 2-3 0-0 0-0 2 1 4

Team totals 240 38-81 19-25 7-41 30 23 103

HOUSTON

Min FG FT Reb A PF Pts

Elie 38 6-9 2-2 0-2 3 2 17

Horry 46 6-11 6-8 2-9 4 2 20

Olajuwon 45 14-30 3-5 4-14 7 4 31

Drexler 41 9-18 6-10 5-13 7 4 25

Smith 22 1-7 0-0 0-2 3 2 2

Jones 12 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 4 0

Cassell 26 3-9 2-3 0-2 4 2 9

Chilcutt 1 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 0 0

Brown 9 0-0 2-2 0-4 0 1 2

Team totals 240 39-84 21-30 11-46 28 21 106

Orlando 30 23 22 28 - 103 Houston 28 26 21 31 - 106

3-point goals-Orlando 8-31 (Anderson 4-12, Shaw 2-5, Hardaway 1-4, Scott 1-9, Turner 0-1), Houston 7-19 (Elie 3-4, Horry 2-5, Drexler 1-3, Cassell 1-3, Smith 0-4). Technicals- Orlando illegal defense; Houston illegal defense; Drexler. A-16,611.