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Houston Rockets: The ten best shots in team history

By Joe Fernandez

14 Jun 1995: Center Hakeen Olajuwon of the Houston Rockets celebrates after a Finals game against the Orlando Magic at The Summit in Houston, Texas. The Rockets won the game, 113-101. Mandatory Credit: Allsport /Allsport Mandatory Credit: Allsport /Al
14 Jun 1995: Center Hakeen Olajuwon of the Houston Rockets celebrates after a Finals game against the Orlando Magic at The Summit in Houston, Texas. The Rockets won the game, 113-101. Mandatory Credit: Allsport /Allsport Mandatory Credit: Allsport /Al /
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The Mario Elie Kiss of Death shot

Nothing exemplifies the confidence, spirit and swagger of clutch city more than Mario Elie’s kiss of death shot from the 1995 Western Conference Semifinals against the Phoenix Suns. In this series the Rockets were down three games to one and muscled their way back in to force a deciding game seven.

It was an incredible battle against a team you knew wanted vengeance after they choked away a 2-0 series lead with games three and four at home in the previous year’s semifinals. As the clock ticked down and the moments got more and more tense, every shot kept causing our knuckles to turn whiter and whiter.

Then, with 10 seconds left, Robert Horry from mid-court sees the junkyard dog wide open in the corner. Horry fires a dangerous cross court pass to Mario Elie who takes his time, calmly pulls up like he’s in warm-ups and swishes the three. The crowd goes silent and as Elie celebrates running towards mid-court he looks at the Phoenix Suns bench and blows them the kiss of death.

That shot gave the rockets a 113-110 lead with seven seconds to go. What’s forgotten is that the game was far from over and the Suns could have won it with a cross court buzzer beater that went off glass but was on line.

Regardless, this shot by Elie and the gesture afterwards is what made the Clutch City moniker become legend and the Rockets would go on to win their second NBA championship in 1995.

Next: Five early roster predictions

We’ve not returned to the NBA Finals since that time, but the current team has made moves to try and bring the Rockets back to their glory days with the addition of Chris Paul and the perennial MVP candidate James Harden being the driving force that makes the team go. Here’s hoping the 2017-2018 season provides moments that makes me have to adjust this list.

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