Description
Four missed free throws. Ten seconds. One of the most heartbreaking moments in NBA Finals history.
On June 7, 1995, the Orlando Magic were just seconds away from winning the first NBA Finals game in franchise history.
With 10.5 seconds remaining in Game 1 against the Houston Rockets, Orlando held a 110–107 lead. Nick Anderson stepped to the free-throw line with a chance to put the game out of reach.
He missed both shots.
But the Magic recovered the offensive rebound, and Anderson was fouled again. He had another opportunity to seal the victory.
He missed two more.
Four consecutive missed free throws in the closing seconds of an NBA Finals game.
The Houston Rockets suddenly had one last chance. Kenny Smith took advantage, knocking down his seventh three-pointer of the night with 1.6 seconds remaining to tie the game at 110 and force overtime.
Then Hakeem Olajuwon delivered the final blow, tipping in Clyde Drexler's missed shot with just 0.3 seconds remaining in overtime.
Houston won 120–118.
Anderson actually played an excellent game, finishing with 22 points, 11 rebounds, five assists and four made three-pointers. But those four missed free throws became the defining memory of his performance.
The Rockets eventually swept Orlando 4–0 to win their second consecutive NBA championship.
The 1995 Finals remain a painful chapter in Orlando Magic history, and Anderson's missed free throws are still remembered as one of basketball's most devastating late-game sequences.
In this video, we revisit the dramatic ending of Game 1, the missed opportunities, Kenny Smith's incredible game-tying shot and the moment that changed the entire series.
Was this the most heartbreaking free-throw sequence in NBA Finals history?
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