Top NBA Finals moments: Kenny Smith, Hakeem Olajuwon save day in 1995

The 2016 NBA Finals will mark the 70th championship series in league history. Countless memorable moments have taken place on the NBA's grandest stage and after much discussion, we present some of the top moments in Finals history.

The Game: 1995 Finals, Game 1

The Series Situation: Houston Rockets and Orlando Magic tied, 0-0

The Play: Down by three points, Mario Elie inbounds to Kenny Smith, who dribbles twice to the top of the key, pump-fakes Penny Hardaway and leans left to bury a 3-pointer with 1.6 seconds left to tie game and force overtime.

The Significance: Smith's shot enabled the Houston Rockets to complete a comeback from a 20-point hole in the first half and take the memorable game into overtime. It is one of the clutch plays in NBA history that is sometimes overlooked because of what preceded it.

The Orlando Magic's Nick Anderson went to the foul line twice in the last 10.6 seconds of regulation time and missed four consecutive free throws, any one of which could have iced the win. With the door left open, Smith capped the night of his career with his seventh 3-pointer of the game that was then a Finals record.

The "Clutch City" Rockets would deliver in again in OT when Clyde Drexler's missed finger roll was tipped in off the glass by Hakeem Olajuwon with 0.3 seconds left to give the Rockets a 120-118 win. It began Houston's march to a 4-0 series sweep and their second consecutive championship. Olajuwon thoroughly outplayed a young Shaquille O'Neal to be named Finals MVP for the second year in a row.

-- Fran Blinebury

Fran Blinebury has covered the NBA since 1977. You can e-mail him here and follow him on Twitter.

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