Posted Mar 4 2013 4:39PM
Perhaps the most famous Twin Towers in NBA history played for the Houston Rockets in the 1980s, when 7-footer Hakeem Olajuwon paired with 7-foot-4 Ralph Sampson on the Rockets' front line. Both were All-Stars, and in 1986 they led Houston to a berth in the NBA Finals.
En route to the Finals, the Rockets beat Sacramento and Denver before meeting the defending champion Los Angeles Lakers in the Western Conference Finals.
Houston came into the series as a distinct underdog to a Laker team led by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Magic Johnson and James Worthy. Yet Los Angeles was able to take only one game from the surprising Rockets.
Los Angeles attempted to extend the series with a strong effort in Game 5. But with the score tied in the closing seconds, Sampson got the ball to the left of the lane and nailed a jumper at the buzzer for a 114-112 victory that eliminated the Lakers 4-1.
With the win the Rockets brought an end to the Lakers' four-year dominance of the Western Conference. But Houston was no match for the Boston Celtics in the NBA Finals, bowing in six games.
 | Gasol Slams Marc Gasol gets inside and throws down a big right-handed flush. |
 | Conley's Big Three Mike Conley gets Tony Parker in the air with a shot-fake and beats the shot clock with a big three-pointer. |
 | Conley's And-one Mike Conley draws the foul on Tony Parker with the shot-fake and sinks the tough jumper. |
 | Randolph's Putback Zach Randolph gathers the rebound off the Tayshaun Prince miss and puts it back. |
 | Pondexter's Bucket and Foul Quincy Pondexter gets inside for the tough reverse layup and the foul. |
Copyright © NBA Media Ventures, LLC. All rights reserved. No portion of NBA.com may be duplicated, redistributed or manipulated in any form. By accessing any information beyond this page, you agree to abide by the Privacy Policy / Your California Privacy Rights and Terms of Use. | Ad Choices 
NBA.com is part of Turner Sports Digital, part of the Turner Sports & Entertainment Digital Network.
