ORLANDO - In the Orlando Magic’s heydays of the mid-1990s, the only thing usually better for them than a rested Shaquille O’Neal was an angry and highly motivated O’Neal.
As it turns out, O’Neal was both rested and angry for Game 5 of the 1995 Eastern Conference Finals, and that proved to be a very bad thing for the Indiana Pacers.
After battering the Pacers for a combined 71 points in Orlando’s victories in Games 1 and 2, O’Neal was limited to just 34 points in losses in Games 3 and 4 because of foul trouble. With that series shifting back to Orlando for the all-important Game 5, O’Neal responded with a vengeance against Rik Smits, Dale Davis, Antonio Davis and the Pacers.
O’Neal made 13 of 21 shots, scored 35 points and grabbed 13 rebounds as the Magic dominated the second quarter and won Game 5 108-106 despite some free throw wobbles late in the night. For the 7-foot-1, 325-pound O’Neal, he knew he had to respond after letting his team down in the two games in Indiana and allowing the Pacers to briefly knot the series at 2-2.
``I won’t decrease my aggressiveness,’’ O’Neal said following the game, referring to him fouling out of Game 4, but playing with even more physicality in Game 5. ``I’ll retire before I decrease my aggressiveness, for real.’’
With the 2019-20 NBA season suspended in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic sweeping the globe, Fox Sports Florida has used much of April and May to show select classic games from the Magic’s glorious, 31-year history. Fox Sports Florida is re-airing Orlando’s four victories from that 1995 Eastern Conference Finals, with Game 1 and Game 2 being televised earlier this week on Tuesday. Game 5 will re-air tonight at 8 p.m., while Game 7 of the seesaw series will be shown Saturday at 7 p.m.
O’Neal, the first pick of the 1992 NBA Draft by the Magic, proved to be the absolute difference-maker in the 1995 NBA Finals against the Pacers. Not only was he the game’s high scorer in each of the Magic’s four victories in the best-of-seven series, but he averaged 27.3 points on a whopping 66.1 percent shooting against the Larry Brown-coached Pacers.
The behemoth center scored 32 points and grabbed 11 rebounds in Game 1 and had 39 points and 10 rebounds in Game 2 – both wins for a Magic team that had vanquished the Boston Celtics and Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls in the first two rounds of the playoffs to reach the NBA’s Eastern Conference Finals for the first time in franchise history.
With the East Finals shifting to Indiana after Orlando jumped to a 2-0 lead, O’Neal’s production slipped in Game 3 (18 points, six rebounds and four fouls in 30 minutes) and Game 4 (16 points, 10 rebounds and six fouls in 30 minutes) – both of them Orlando losses.
Things didn’t look great for the Magic in the early going of Game 5 as Indiana roared to a 32-26 first-quarter lead. However, in the second quarter, Orlando’s defense held the Pacers to just two field goals – one of them coming off an O’Neal goaltending call. That stellar defense, combined with O’Neal’s domination down low, allowed the Magic to outscore Indiana 32-18 in the second period and grab control of the game.
Brian Shaw, a reserve much of the 1994-95 season, came through in a big way off the Magic bench in Game 5. Shaw scored 15 points, drilled three of four 3-pointers and handed out three assists while filling in for a sputtering Dennis Scott (two-of-11 shooting, eight points). Penny Hardaway (15 points, eight assists and three rebounds) and Nick Anderson (19 points, four rebounds, three assists and two 3-pointers) played well around O’Neal for the upstart Magic.
The Magic led by as much as 14 points with four minutes remaining in the game, but their struggles from the free throw line nearly cost them a victory. Indiana got within 106-103 when Derrick McKey drilled a 3-pointer with 16 seconds remaining. After Shaw misfired on two more free throws, Indiana whiffed on a chance to tie the game when point guard Mark Jackson (19 points and 11 assists) missed a 3-pointer. Hardaway got the rebound and drilled two free throws, making Reggie Miller’s 3-pointer at the buzzer all but meaningless. Miller had 21 points with three 3-pointers in the game.
Orlando shot a stellar 52.1 percent from the floor that night, but nearly lost because of 24-of-39 accuracy from the free throw line. O’Neal was just nine of 19 from the free throw line, denying him an even more prolific game.
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