One season after winning their second of back-to-back titles, the Houston Rockets hosted a struggling Dallas Mavericks team for an April matchup. It was their superstar, Hakeem Olajuwon, that helped Houston stave off a strong upset attempt from Dallas.
Facing a team that was just 24-54, the 46-32 Rockets were expected to come away with an easy victory when Jason Kidd, Jim Jackson and the Mavericks came to town. Considering their best scorer, Jamal Mashburn, was out with an injury, things looked even bleaker for Coach Dick Motta’s squad.