Is Horace Grant the REAL reason the Magic beat the Bulls in 1995?

[72-10]

glad to hear opinions

[Round Mound]

It was Shaq, Penny and Grant all of them three. Bulls where lacking inside presence rebounding and interior d.

[MrFonzworth]

It was Jordan not performing to standards.

[eliteballer]

Horace Grant being injured is definitely the reason the Bulls swept the Magic in 96, if he was healthy that would have been a very competitive series.

[Manny98]

Yes he was

They would have won in 96 as well if he didn't get hurt

[NBAGOAT]

Yes he was

They would have won in 96 as well if he didn't get hurt

This is just stupid lol. Forcing it to 6 would be a great result

[Manny98]

This is just stupid lol. Forcing it to 6 would be a great result
2 of the games were nailbiters where Grant would have been the difference maker

Didn't Nick Anderson get hurt in game 3 as well :confusedshrug:

Face it the Bulls could not have beaten a healthy Orlando team

[NBAGOAT]

2 of the games were nailbiters where Grant would have been the difference maker

Didn't Nick Anderson get hurt in game 3 as well :confusedshrug:

Face it the Bulls could not have beaten a healthy Orlando team

Yea they would

[BarberSchool]

Basketball is a team game.
No one player is ever the reason one team beats another team in a series.

That said, Horace did provide BOTH on court, and tactical contributions to the series. Also, Michael wasn't fully back in shape. And Shaq and penny played well, 3D and Nick Anderson played very well defensively before injury IIRC.

Lots of reasons.

[Da_Realist]

If you know Michael Jordan, no one is going to beat him in a seven game series. When we beat them when I was with Orlando he had just got back from baseball but, umm... a healthy Michael Jordan without baseball? I can't see any team ever beating him in a seven game series. -- Horace Grant

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GxRbP5RpXAA&list=PLHPQVKwNe_UAF-Vuksl_9Kxl_iPFY0Ixl&index=138&t=15m44s

[Bawkish]

2 of the games were nailbiters where Grant would have been the difference maker

Didn't Nick Anderson get hurt in game 3 as well :confusedshrug:

Face it the Bulls could not have beaten a healthy Orlando team

:lol :oldlol: :roll:

[jlip]

Yes. Well...At least he was the MVP of that series. I did a thread on this a few years ago but it appears that it was deleted. I saved the info though.


Horace Grant 1995 ECSF MVP


I have long maintained that Horace Grant's performance in the 1995 ECSF between the Bulls and Magic was the deciding factor in the Magic's win that year. (The Magic losing him to injury and the Bulls acquiring Rodman was the difference the next season.) Grant had arguably the best playoff series of his career against his former team in 1995. His defense, ability to hit the open shot, veteran leadership, and familiarity with the nuances of the triangle offense made him the most valuable player in the series. The stats and recaps from the articles at the time verify this.

Series stats- 18ppg 11rpg 64.7fg%

Game 1 - 16pts 7rbs 50%fg 5-10 shooting
Magic win. Grant has a solid game. Not much of a story here.
__________________________________________


Game 2- 23pts 15rbs (7 off) 68.8fg% 11-16 shooting

Link (http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=2199&dat=19950511&id=CEYyAAAAIBAJ&sjid=jOYFAAAAIBAJ&pg=6796,3855874)


Bulls’ victory...The story of this game was MJ switching his jersey # back to 23 from 45 and dominating with a 38 pt performance. With Shaq in foul trouble and shooting 6-15 (40%) Grant was basically the best player on the Magic that night, even better than Penny.

____________________________________________

Game 3- 18pts 14rbs 70%fg 7-10 shooting

Magic Win

“Former Bull Now Haunting Chicago” (http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1696&dat=19950512&id=2fEaAAAAIBAJ&sjid=s0cEAAAAIBAJ&pg=4847,1561684)


Thanks in great part to Grant, Orlando leads 2-1 going into Sunday’s game at the United Center.

He is undermining Chicago’s double teaming strategy by sticking the open jumper, beating the Bulls to rebounds and keying Orlando’s defense. He’s averaging 19 points and 12 rebounds and is shooting 64 percent so far in the best- of- seven- series.

Grant is wearing down the Bulls…

__________________________________________

Game 4- 21pts 13rbs 81.8fg% 9-11 shooting

Bulls win. Shaq was limited to just 5-10 shooting due to double teams but had nine assists. Penny shot 6-17. Grant led the team in points and rebounds.

__________________________________________


Game 5- 24pts 11rbs 76.9fg% 10-13fgs

Magic win. Grant led the team in scoring again.


“Grant’s Leadership Sparks Magic” (http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1817&dat=19950517&id=IIMfAAAAIBAJ&sjid=DqYEAAAAIBAJ&pg=6927,5191678)

For the Orlando Magic to close out their series with the Bulls in Chicago, they will need all the poise they can muster. If anyone can give it to them, Horace Grant can.

The veteran’s leadership is a principal reason Orlando has a 3-2 lead in the Eastern Conference semifinals…

Grant scored 24 points and had 11 rebounds Tuesday night in Orlando’s 103-95 win and is averaging 20.4 points and 12 rebounds in the series. Again and again, he has picked up his young teammates when they were on the verge of falling apart.

I think he has been their MVP,” Michael Jordan said of his former teammate.


Right before Game 6 (http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1314&dat=19950518&id=iWJWAAAAIBAJ&sjid=u_EDAAAAIBAJ&pg=4629,5359398)

Grant is carrying the Magic as Michael Jordan is supposed to be doing the Bulls. With O’Neal and Anfernee Hardaway unable to consistently justify their pedigree, not to mention their salaries, Grant has been the clear, shining beacon of competence.

“Horace Grant is the world’s greatest role player,” O’Neal said.
In Game 5, Grant hit 10 of 13 shots, boarded 11, and erased Toni Kukoc from the evening. Except for one brief little flash from Kukoc, Grant has made him invisible since he started.

“When I was with the Bulls,” Grant said, “and we had a team down 3-2, we would go for the kill. “We’re going for the kill (today) at the United Center.”:eek:
_____________________________________


Game 6- 6pts 6rbs 2-8 fgs 25.0fg%

Grant dislocated his finger in the third quarter. This was his only bad game, but the newspapers yet sang his praises in lieu of his overall performance for the series.


Link (http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1346&dat=19950519&id=gDVOAAAAIBAJ&sjid=D_0DAAAAIBAJ&pg=3375,5581333)


Grant became the quiet leader of the Magic, who were playing in only their third postseason series. The Bulls could have used him. He averaged 20.4 points on 70 percent shooting the first five games as Chicago’s strategy of leaving him open to double- team O’Neal failed.

“He doesn’t have a shoe contract or a rap album,” O’Neal said. “But to me, he’s the team MVP.”

[sdot_thadon]

[QUOTE=jlip]Yes. Well...At least he was the MVP of that series. I did a thread on this a few years ago but it appears that if it was deleted. I saved the info though.


Horace Grant 1995 ECSF MVP


I have long maintained that Horace Grant's performance in the 1995 ECSF between the Bulls and Magic was the deciding factor in the Magic's win that year. (The Magic losing him to injury and the Bulls acquiring Rodman was the difference the next season.) Grant had arguably the best playoff series of his career against his former team in 1995. His defense, ability to hit the open shot, veteran leadership, and familiarity with the nuances of the triangle offense made him the most valuable player in the series. The stats and recaps from the articles at the time verify this.

Series stats- 18ppg 11rpg 64.7fg%

Game 1 - 16pts 7rbs 50%fg 5-10 shooting
Magic win. Grant has a solid game. Not much of a story here.
__________________________________________


Game 2- 23pts 15rbs (7 off) 68.8fg% 11-16 shooting

Link (http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=2199&dat=19950511&id=CEYyAAAAIBAJ&sjid=jOYFAAAAIBAJ&pg=6796,3855874)


Bulls

[bigkingsfan]

Horace Grant led team beat prime MJ :eek:

[JBSptfn]

Basketball is a team game.
No one player is ever the reason one team beats another team in a series.

That said, Horace did provide BOTH on court, and tactical contributions to the series. Also, Michael wasn't fully back in shape. And Shaq and penny played well, 3D and Nick Anderson played very well defensively before injury IIRC.

Lots of reasons.

Jordan was fully back in shape. He didn't have a rebounder and defender at the PF position in 95, and he had one in 96 (and Horace was out as well). That was the difference.

[Lebron23]

Horace Grant led team beat prime MJ :eek:

Grant player like an all star in that series.

[Roundball_Rock]

Grant player like an all star in that series.

True, but he was left wide open by the Bulls by design (they didn't want to leave sharpshooters Scott or Anderson to double Shaq or Penny).

He clearly was the difference. The Bulls never won without a PF to play elite D and to rebound. Pippen/Grant did basically the same in 94' as Pippen/Jordan in 95' (e.g., 63 win pace together in each case).

[pandiani17]

I think he was ultra-motivated for that series, he really wanted to show his former team his real value. I remember watching the last game of the series a few years ago in youtube and he was carried in his teammates' shoulders at the end of it like some hero.

[Roundball_Rock]

I think he was ultra-motivated for that series, he really wanted to show his former team his real value. I remember watching the last game of the series a few years ago in youtube and he was carried in his teammates' shoulders at the end of it like some hero.

He was. He left with bad blood between him and Reinsdorf and Jackson--and Jackson insulted him by daring him to shoot by leaving him wide open almost all series.

[JBSptfn]

Jordan was fully back in shape. He didn't have a rebounder and defender at the PF position in 95, and he had one in 96 (and Horace was out as well). That was the difference.

Exactly. Jordan Jockers like to talk about court rust, but that's BS.

[FromDowntown]

If you know Michael Jordan, no one is going to beat him in a seven game series. When we beat them when I was with Orlando he had just got back from baseball but, umm... a healthy Michael Jordan without baseball? I can't see any team ever beating him in a seven game series. -- Horace Grant

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GxRbP5RpXAA&list=PLHPQVKwNe_UAF-Vuksl_9Kxl_iPFY0Ixl&index=138&t=15m44s

MJ is 1-9 boi :lol

[GimmeThat]

Phil Jackson shrinking Kukoc into 2.6 FTA per game with 5.7 assists was the real reason. and it was as if they totally erased the whole Pete Meyers experience.

I'm guessing if you re-watch the tape, perimeter players to the left and right of Jordan didn't switch sides often enough, in order to help big men to reposition.

not many teams could turn high assist/to ratio, into the inability to provide help defense in a timely manner. But Jordan playing baseball somehow did the trick.