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1994–95 Orlando Magic season

NBA professional basketball team season

Sunshine Network (lost to Rockets 0–4)

The 1994–95 Orlando Magic season was the sixth season for the Orlando Magic in the National Basketball Association. After building through the NBA draft in the previous years, the Magic made themselves even stronger by signing free agents Horace Grant, who won three NBA championships with the Chicago Bulls from 1991 to 1993, and Brian Shaw during the off-season.

The Magic got off to a fast start by winning 22 of their first 27 games of the regular season, and then later on holding a 37–10 record at the All-Star break. Despite losing seven of their final eleven games in April, the Magic won the Atlantic Division title with a 57–25 record, earning the first seed in the Eastern Conference, and qualifying for their second NBA playoff appearance; they also finished with a 39–2 home record at the Orlando Arena, which was tied for second-best in NBA history.

Shaquille O'Neal continued to dominate the NBA by averaging 29.3 points, 11.4 rebounds and 2.4 blocks per game, and was named to the All-NBA Second Team, while second-year star Penny Hardaway averaged 20.9 points, 7.2 assists and 1.7 steals per game, and was named to the All-NBA First Team, and Grant provided the team with 12.8 points and 9.7 rebounds per game, and was named to the NBA All-Defensive Second Team. In addition, Nick Anderson contributed 15.8 points and 1.6 steals per game, and led the Magic with 179 three-point field goals, while three-point specialist Dennis Scott played a sixth man role off the bench, averaging 12.9 points per game and contributing 150 three-point field goals, and Donald Royal provided with 9.1 points and 4.0 rebounds per game as the team's starting small forward. Also off the bench, Shaw contributed 6.4 points and 5.2 assists per game, while Anthony Bowie contributed 5.5 points per game, and Anthony Avent averaged 3.6 points and 4.1 rebounds per game.

During the NBA All-Star weekend at the America West Arena in Phoenix, Arizona, O'Neal and Hardaway were both selected for the 1995 NBA All-Star Game, as members of the Eastern Conference All-Star team, while head coach Brian Hill was selected to coach the Eastern Conference; it was Hardaway's first ever All-Star appearance. Meanwhile, Anderson participated in the NBA Three-Point Shootout. O'Neal also finished in second place in Most Valuable Player voting, behind David Robinson of the San Antonio Spurs, while Hardaway finished in tenth place, and Scott finished in fifth place in Sixth Man of the Year voting.

In the Eastern Conference First Round of the 1995 NBA playoffs, the Magic faced off against the 8th–seeded Boston Celtics, a team that featured All-Star forward Dominique Wilkins, second-year star Dino Radja, and Dee Brown. The Magic defeated the Celtics in Game 1 at the Orlando Arena by a 47-point margin win, 124–77; however, the Magic then lost Game 2 at home to the Celtics, 99–92, to even the series at 1–1. The Magic won the next two games over the Celtics at the Boston Garden, including a Game 4 road win over the Celtics, 95–92, thus winning the series in four games; Game 4 would be the final basketball game ever played at the Garden. Coincidentally, O'Neal would play his final game in Boston sixteen years later with the 2010–11 Boston Celtics, before retiring from the NBA at the age of 39.

In the Eastern Conference Semi-finals, the Magic faced off against the 5th–seeded Chicago Bulls, who were led by All-Star guard Michael Jordan, All-Star forward Scottie Pippen, and second-year star Toni Kukoč. The Bulls were on an emotional high as Jordan had just come out of his retirement, and returned from his baseball career to play basketball; Jordan was now wearing number 45 for the Bulls, as his number 23 jersey was retired.

The Magic won Game 1 at the Orlando Arena, 94–91, which featured Anderson stealing the ball from Jordan during the fourth quarter. Tensions rose when Anderson indicated that Jordan was no longer the same player; Anderson was quoted by the media saying, "No. 45 doesn't explode like No. 23 used to. No. 23, he could just blow by you. He took off like a space shuttle. No. 45, he revs up, but he really doesn't take off." The comment motivated Jordan to return to number 23, as the Bulls evened the series with a 104–94 road win in Game 2. With the series tied at two games a piece, the Magic won Game 5 at home, 103–95. The Magic then defeated the Bulls in Game 6 at the United Center, 108–102, thus winning the series in six games to advance to their first Conference Finals appearance.

In the Eastern Conference Finals, the Magic then faced off against the 2nd–seeded, and Central Division champion Indiana Pacers, who were led by All-Star guard Reggie Miller, Rik Smits and Mark Jackson. The home team won every game in the series, as the Magic won Game 7 over the Pacers at the Orlando Arena, 105–81 to win in a hard-fought seven-game series, and reach the NBA Finals for the first time in franchise history.

In the 1995 NBA Finals, the Magic faced off against the 6th–seeded, and defending NBA champion Houston Rockets, a team that featured All-Star center Hakeem Olajuwon, All-Star guard Clyde Drexler, and Robert Horry; O'Neal would be up against Olajuwon in a battle of All-Star centers. In Game 1 at the Orlando Arena, Anderson missed four consecutive free throws with the Magic up by three points at the waning seconds of the game, and the Rockets tied the game at the buzzer; the Rockets went on to win the game in overtime, 120–118. The Magic were unable to recover from their Game 1 loss, as the team lost Game 2 at home, 117–106, and then lost the next two games to the Rockets on the road, including a Game 4 loss at The Summit, 113–101, thus losing the series in a four-game sweep.

The Magic finished 15th in the NBA in home-game attendance, with an attendance of 656,410 at the Orlando Arena during the regular season. Following the season, Avent was traded to the Vancouver Grizzlies expansion team, and Tree Rollins retired. For the season, the Magic added new blue pinstripe road uniforms, while the black pinstripe jerseys became their alternate; both uniforms would remain in use until 1998.

The Magic would not reach the NBA Finals again until 2009.

Draft picks

Main article: 1994 NBA draft

Round	Pick	Player	Position	Nationality	College / Team
1	27	Brooks Thompson	PG	United States	Oklahoma State
2	31	Rodney Dent	C	United States	Kentucky

Roster

Brian Hill
Richie Adubato
Tom Sterner
Tree Rollins (player-coach) | access-date = April 8, 1995

Regular season

Season standings

Game log

Regular season

Playoffs

3–1
- align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc"
1
May 7, 1995
Chicago
W 94–91
Shaquille O'Neal (26)
Shaquille O'Neal (12)
Hardaway, Shaw (6)
Orlando Arena
16,010
1–0
- align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc"
2
May 10, 1995
Chicago
L 94–104
Shaquille O'Neal (25)
Horace Grant (15)
Penny Hardaway (7)
Orlando Arena
16,010
1–1
- align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc"
3
May 12, 1995
@ Chicago
W 110–101
Shaquille O'Neal (28)
Horace Grant (14)
Penny Hardaway (8)
United Center
24,281
2–1
- align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc"
4
May 14, 1995
@ Chicago
L 95–106
Horace Grant (21)
Horace Grant (13)
Shaquille O'Neal (9)
United Center
24,358
2–2
- align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc"
5
May 16, 1995
Chicago
W 103–95
Horace Grant (24)
Shaquille O'Neal (22)
Penny Hardaway (11)
Orlando Arena
16,010
3–2
- align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc"
6
May 18, 1995
@ Chicago
W 108–102
Shaquille O'Neal (27)
Shaquille O'Neal (13)
Penny Hardaway (7)
United Center
24,322
4–2
-
- align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc"
1
May 23, 1995
8:00p.m. EDT
Indiana
W 105–101
O'Neal (32)
Grant (12)
Hardaway (14)
Orlando Arena
16,010
1–0
- align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc"
2
May 25, 1995
8:00p.m. EDT
Indiana
W 119–114
O'Neal (39)
Grant (12)
Hardaway (15)
Orlando Arena
16,010
2–0
- align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc"
3
May 27, 1995
3:30p.m. EDT
@ Indiana
L 100–105
Hardaway (29)
Turner (7)
Grant, Hardaway, O'Neal (4)
Market Square Arena
16,477
2–1
- align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc"
4
May 29, 1995
3:30p.m. EDT
@ Indiana
L 93–94
Hardaway (26)
Grant (12)
Shaw (5)
Market Square Arena
16,477
2–2
- align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc"
5
May 31, 1995
9:00p.m. EDT
Indiana
W 108–106
O'Neal (35)
O'Neal (13)
Hardaway (8)
Orlando Arena
16,010
3–2
- align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc"
6
June 2, 1995
9:00p.m. EDT
@ Indiana
L 96–123
O'Neal (26)
Grant (9)
Anderson (5)
Market Square Arena
16,477
3–3
- align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc"
7
June 4, 1995
7:00p.m. EDT
Indiana
W 105–81
O'Neal (25)
O'Neal (11)
Anderson (7)
Orlando Arena
16,010
4–3
-
- align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc"
1
June 7, 1995
9:00p.m. EDT
Houston
L 118–120 (OT)
Hardaway, O'Neal (26)
Grant, O'Neal (16)
O'Neal (9)
Orlando Arena
16,010
0–1
- align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc"
2
June 9, 1995
9:00p.m. EDT
Houston
L 106–117
O'Neal (33)
O'Neal (12)
Hardaway (8)
Orlando Arena
16,010
0–2
- align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc"
3
June 11, 1995
7:30p.m. EDT
@ Houston
L 103–106
O'Neal (28)
Anderson, Grant, O'Neal (10)
Hardaway (14)
The Summit
16,611
0–3
- align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc"
4
June 14, 1995
9:00p.m. EDT
@ Houston
L 101–113
Hardaway, O'Neal (25)
Grant, O'Neal (12)
Hardaway (5)
The Summit
16,611
0–4
-

Player statistics

Regular season

POS	GP	GS	MP	REB	AST	STL	BLK	PTS	MPG	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	PPG
C	79	79	2,923	901	214	73	192	2,315	37.0	11.4	2.7	.9	2.4	29.3
PG	78	9	1,836	241	406	73	18	502	23.5	3.1	5.2	.9	.2	6.4
PG	77	77	2,901	336	551	130	26	1,613	37.7	4.4	7.2	1.7	.3	20.9
SG	77	4	1,261	139	159	47	21	427	16.4	1.8	2.1	.6	.3	5.5
SG	76	76	2,588	335	314	125	22	1,200	34.1	4.4	4.1	1.6	.3	15.8
PF	74	74	2,693	715	173	76	88	948	36.4	9.7	2.3	1.0	1.2	12.8
PF	71	3	1,066	293	41	28	50	258	15.0	4.1	.6	.4	.7	3.6
SF	70	68	1,841	279	198	45	16	635	26.3	4.0	2.8	.6	.2	9.1
SF	62	10	1,499	146	131	45	14	802	24.2	2.4	2.1	.7	.2	12.9
C	51	3	478	95	9	7	36	61	9.4	1.9	.2	.1	.7	1.2
PF	49	5	576	97	38	12	3	199	11.8	2.0	.8	.2	.1	4.1
PG	38	2	246	23	43	10	2	116	6.5	.6	1.1	.3	.1	3.1
PG	3	0	8	1	3	1	0	10	2.7	.3	1.0	.3	.0	3.3
C	3	0	7	3	0	0	0	1	2.3	1.0	.0	.0	.0	.3
C	1	0	7	2	1	0	0	4	7.0	2.0	1.0	.0	.0	4.0

Playoffs

POS	GP	GS	MP	REB	AST	STL	BLK	PTS	MPG	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	PPG
PF	21	21	869	219	39	21	24	287	41.4	10.4	1.9	1.0	1.1	13.7
PG	21	21	849	79	162	40	15	412	40.4	3.8	7.7	1.9	.7	19.6
SG	21	21	814	100	65	33	10	298	38.8	4.8	3.1	1.6	.5	14.2
C	21	21	805	250	70	18	40	539	38.3	11.9	3.3	.9	1.9	25.7
SF	21	15	746	63	45	22	5	308	35.5	3.0	2.1	1.0	.2	14.7
PG	21	0	355	62	66	11	4	138	16.9	3.0	3.1	.5	.2	6.6
SF	18	6	198	19	9	3	0	37	11.0	1.1	.5	.2	.0	2.1
PF	18	0	179	25	11	4	3	49	9.9	1.4	.6	.2	.2	2.7
SG	17	0	118	12	18	1	1	55	6.9	.7	1.1	.1	.1	3.2
C	14	0	81	6	0	0	6	7	5.8	.4	.0	.0	.4	.5
PF	7	0	40	8	0	0	1	9	5.7	1.1	.0	.0	.1	1.3
PG	3	0	11	2	3	0	1	12	3.7	.7	1.0	.0	.3	4.0

Awards and honors

Shaquille O'Neal – All-NBA 2nd team, Scoring Champion, All-Star
Penny Hardaway – All-NBA 1st Team, All-Star
Horace Grant – All-Defensive 2nd Team
Brian Hill – All-Star East Head Coach

Transactions

Trades

July 29, [1994](1994-95-nba-season)	To Orlando Magic1996 second-round pick
1998 first-round pick	To Washington BulletsScott Skiles
1996 first-round pick
1998 first-round pick

Free agents

Additions	Player	Date signed
Horace Grant	September 19	Chicago Bulls
Brian Shaw	September 22	Miami Heat
Greg Grant	October 7	Pittsburgh Piranhas (CBA)
Tree Rollins	October 31	Houston Rockets
Darrell Armstrong	April 8	Ourense (Spain)

Subtractions	Player	Date signed
Litterial Green	July 1	Quad City Thunder (CBA)
Greg Kite	November 3	New York Knicks
Keith Tower	November 17	Atenas Córdoba (Argentina)
Greg Grant	November 28	Mexico Aztecas (CBA)

Player Transactions Citation:

References

Orlando Magic on Basketball Reference

References

[https://www.basketball-reference.com/teams/ORL/1995.html 1994-95 Orlando Magic]
(July 30, 1994). "PRO BASKETBALL; Grant Leaves the Bulls to Help Solidify Magic". The New York Times.
Cooper, Barry. (September 20, 1994). "Wish Granted - Take 2". Orlando Sentinel.
Landman, Brian. (September 20, 1994). "Grant Finally Member of Magic". Tampa Bay Times.
(September 23, 1994). "SPORTS PEOPLE: BASKETBALL; Magic Signs Another Free Agent in Shaw". The New York Times.
Cooper, Barry. (September 23, 1994). "Shaw Signs with Magic". Orlando Sentinel.
(November 4, 1994). "Eastern Conference". The Washington Post.
"NBA Games Played on February 9, 1995". Basketball-Reference.
"1994–95 Orlando Magic Schedule and Results". Basketball-Reference.
[http://www.sportsecyclopedia.com/nba/orlando/magic.html Orlando Magic (1989-Present)]
"1994–95 Orlando Magic Roster and Stats". Basketball-Reference.
Cotton, Anthony. (February 12, 1995). "New-Age NBA Reaches for the Stars". The Washington Post.
(September 13, 2021). "1995 NBA All-Star Recap". NBA.com.
"1995 NBA All-Star Game: West 139, East 112". Basketball-Reference.
(February 11, 1995). "Basketball". The Tuscaloosa News.
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Howard-Cooper, Scott. (May 24, 1995). "It's a Slam Dunk: Robinson Wins MVP: Pro Basketball: Spurs' Center Receives 73 First-Place Votes to 12 for Magic's O'Neal". Los Angeles Times.
"1994–95 NBA Awards Voting". Basketball-Reference.
(May 9, 1995). "NBA Sixth Man Voting". The Albany Herald.
(April 29, 1995). "1995 N.B.A. PLAYOFFS; Magic Buries a Bad Memory and Celtics". The New York Times.
Winderman, Ira. (April 29, 1995). "Celtics Are No Match; Magic Rolls to 47-Point Victory". Sun Sentinel.
Landman, Brian. (April 29, 1995). "Win 1 Is Magic Mauling". Tampa Bay Times.
(May 1, 1995). "PRO BASKETBALL; Celtics Bounce Back and Head Home Even". The New York Times.
(May 1, 1995). "NBA PLAYOFFS: Celtics Dispel Magic, Now Come Ghosts". Los Angeles Times.
(May 1, 1995). "Celtics Mystify Magic". Deseret News.
(May 6, 1995). "1995 N.B.A. PLAYOFFS; Grant and Magic Wrap Up Garden's Parquet". The New York Times.
(May 6, 1995). "Magic Finishes Off Celtics and the Garden: NBA Playoffs: Orlando Holds On for 95-92 Victory, Setting Up East Semifinal Against Chicago". Los Angeles Times.
"1995 NBA Eastern Conference First Round: Celtics vs. Magic". Basketball-Reference.
Berkow, Ira. (March 19, 1995). "PRO BASKETBALL; The Jordan Show Is Returning to the Air Today". The New York Times.
Heisler, Mark. (March 19, 1995). "Air Jordan's Return Flight Home: "I'm Back": Sports: Fans Cheer as Chicago Bulls Announce End to Superstar's Retirement. Nike, Other Stocks Rose in What Was Dubbed "$2-Billion Rumor"". Los Angeles Times.
Aldridge, David. (March 19, 1995). ""I'm Back"". The Washington Post.
Wise, Mike. (May 8, 1995). "1995 N.B.A. PLAYOFFS; Jordan Lets Game Slip from His Hands". The New York Times.
Justice, Richard. (May 8, 1995). "Jordan Lets One Get Away: NBA Playoffs: He Loses the Ball to Set Up Grant's Dunk in 94-91 Defeat by Magic". Los Angeles Times.
Wise, Mike. (May 11, 1995). "1995 N.B.A PLAYOFFS; Bulls Change the Numbers That Matter". The New York Times.
Heisler, Mark. (May 11, 1995). "Look, Up in the Sky, It's No. 23 Getting Even With Magic: NBA Playoffs: Jordan Changes Uniforms and Scores 38 Points to Lead Bulls to 104-94 Victory". Los Angeles Times.
Justice, Richard. (May 12, 1995). "Numbers Cruncher: Jordan, Bulls Fined". The Washington Post.
Wise, Mike. (May 18, 1995). "1995 N.B.A. PLAYOFFS; Orlando's Grant Is Giving His Former Teammates Fits". The New York Times.
Heisler, Mark. (May 17, 1995). "NBA PLAYOFFS: It's Double and Nothing for Bulls: Pro Basketball: Strategy of Ganging Up on O'Neal Backfires Again, as Grant Scores 24 to Lead Magic Past His Old Team, 103-95, for a 3-2 Lead in Eastern Semifinal". Los Angeles Times.
Wise, Mike. (May 19, 1995). "1995 N.B.A. PLAYOFFS; Bulls Burst in the Air as Magic Moves On". The New York Times.
Heisler, Mark. (May 19, 1995). "NBA PLAYOFFS: Orlando Walking on Air: Eastern Conference: Magic Scores Last 14 Points to Eliminate Bulls, 108-102. Flu-Bitten Jordan Can't Rally Team". Los Angeles Times.
"1995 NBA Eastern Conference Semifinals: Bulls vs. Magic". Basketball-Reference.
Wise, Mike. (June 5, 1995). "1995 N.B.A. PLAYOFFS; Do You Believe in the Magic? The Indiana Pacers Do". The New York Times.
Adande, J.A.. (June 5, 1995). "Magic Walks Over Pacers, Reaches the Final Step". The Washington Post.
"1995 NBA Eastern Conference Finals: Pacers vs. Magic". Basketball-Reference.
Brown, Clifton. (June 8, 1995). "1995 N.B.A. PLAYOFFS; Foul-Shot Follies Are Opening Act for Rocket Heroes". The New York Times.
Howard-Cooper, Scott. (June 8, 1995). "NBA FINALS: Magic Is Nicked in Close Shave: Game 1: Anderson Misses Four Crucial Free Throws, and Olajuwon Gives Rockets a 120-118 Overtime Victory After They Trailed by 20". Los Angeles Times.
Schmitz, Brian. (June 8, 1995). "Rockets Have Answer for Magic's Slogan". Orlando Sentinel.
Brown, Clifton. (June 15, 1995). "1995 N.B.A. PLAYOFFS; Rockets Sweep to 2d Straight Championship". The New York Times.
Howard-Cooper, Scott. (June 15, 1995). "NBA FINALS: Two-Ring Circus Hits Houston: Pro Basketball: Olajuwon (who else?) Is MVP Again After Leading Rockets to Sweep of Magic". Los Angeles Times.
"1995 NBA Finals: Rockets vs. Magic". Basketball-Reference.
"1994–95 NBA Season Summary". Basketball-Reference.
Romano, John. (November 2, 1995). "Grizzlies Deal for Magic's Avent". Tampa Bay Times.
(November 2, 1995). "Basketball Briefs". Deseret News.
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