Stats: Olajuwon 30 points, 9 rebounds; Barkley 21 points, 14 rebounds, 10 assists—a playoff triple-double; Pippen 19 points, 7 rebounds, 6 assists, including the game-clinching basket in the final moments.
For the Trail Blazers, Rasheed Wallace put up 26 points and Stoudamire dished out 11 assists, but their offensive decisions faltered in crunch time.
After the game, commentator Kevin Harlan delivered that classic summary to the camera:
"You can always trust the value of a superstar's experience in a crucial game. Olajuwon scored 30 points, Barkley recorded a triple-double, and Pippen hit the game-winning shot—this is what superstar pedigree means."
Marv Albert picked up the thread. "The Trail Blazers' young players are talented, but Game 5 doesn't belong to talent. It belongs to experience, composure, and heart. Tonight, Houston's Big Three showed everyone what it means when players who have been to the Finals are simply different."
Bill Walton nodded. "That's why the Houston Rockets could be inconsistent during the regular season yet grow steadier with every step in the playoffs. When your team has two superstar champions and a legendary small forward who has played in six Finals, you never panic in the clutch."
Harlan added with a smile, "Barkley said before the game that he hated Game 7s. Now he got his wish—they have a chance to end the series in Portland. Meanwhile, the Lakers and the San Antonio Spurs will have to play at least one more game."
The camera cut back to the studio, where the three commentators exchanged glances.
"The Western Conference is getting deeper and deeper."
May 16, Chicago.
Outside the United Center, tens of thousands of fans in red Bulls jerseys flooded the streets. They held up "GO BULLS" signs, their faces painted with the team logo, as if the city were already