Kevin Johnson

Epitomizing consistency by following Game Three’s 38-point, 12-assist masterpiece with identical statistics — and the same efficiency, no less — in Game Four, Kevin Johnson presented himself as the poster of how an All-Star remains steady and unwavering in the postseason. As impressive as it was, the NBA’s historic highlight reels might argue that the on-court poster he put forth on the league’s 1994 Most Valuable Player was of the even-superior type. Ultra-aggressive in his approach with the Phoenix Suns plotting a double-digit comeback attempt in the final two-and-a-half minutes, Johnson, seconds removed from misfiring on a 3-pointer, gives Kenny Smith zero time to recalibrate, immediately pushing the issue with a left-baseline drive. Finding Hakeem Olajuwon, the game’s then-Defensive Player of the Year, awaiting him for a high-profile airborne clash, Johnson adjusts, then elevates higher, detonating on the future Hall of Famer for an emphatic, all-time great contact flush. The Houston Rockets would, though, return the favor with back-to-back wins on the Suns’ home floor, highlighted by a Game Four victory on May 15, 1994. Marking his territory as one of the NBA’s premier point guards nonetheless, Johnson erupted for 38 points (on 15-of-31 shooting), four rebounds, 12 assists, and two 3-pointers.

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