The late Moses Malone had a stellar 6 seasons with the Houston Rockets from 1976 to 1982. Two of his three Most Valuable Player awards were won while he was with the franchise from Houston. Big Mo was known for his hulking presence on both ends of the floor. He played a pivotal role in several playoffs for Houston, including the team’s run in the 1981 playoffs.
Defense leads to wins
After eliminating the Los Angeles Lakers in the first round, the Rockets had to hurdle the San Antonio Spurs in the Western Conference semifinals. Houston took the first game with Malone leading the way.
He finished with 27 points and 10 rebounds to lead the Rockets to a 107-98 Game 1 win over the Spurs. In the post-game interview, the three-time MVP singled out how their defense was pivotal in getting that victory.
“‘The key to winning is a solid defense and we must control the tempo of the game,” the 12-time All-Star said at the time via the New York Times .
However, the Rockets could have not pulled off that first game win had it not been for the efforts of Calvin Murphy and Robert Reid. Murphy did his part in the second quarter when he unloaded 15 points. Conversely, Reid delivered the critical shot near the end of the game to secure the win for Houston. Murphy, coming off the bench, chipped in 21 points, 6 assists and 4 rebounds for the Rockets. Reid finished 14 points and 6 assists.