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Mario Elie’s ‘Kiss Of Death’ That Sunk The Phoenix Suns
Today is three-time Champion and defensive stud Mario Elie’s birthday. Time to throw it back to his best and most famous moment of his career. During Game 7 of the 1995 Western Conference Semifinals between the Houston Rockets and Phoenix Suns, Houston’s Mario Elie sank a three-pointer from the corner with 7.1 seconds left in the game, lifting the Rockets to a 115-114 win over Phoenix. Following the shot, Elie infamously blew a kiss in the direction of the Suns bench, which was later dubbed the “Kiss of Death”.
It is the most memorable shot in Rockets history. With the win, the Rockets became the first NBA team in 13 years to overcome a 3-1 deficit to win a best-of-7 playoff series.