2) 1995 West Quarterfinals vs. Houston Rockets
For me, personally, this is the series that stands out above all else. A squandered opportunity of epic proportions.
The 1994-95 team may have been the deepest squad in Jazz franchise history. They ran 10-deep that year; Tom Chambers, a four-time All-Star who was four years removed from being a 20-point scorer was like their No. 9 guy. Stockton-to-Malone was running in full force and, finally, Utah’s dynamic duo had help.
As a result, the team won 60 games that season and secured home-court advantage in Round 1 against the Houston Rockets. Under most scenarios, a date with the defending champions would feel like a dicey proposition, but the Jazz were seemingly the better team.
After Utah went up 2-1, the Rockets were able to send things back to Salt Lake City for a decisive Game 5. Even then, though, it felt like the Jazz should pull it out. They had one of the best home-court advantages in the league and the Jazz were a team on the rise. And, for most of the game, everything was going according to script.
Utah was up seven heading into the fourth quarter; they held that same advantage with less than six minutes left to go in the contest. Then it happened.
BENOIT FOR THREE!
Multiple times over, David Benoit attempted (and missed) ill-advised, long-range jumpers while the Jazz’s big guns were left to twiddle their thumbs. Meanwhile, the Rockets got hot, outscoring the Jazz 20-9 to close out the game. Once the clock read 0:00, Houston had somehow won the game 95-91 despite a 35-point night from the Mailman.
Just like that, the Jazz had squandered their best shot to capture a title while MJ was still rediscovering himself after a year of minor league baseball. Afterword, the Rockets went on to repeat as champions.