Nothing in the Western Conference Finals had prepared the Los Angeles Lakers for what Ralph Sampson did in the final heartbeat of Game 5. With Houston needing one more win advance to their second NBA FInals, Sampson received a pass near the lane, turned in a heartbeat, and heaved a prayer over Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, one of the most decorated shot-blockers the game has ever produced, as the final buzzer sounded. The ball went through. The Forum went silent. Sampson's buzzer beater not only sent the Houston Rockets to the NBA Finals, but stands as the first series-winning buzzer beater in NBA history, and produced one of the most stunning images in the sport's history: a player tall enough to look Kareem in the eye, cashing a prayer over him at the worst possible moment for Los Angeles. The twin-tower frontline Sampson shared with Hakeem Olajuwon had made the mid-80s Rockets one of the most feared front lines in the league, and this was the moment that proved it was built for more than regular-season highlight reels. His performance across that series announced that Houston had arrived. · May 21, 1986