1971 O'Donnell did not officiate in the championship series. O'Donnell retired in December 1995 following the end of a lockout of NBA referees by Commissioner David Stern. Overall, as of 2019, Houston's teams in the "Big Four" major professional sports are 6–1 over their New York City counterparts in terms of playoff series. The Rockets, in addition to their 1994 triumph, also defeated the Knicks in the 1975 Eastern Conference First Round. The NFL's Houston Oilers (now Tennessee Titans) followed with a victory over the New York Jets in the 1991 AFC wild card round, and the Houston Astros later prevailed over the New York Yankees in three MLB postseason series during the 2010s (2015 ALWC, 2017 ALCS, 2019 ALCS) The only time a New York-based team prevailed over Houston was in the 1986 NLCS, when the New York Mets won over the then-NL member Astros. See also 1993–94 New York Knicks season 1993–94 Houston Rockets season 1994 NBA Playoffs 1994 Stanley Cup Finals References National Basketball Association Finals Finals NBA NBA NBA Finals NBA Finals NBA Finals Basketball competitions in New York City Basketball competitions in Houston NBA Finals GMA Network television specials 1990s in Manhattan