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Top 15 Super Bowl Sunday Performances In NBA History

By Phil Watson

Feb 6, 2016; Santa Clara, CA, USA; General view of the Blue Angels during a fly over at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 6, 2016; Santa Clara, CA, USA; General view of the Blue Angels during a fly over at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports /
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LANDOVER, MD - CIRCA 1974: Rudy Tomjanovich #45 of the Houston Rockets shoots over Elvin Hayes #11 of the Washington Bullets during an NBA basketball game circa 1974 at the Capital Centre in Landover, Maryland. Tomjanovich played for the Rockets from 1970-81. (Photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Rudy Tomjanovich; Elvin Hayes
LANDOVER, MD – CIRCA 1974: Rudy Tomjanovich #45 of the Houston Rockets shoots over Elvin Hayes #11 of the Washington Bullets during an NBA basketball game circa 1974 at the Capital Centre in Landover, Maryland. Tomjanovich played for the Rockets from 1970-81. (Photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Rudy Tomjanovich; Elvin Hayes /

13. Rudy Tomjanovich, Houston Rockets at Buffalo Braves, Jan. 13, 1974

The Houston Rockets had lost five straight games, including an 18-point drubbing at Buffalo Memorial Auditorium on Friday night, when they and the Buffalo Braves crossed the border for a second engagement two days later at Toronto’s Maple Leaf Gardens.

The Rockets, however, arrived in Toronto and got a day to rest. The Braves had played the previous night at Landover, Md., picking up their seventh straight win in a 97-96 decision over the Capital Bullets, and the game in Toronto would be their third game in three days in three different cities.

Rest proved the key. The Rockets blasted out to a 61-53 halftime lead and were up 94-78 heading into the final quarter. Buffalo rallied a bit to make the final score a more respectable 121-112, but the loss pushed the Braves back to .500 at 23-23 while the Rockets improved to 15-32.

Rudy Tomjanovich, who would go to his first All-Star Game in Seattle two days later, led Houston with a career-high 42 points, including a 10-for-13 performance at the foul line.

It was the first of five All-Star seasons for Tomjanovich, who posted a career-high scoring average of 24.5 points per game to go with nine rebounds, 3.1 assists and 1.1 steals a night in 1973-74.

In Super Bowl VIII at Rice Stadium in Houston, MVP Larry Csonka helped the Miami Dolphins to their second straight championship in a 24-7 win over the Minnesota Vikings.

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