8. The Cavs picked the right guy to foul toward the end of Game 5.
Bullets forward Elvin Hayes averaged at least 19.7 points in each of his first seven NBA seasons and was named one of the top 50 players in league history in 1997. But while hardly the Wilt Chamberlain or Shaquille O’Neal of his era, he was only a 62.8-percent shooter from the free-throw line that season. With the Cavs down 91-90 in the closing seconds, Hayes gave them life by clanging a pair of attempts. Smith hoisted up an airball, but Cleamons grabbed the offensive rebound and laid the ball in just before the buzzer to give the Cavs a 3-2 series lead.
After losing Game 6 in overtime, the Cavs came back home and eked out an 87-85 victory on Snyder’s running bank shot with four seconds to go.
Next: Game 7 marked the end of K.C. Jones’ time as coach of the Bullets.
