It was feared at the time that the Rockets would follow the same fate as the city's National Football League (NFL) club at the time, the Houston Oilers; the Oilers blew a 32-point lead during a January 3, 1993 NFL playoff game versus the Buffalo Bills; the Bills won the game 41–38 in overtime.
[1] Led by Hakeem Olajuwon, who was named the MVP and Defensive Player of the Year,[2] the Rockets won a franchise-record 58 games.
[3][7] In a midseason trade with Portland, the Rockets obtained guard Clyde Drexler, a former teammate of Olajuwon at the University of Houston,[8] in exchange for Otis Thorpe.
The name Clutch City was also associated with the Houston Aeros and their triumphant march to the Calder Cup Finals – the biggest stage in AHL hockey.
The Houston Rockets used the brand name Clutch Gaming for their League of Legends Championship Series team.
[14] NFL on CBS announcer Ian Eagle also referenced the nickname, after the Houston Texans defeated the Buffalo Bills during the 2024 season by a game-winning 59-yard field goal by kicker Kaʻimi Fairbairn.