The most heartbreaking losses in the history of Houston sports

OILERS COLLAPSE IN BUFFALO

It ain’t over ’til it’s ... oh please, it should have been over when the Oilers opened up a 32-point, third-quarter lead in the 1992 playoff game only to lose in overtime.

GAME 6 OF THE 1986 NLCS

With unhittable Mike Scott waiting to start Game 7, the Astros blew a 3-0 lead in the ninth inning of a heartbreaking 16-inning

loss in Game 6.

PHI SLAMA JAMA UPSET

Lorenzo Charles ruined the 1983 Phi Slama Jama frat party with a last-second dunk in one of the biggest upsets in NCAA Tournament history.

GAME 4 OF THE 2015 ALDS

The Astros had a 6-2 lead and were six outs away from eliminating the Kansas City Royals and moving on to the ALCS. Instead, they give up seven runs in the final two innings and were forced to travel to Kansas City for Game 5 where they lost to the eventual World Series champions.

GAME 5 OF THE 1980 NLCS

The Astros had a 5-2 lead over the Phillies in the eighth inning of Game 5 with Nolan Ryan on the mound and their first trip to the World Series around the corner. The lead didn’t hold and it took only 25 years to turn that corner.

ENDING OF THE 1981 NLDS

After building a 2-0 lead with thrilling last-at-bat wins in the Astrodome, the Astros went to Chavez Ravine and scored only two runs combined in three straight losses to the Dodgers.

GAME 6 OF THE 1997 WESTERN CONFERENCE FINALS

Houston blew a 10-point lead in the final minutes, losing on a John Stockton 35-foot trey at the buzzer. Charles Barkley is still trying to close out on that shot.

1979 AFC CHAMPIONSHIP

There was no replay rule in those days, but yes, Mike Renfro was inbounds and it should have been a TD catch. If replay existed, the Oilers just might have kicked down the door against the Steelers that year.

1979 COTTON BOWL

Some dude named Joe Montana had the flu and was battling hypothermia in weather with a minus-7 wind chill, but led Notre Dame past UH for a 35-34 win from a 34-12 hole with seven minutes left.

GAME 5 OF THE 2005 NLCS

Minute Maid Park was rocking and the Astros were one out away from their first World Series when Cardinals star Albert Pujols crushed a Brad Lidge offering well over the train tracks at Minute Maid Park for a stunning three-run homer in Game 5 of the NLCS. The Astros, however, recovered to win Game 6 and make their first World Series.

CHOKE CITY

The Rockets blew a 20-point fourth-quarter lead against Phoenix at the Summit in 1994, leading to the Chronicle’s famous “Choke City” headline. The Rockets, however, embraced that headline and turned it into “Clutch City” and consecutive NBA championships from 1994-95.

1977 EASTERN CONFERENCE FINALS

The Rockets were robbed of a basket and a winner-take-all Game 7 by a dreadful charge call on a collision between John Lucas and the 76ers’ Doug Collins in the final minute of Game 6.