Watch The Last Dance, a 10-part documentary series on Michael Jordan and the 1997-98 Chicago Bulls on Netflix via your Sky Q box from April 20
Sunday 19 April 2020 08:48, UK
The Chicago Bulls dominated the 1990s with six NBA championships in eight seasons. Relive their greatest Finals moments.
1991 NBA Finals, Chicago Bulls 4-1 Los Angeles Lakers
The 1991 NBA Finals matchup between the Bulls and the Lakers was billed as a confrontation between two of the game's most charismatic figures, Michael Jordan and Magic Johnson; however, the drama never unfolded.
Los Angeles, winners five championships in the 1980s, started the series as favourite and won the first game on a last-second three-pointer by Sam Perkins, but then Chicago ran through the Lakers in four straight contests.
Jordan scored 30 points and handed out 10 assists in a 108-101 Game 5 victory, which clinched the first NBA championship in the Bulls' 25-year history.
The title capped a memorable season for Jordan. He was voted the league's Most Valuable Player for the second time, won his fifth consecutive scoring title, reached the 15,000-point plateau, and was named to the All-NBA First Team and to the NBA All-Defensive First Team. He was also voted MVP of the Finals.
1992 NBA Finals, Chicago Bulls 4-2 Portland Trail Blazers
Chicago faced a high-powered Portland team in the 1992 Finals, with Jordan intent on establishing dominance over his opposite number Clyde Drexler.
After the Bulls notched a Game 1 victory at home, the Blazers gave the defending champions a jolt by stealing Game 2 at Chicago Stadium. But Chicago managed to win two of three contests in Portland, bringing the series back home with a one-game lead after five.
When the Blazers took a 15-point fourth-quarter lead in Game 6, a seventh game seemed assured. The Bulls' bench turned the game around, however, igniting a 14-2 run at the start of the final period as Chicago logged the biggest fourth-quarter comeback in Finals history. The Bulls won the game, 97-93, becoming only the fourth NBA franchise to win back-to-back titles.
Jordan eclipsed his regular-season average of 31.2 points per game by averaging 35.8 points per game in the six contests against Portland. He repeated as MVP for both the regular season and the Finals, becoming the first player since the Boston Celtics' Larry Bird to take both honours in successive years.
1993 NBA Finals, Chicago Bulls 4-2 Phoenix Suns
After rallying from a two-game deficit to beat the New York Knicks in the Eastern Conference Finals, Charles Barkley and the Suns were waiting for the Bulls in the Finals.
Chicago hoped to make short work of the series after stunning the Suns with two victories in Phoenix, but Barkley carried his team to two improbable wins in Chicago, sending the series back to Phoenix for Game 6.
The Suns took control of the contest in the fourth quarter and seemed on their way to forcing a decisive Game 7, but then the Bulls' John Paxson provided one of the greatest moments in Finals history. With Chicago trailing, 98-96, Paxson hit a dramatic three-pointer with 3.9 seconds remaining, giving the Bulls a 99-98 victory and their third straight NBA title.
Jordan averaged 41.0 points against the Suns to break Rick Barry's previous record for the highest scoring average in a Finals series. He was named Finals MVP for the third straight year. With the victory, the Bulls became the first NBA team in 27 seasons to win three consecutive championships.
1996 NBA Finals, Chicago Bulls 4-2 Seattle Supersonics
After hearing for an entire offseason that he wasn't quite the same player as he had been when he abruptly retired in 1993, Jordan was driven to lead the Bulls to their fourth title in six years. That much was clear in the regular season as Jordan, Pippen and the newly-acquired Dennis Rodman powered Chicago to a then-NBA record 72-10 campaign.
While the spotlight was trained extensively on the superstar trio, the Bulls were also recognised for the accomplishments of their supporting cast. Toni Kukoc was named Sixth Man of the Year while Phil Jackson was awarded the Coach of the Year.
In the Eastern Conference playoffs, the Bulls went 11-1 (falling only to the Knicks in Game 3 of the East semis) and returned to the Finals for the first time since 1993. There they met the Seattle Supersonics who, despite showing resilience in winning Games 4 and 5 on their home court, could not stop the rampant Bulls.
Chicago's storybook season ended with it winning the franchise's fourth championship in six seasons in an easy Game 6 victory as the Bulls returned to the top of the NBA.
1997 NBA Finals, Chicago Bulls 4-2 Utah Jazz
After their record-breaking 1995-96 season, what would the Chicago Bulls do for an encore? How about 69 regular-season wins and a fifth NBA championship in seven seasons?
In the Finals, Jordan took centre-stage once again. He won Game 1 with a buzzer-beater, then posted 38 points, 13 rebounds and nine assists to give the Bulls a 2-0 series lead.
After the Jazz won twice at home to tie the series at 2-2, Jordan added another epic to his legacy; playing through heavy flu-like symptoms, Jordan poured in 38 points, including a three-pointer in the final minute to give the Bulls a 90-88 win in Game 5.
He added 39 more points in the Game 6 clincher and fed Steve Kerr for the game-winning shot with only five seconds to play. For the fifth time in five championship seasons, Jordan was named the NBA Finals MVP.
1998 NBA Finals, Chicago Bulls 4-2 Utah Jazz
Karl Malone, John Stockton and the Jazz were the opponents once more as the Bulls sought to complete a second 'three-peat' of the decade in the 1998 Finals.
After the Jazz defended their home court in Game 1, the Bulls managed to steal Game 2, 93-88. Back in Chicago, the Bulls turned up the heat on defense and posted a 96-54 rout in Game 3. They then won a close Game 4 to close within one win of another championship.
The Jazz, however, were not ready to bow out gracefully. Led by a game-high 39 points by Malone the Jazz came away with an 88-86 win in Game 5, as a last-second shot by Jordan missed its mark.
Game 6, back in Salt Lake City, was one of Jordan's finest performances. With Pippen severely limited by back pain, it was on Jordan's shoulders to deliver another title. He responded with a 45-point performance and a title-winning sequence of plays in the final minute of the game.
With the Bulls trailing by three points with 40 seconds remaining, Jordan scored at the rim to reduce the deficit to one, then stole possession from Malone and buried a series-winning jumper with 5.2 seconds remaining. Chicago beat Utah 87-86 to seal a 4-2 series win and Jordan added his sixth Finals MVP trophy to his list of accomplishments.
