Chicago Bulls - Indiana Pacers | 1998 Playoffs | ECF Game 7: "Last Dance" continues
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- Опубликовано: 30 окт 2007
- The Chicago Bulls, given chance after chance by the Indiana Pacers, will have a chance at their third straight NBA title.
The two-time defending champions, playing their first Game Seven in four years, overcame surprisingly poor shooting by Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen with timely offensive rebounding in an 88-83 victory that vaulted the Bulls into the NBA Finals against the Utah Jazz.
"We definitely got the effort from our players, but the difference in the game was that we got beat to loose balls and on the boards," Pacers coach Larry Bird said. "We've talked about offenssive boards all year. Tonight we were just overmatched. The number of offensive rebounds they got ripped our hearts out."
Even with league rebound leader Dennis Rodman limited to six boards, the Bulls held a 50-34 edge on the glass. Pippen pulled down 12 and Jordan and Luc Longley grabbed nine apiece. Pippen and Jordan combined for 11 offensive rebounds.
"Rebounding is a huge part of our offense," Phil Jackson said. "One of the reasons we do well in that area is we have a lot of people around the boards. We have a sense of just being there when the shots are going up."
The Bulls had more to lose and it showed in the early going. Everyone appeared tentative, including Jordan, who was playing in his first Game Seven in six years. Chicago quickly fell behind as Indiana calmly executed its offense.
Jordan's follow shot 91 seconds into the game gave Chicago a 5-4 lead, but Indiana scored the next 10 points. Smits and Dale Davis had four apiece and a turnaround jumper by Davis extended the lead to 14-5 with 7:45 remaining.
Even after a timeout, the Bulls continued to struggle and the Pacers, who made their first eight shots, widened the advantage to 20-7 on a free throw by Jackson with 5:41 left, silencing the sellout crowd at the United Center.
Rose's free throw opened the second quarter before the Bulls finally snapped out of it and got back in the game with their defense, rebounding and bench. Kukoc scored and Jordan had a pair of baskets around a three-pointer by Kerr to forge a 28-28 tie.
"We were able to win this game with defense and that's been a keynote for us throughout our championship runs," Jordan said. "I give our bench a lot of credit. Kerr gave us some huge minutes."
The Bulls widened a three-point halftime lead to 69-61 behind Kukoc, who was 5-of-5 in the third quarter, including a trio of three-pointers. But Chicago went scoreless over the final 2:17 of the period, as Dale Davis made free throws around a layup by Game Six hero Travis Best to cut the deficit to 69-65.
"Kukoc is the guy tonight who really stepped up big for us," Jackson said. "Without his contribution and Steve Kerr's open looks off the bench, we don't stay in this game."
Jordan ended Chicago's 10-shot dry spell of 6:44 with a follow shot with 7:53 remaining. Smits made a free throw before Jordan drove for a dunk and drew a foul with 7:28 to go. His free throw gave the Bulls the lead, but Smits converted a three-point play and Antonio Davis made a foul shot before the game's telling sequence.
McKey stripped Jordan on a drive and a jump ball between the 7-4 Smits and 6-5 Jordan was called. Smits tipped the ball straight to Pippen, who found Kerr for a three-pointer that tied it at 77-77 with 6:07 left.
Antonio Davis made a banker, but Jordan tied it with two foul shots and Pippen made a jumper after his offensive rebound to give the Bulls the lead for good at 81-79 with 4:45 remaining. A jumper by Longley - his only basket of the game - moved the margin to four points with 3:25 left.
Indiana's Reggie Miller scored 22 points, but none over the last 15:30. He attempted just one shot in the fourth quarter -- an airball that Antonio Davis converted into the Pacers' only hoop off an offensive rebound with 2:05 left, cutting the deficit to 85-83.
After Miller's miss, Pippen beat him down the floor and threw in a running hook as Davis fouled out. Pippen missed the free throws, but Jordan rebounded, killing valuable time.
Indiana's Derrick McKey forced a three-pointer and Harper was fouled with 8.9 seconds left, making a free throw to seal the seventh win of the series by the home team.
"This series and this game was a test of our will to determine if we're still championship caliber," Bulls coach Phil Jackson said. "We were able to answer that in a positive way tonight."
The Bulls held the Pacers scoreless over the final 2:05 and reached the Finals for the sixth time in eight years. They have never lost in the championship round and begin a rematch with the Jazz on Wednesday night in Salt Lake City.
"Not having home court is going to definitely be to Utah's advantage," Jordan said. "But nobody has taken anything away from us yet. We're still the champions and that's how we're going to think when we go into this series." 
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Jordan has so many fundamentals it's hard to believe.
He 's been everything in his career: scorer, rebounder, defender, shot blocker, playmaker, mid range shooter, 3 pts shooter, low post player, leader.
No weaknesses, this man is not human.
This was what you called "Grown Ass Man Basketball". Those were the days!!
Kdot Mart I agree. This was as good as it gets...
No
This was such a underrated classic series, the Finals made so many people forget this is one of those lost classics just great pure basketball by two teams who really know how to play
The intensity of this series is better than most I have seen in the last few years
This was REAL NBA basketball!
yes, yes,
***** me too, me too. I used to watch these games with my grandfather. It gave me great pride to see a man, like Michael Jordan, achieve what he wanted. That's why you should never give up, what you want out of life.
In the 90's old people like you use to say the same shit, how the NBA in the 70's and 80's was better. LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Kobe Bryant, Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, Tony Parker, Tim Duncan and all these star players of today work just as hard as players back in the days. You are just one of those men that's getting low on testosterone and since your loosing confidence in yourself you do what every old hag does when feeling useless, insult the young generation of today. FUCKYOU YOU GRUMPY OLD SHIT.
ha ha ha! :-) Well, God Bless you Adrian Pena. . . .I don't think being 20+ years old is that old, but I'll gladly take that criticism. :-) All I can say is. . . . research the ratings and know America tuned up and watched the FINALS more than the Finals in the 2010s and any DECADE in the NBA History. The rules today makes the game less physical, you can't even talk trash to the officials. #cmonman
Adrian Peña Adrian I just want to say something to u bro, Ur right man! I totally agree with u bro, I'm 28, and I never insult any era, it's all the same, u make a good point, in the 90s, people said the 70s is real NBA, and real NHL, and real NFL,, Ur right lots of people get older and grumpy, not me, I think in fact NBA is harder today, but I def think the 90s did have more super stars then today, and Ur right older people keep comparing times, and saying, stupid stuff, I know alot of people my age that say these teens these days are all punks and have sex!
Well u know what I tell those people My age??it was like that in the 90s to!, I remember in grade 5, kids in my class would make out at party's, and foreplay, and date, don't listen to anyone who says 90s is different then today, obviously somethings is different
Like fashion, electronics, ect..
But all sports were the same, dating was the same, girls were bitches and hoe's like today, and guys loved to fuck just like guys today, it's all the same man, so i def see Ur point, older people do act grouchy
Despite MJ's poor shooting, this might be one of my favorite MJ games ever. Even though his shot wasn't falling, he didn't let it affect other parts of his game like most other players do. His rebounding was something to behold this game, and so was watching him trust his teammates (pass to Luc for that critical jumper, for ex). More than anything, this game just shows his sheer force of will, something few players in the history of the game can match, if any.
100% true… and it’s one of the reasons that makes him the goat
People don’t realize that he can go 0/30 and his team will always put the ball in his hands and run the offense through him because he has their absolute total trust from hundreds of games when he’s hitting. If he passes you the ball in a clutch possession it’s an honor to you as a teammate. That is what being THE goat means.
@@Lee-df3ye i agree 100%… i still go back sometimes to watch his games
Me too man, me too!
"NBA was so intense back then, no bullshit fouls, no pussy rules, just straight up men playing their heart out. Today it's just a media driven circus for kids with short attention span."
For threeeee...
*Swish*
Spot on!
Astutely put my friend 🍺
I remember watching every second of this game. MJ and the bulls refused to give up. So great to be a bulls fan back then... NBA on NBC was great 90's ball the best!
yeah..and not just bcoz of the bulls but bcoz nba was playing real basketball.. not like today's drama queens and KingFlop
Kdog 81 I totally I agree with you I remember this game
I did, too. My best friend, ex-girlfriend, and I all went to my friend's house in Farmington Hills, MI for her 25th birthday party and we had this game on. Good times.
The MENTALITY lebron doesnt have.. " Never say die" no drama pire winning mentality..
Yea I remember watching this series. I was pissed when Scottie gave Mark Jackson enough space to make that three. Mike made this series so good to watch, his finesse with the fadeaway and inside game was so good!
In this game, Indy shot 48% to Bulls' 38% from the field. Chicago shot only 59% from the free-throw line. Rodman played 22 minutes but only had 6 rebounds. MJ just kept hitting the boards and going to the line. The Bulls had 26 second chance points off of 22 offensive rebounds. And Pippen made a few crucial plays down the stretch that weren't shown here. It was truly the epitome of teamwork and perseverance.
Perfectly well said. That was an excellent way that you broke that down. It was a ugly game on their part, but they still won.
And this is what separates the greats from the greatest. You find ways to win when the stat sheet says there is no chance you could have won. Not many can do this. Shoot over 10% less from the field. Shoot less than 60% from the free throw line. Their best rebounder only got 6 rebounds. They trailed by 18 freaking points. Yet they still find a way to win. How?
Michael Jordan. That's how.
It was Kukoc
@@marcusbiller867 Yeap, Toni had more efficience stats than Reggie and Reggie was Pacers leader.
Jordan was close to a triple double he was passing assists and having trust in his team mates and kukoc had almost as many points as jordan and Kerr hit 3 threes. Also pippen had decent amount of points but also 12 boards.
I'll never forget this game because I was in Chicago at Wrigley Field for the first time during the game. The entire city was on edge scared to death that the Bulls might lose. Somebody in left field had a makeshift scoreboard up for the basketball game and the place went nuts when the score went final. BTW,the Cubs beat the Braves that night and we all went to the Cubby Bear and got drunk. Such a fun night.
As a Chicagoan, Cubs fan, and Wrigleyville resident, all I can say is...great fucking story!And Go Cubs!!
Lolll yeah even as a kid I remember the emotion of that night!
must've been a rollercoaster of emotions haha. I remember this night watching on a school night.
This is probably the most “Chicago” comment on RUclips
Damn cool man!🍻
basketball was not only more physical back then, but it was such much more of a mental battle. hats off to the golden age.
Jordan's rebound at 8:45 absolutely blew my mind. He had no business getting that, and if you watch replay closely he wasn't being really dirty or anything.
Trent Diamanti It's called wanting to win at all costs. And doin whatever it takes!
That's why he is the GOAT.. He will do everything to win. He will outrebound 2 7 footers if he has to, to win..
That's why he's the goat 🐐
@@arvincas0823 the nuthugging is crazy
He was actually being held, too. But he broke free. Pa cers were dirty
Don't forget about Toni Kukoc! His 3rd quarter offense also ignited the bulls morale. "Kukoc has been on fire...& STAYS THAT WAY!" -Bob
this is pure grown man basketball...scores rarely went into the 90s or 100s....electifying from start to finish...
There is no player who has ever given as much energy, on both ends of the floor, as Jordan. Period.
Imagine saying this when Kobe existed
@King Savage Jordan led the league in scoring and was the defensive player of the year. Nobody else has come close to doing that.
@@highlybaked8417 I say this 6 years ago. Kobe was still playing. Jordan was a better offensive player and a better defensive player than Kobe.
@King Savage So you call DWade, Bosh, Ray Allen, Kevin Love, Kyrie, JR Smith bum teams? The Bulls really on had one star player other than Jordan, and that was PIppen. You are obviously too young and immature to know what you are talking about.
@@RatedRex1 Jordan was def better but in terms of working hard Kobe was on his level or even above it
When Jordan grabbed that last rebound and the game was in it's final seconds Larry Bird just shook his head as if to say "we fought hard but but jordan is to good"
MJ" I NEVER MAKE PROMISES TO MY WIFE BUT WE WILL WIN GAME 7" #GOATTALK
I remember that press interview 👍
Just look at that effort on both ends of the floor. MJ and Scottie played like this the entire series.
Jordan is 35 yrs old out there dominating like that, And just giving it everything he has. Legs are gone from a tough and grueling season.
But like he said OUR HEART'S AREN'T TIRED! That's why he's The G.O.A.T
The fact that the Pacers were veterans and past their prime, but yet got to the Eastern finals was impressive on their behalf as well.
Bulls fan here btw.
goodbadbill Mullin and Jackson were. But Miller and Smits were in their prime still and Dale Davis just entered his prime.
I mean no offense but MJ and Scottie *needed* to play like this the entire series in order to get past this Pacers team. The Bulls were running on fumes and the Pacers were a great team--not as great as the Bulls, but not too far away either. I'm in the "Jordan & Co. could have won at least one more in 98-99" camp, especially given the shortened season and the additional time to rest and recover, but the Pacers series in 98 is one of those data points that makes me pause and wonder.
I read Larry Bird's book years ago and he gave a very emotional speech before the game, with much of the emphasis on being the only team who would truly stop a championship level Michael Jordan, it was a speech that left several of the Indiana Pacers players openly crying, and at that point Larry was worried about his teams chances to live up to the moment. To Bird, the key play of the game, with Indiana up 3, was the jump ball where Smits tipped the ball to Pippen and it ended in a Steve Kerr 3-point shot, that was the moment he knew they lost the ball game according to Bird.
People don't give Kukoc enough credit. He often contributed in the games that mattered. Like Jordan he really wanted to win and when he was motivated he hit 3 pointers like they were free throws.
Oh he was getting his credit, I know it wasn't clear but Phil chose to sit Dennis and play Toni because of his offense! You notice in this highlight you don't see Dennis, that because Phil didn't need Dennis as much as he needed Toni and Toni delivered!
Kukoc had a phenomenal game on offense, but he was a liability on the defensive end. I still remember Phil having this huge dilemma on whether to give Kukoc or Rodman more minutes. The +/- tells the story in this game... Kukoc was -4 and Rodman was +13.
Jordan splitting that defense @ 3:24 is so beautiful.
Amazing memories!! I remember being so nervous and losing my mind during this game! The Bulls are a team for the ages!!
Hugo Flores lol!!!...me too
This is amazing. Just the way Michael played will never be duplicated. He is the greatest
Ah the times were EC is watchable. Bulls, Knicks, Pacers, Magic, Hawks and Heat. it's a battle come playoff between this teams.
Michael Jordan FINALLY knocked Larry Bird out of the playoffs!
Bird as head coach, though.
Yeah this is true. No way Jordan was gonna do it in the 80s. Those Celtics teams had like 4 HOFs
@MANCHESTER UNITED F.C Go away.
@@RogueBlackOp ...They weren't Hall of Famers at the time.
@@RogueBlackOp Just like Jordan played teams that had no hall of famers
Steve Kerr = Sniper
TOTALLY!!! GROWING UP, I PATTERNED MY 3 POINT SHOT AFTER KERR. NOT SAYING I WAS A SNIPER, I JUST LOVED THE WAY HE SHOT IT
Klutch Kerr
I always liked MJ's postgame interviews.
Yep, and you could tell how exhausted he was.
Always credited the supporting players.
Thee best.
Kobe mastered Mj's interview style as well!
Toni's style of play would have thrive very well in today's game.
I get goosebumps watching those old bulls games. Just bring back memories
A friend and I were depending on this series in order to drive from New York (upstate) to Chicago to party with our favorite team for the championship (which was tough to watch as well) but this game was the most scary of them all because it felt like they may lose. On top of that we had a severe thunderstorm that knocked power out and produced a tornado (Mechanicville,NY) that is super rare, so I missed half the game but luckily it came back on for the finish. Everything was riding on this game as we didn't tell our parents we were going. Only being 19 it was a great adventure and the Jazz series was scary as well. One of 3 road trips that year we all did. Great memories. He died in 2003. Sorry, now I'm just rambling to myself :-) Great game though.
catsnake7 sorry for your loss those were the days man 90's was the best decade
+catsnake7 Heartfelt Condolences & Deepest PRAYERS To You & Amazing Family Circle. Game 7 of 1998 Eastern Conference Finals IS Epic We Just Knew This Series Was Going To Go The Distance Look At Amazing+EARNest & honorable TEAM Head Coaches Larry "the Legend" Bird Vs. Zen Master Phil Jackson, Mark Jackson Vs. Scottie Pippen, Reggie Miller Vs. Michael J. Jordan, Steve Kerr & Toni Kukoc Vs. Travis Best, Dennis "the Worm" Rodman Vs. A. McKey, Amazing Center from Down Under Australia...Luc Longley (Longley Express) Vs. Rick Smits At Center. On This Amazing Starting Line Up You Have 9 Of The Greatest Of ALL Time Shooting Guard, Point Guard, Small Forward, Power Forward, & Centers of The 1990's. Your Chicago Bulls of the 1990's Are UnstoppaBULLS, UnforgettaBULLS, UnbelieveaBULLS. Always "WALK By FAITH...& not by Sight".--2 Corinthians: 5-7 +Bill Winston Ministries & Partners. Always "WITH GOD ALL Things ARE MADE POSSIBLE".--Mark --10:27-- In Jesus Name... Amen. Thanks Be to GOD fOR ALL BLESSINGS, Amazing FAMILY CIRCLE, Good Health & Wellness Always,GOD BLESS Always. To GOD Be the Glory..:-) ;-)
Watching again many Bull's matches, i still believe that Scottie Pippen is one of the most underrated players of all time. For me , one of the very best ,in the History of the sport.
Man this is nostalgic! Remember these games as a teenager watching them with my dad. These games were physical and great to watch. It wasn’t a 3 point competition the whole game
Same here. I enjoy this game much more than most of his high scoring outbursts, mainly because you can tell that he played his heart out while running on fumes.
This was a memorable, but somewhat underrated series. It was sort of a miracle that the Bulls got past the Pacers in this series. This was a great video, but if you watch the full game, the Pacers had the momentum and it looked like they were going to win. However, MJ changed his approach to his game around the late third quarter and the Bulls were able to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat. Miller was on-fire through this series, and Bird's leadership elevated the team to a championship-caliber team. I believe this was the Bulls toughest series during their championship reign. Far tougher then the Knicks, whom the Bulls seemed to blowout in games 6 & 7's....
who*
wait, if the bulls were leading 46-42 close to halftime, how on earth is it that the pacers were up most of the game...
I don't know who defines the great platoff series, but I remember this series very well. First, the Pacers is one of only two teams who took the Bulls to a series of 7 games in the championship years (the 1st team was the Knicks in 92).
Second, this was the first year Larry Bird coached Indiana and he brought them to conf. finals. (and by the way, led them in 99 to the conf. final again and in 2000, to NBA finals).
There were few coaches in the NBA who could compete with Phil Jackson brain, and Larry was one of them.
Basketball fans are too busy in comparing the greatest players, keep in mind that every team has a coach.
That's true about Bird. He also imparted a winning attitude into the Pacers, and got them to believe they could beat the Bulls. He cast an intangible, but large shado over that series, as it wasn't just the Pacers the Bulls were competing against but Larry Bird. Larry was one of those rare "Great" players who was also a "Great" coach. Usually, when the player is super-talented, they have a hard time relating with players who don't have huge superstar talent and skills. Think of Magic Johnson when he coached the Lakers for a little while. Larry aptitude and orientation toward's basketball translated well from player to coach. He was already sort of a coach, while still playing with the Celtics and was a strong leader on their team. A lot of those Celtics player went on to have succesful careers after their b-ball careers ended.
yup.. i watched the whole series. and for once.. i lost faith.. i was like. damn. they were going to lose, even when they were up at the half. they were like down most of the game and most of their points was off rebounds and hustle and hard grind. they haded to work for every points. but some way some how.. the Bull end up winning it... i'll never forget this series....
MJ was dead tired after this series. The combination of going against a tough Pacers team, providing offense and defense for the Bulls, running around chasing Reggie really drained him. Even Scottie felt it after this series. Hard fought round by both teams that could've gone either way.
0 points for reggie in the 4th
And I believe that was the deciding factor. Jordan shut down Miller.
Epic playoff series.
this is my first time watching a 1990's game and this is way more intense and fascinating to watch than today's era of basketball
I remember me and my family all sat in the living and watched this game. The house was so tense. This was the closest these Bulls were to being eliminated. My dad and I both predicted this would so 7. Great times
Exactly. I can't believe how underrated his rebounding truly is. Remember his clutch rebound in Game 1 of the 1997 Finals, when Malone missed his second ft in a row. Jordan grabbed it, called a timeout and hit the game winner on the last possession.
And his rebound off his own free throw miss in the flu game....then making that 3.
Best game ever. So much clutch energy and plays 🏆
This was the best game 7 I have ever seen. You can also see the how physical the game was back then. I miss those days.
This game was the absolute embodiment of Michael Jordan's will to win. At 35 years old, fatigued to the limit, physically drained, he found a way to lead his team to victory. This game was nothing to do with talent. He crashed the boards, found the open man, and took the ball relentlessly to the basket late in the fourth. He simply refused to lose. Watching this, it reminds me of the author David Halberstam's description of the late '90's Jordan: the invincible man.
Hell of a series. Glad Game 7 was played at the UC!
watchin this gives me goosebumps..this is so much more exciting than watching NBA nowadays
This was a really nerve-wracking series, but Game 7 was just scary lol. I remember thinking for the first time that it could've really gone either way. Drama like this just can't be manufactured, though they try their best these days to do that. I miss those days.
Mamma mia Toni!!!!!!! What a player...
By the way, this is one of the very best games by Michael, backed into a corner by this great Pacers team...this is the performance of a champ at his most furious anger, I've never seen something like this from Steph, Lebron or another alleged all star form nowadays. No disrespect to no one, but there was and there will always be just one GOAT
I agree 100. Jordan will always be the goat
Amen.
DAMN MJ went hard that game 9 boards 28 pts. and the supporting cast stepped the hell up. Kerr and Kukoc really were crucial in this game, if not for them, bulls don't advance.
The way Michael uses his body is amazing. He obviously isn't as athletic as vintage MJ, but his BBall IQ is off the charts.
Just had to thank the guy that put this up. This was a wonderful series you made for one of the last truly great NBA playoff series. I remember watching this as a kid, and watching it now I appreciate what happened so much more. I loved MJ, but I also loved Reggie for his 3 point prowess and his key for the moment. As a kid I pulled for MJ, but watching them now just makes me appreciate what kind of players both of these guys were, along with guys like Scottie Pippen, so much more. Fantastic.
Real basketball, real players, real entertainment and real game.
MJ the best player ever and Chicago Bulls the best team ever. Thank you guys all moments with you in the 90's.
This is a heartbreaking clip. From Indianapolis here, lifelong Pacers fan. The 1998 Pacers was the best team we've ever had by a mile, overshadowed by a 72-10 Bulls. The Bulls only lost one home game all year (to Indiana), and Indiana was the only team to beat the Bulls twice in the regluar season, 2 of their 10 losses. Winning three more games in this series, and even being up with six minutes to go on the road against Jordan, the 1998 Pacers were incredible. We beat Chicago 5 times this year!!
Woow nice to know it. Thanks for sharing sr.
Ive watched this as a kid. GOAT at work
At 8:08, MJ was running in for a dunk and didn't flinch one bit. If that was LeBron, I bet you he would flop and act like he got hurt! Let's be real here, this was REAL NBA BASTETBALL!
djkmanv10 Lebron would've folded up like a chair at a family barbecue
Remember that’s a 35 year old MJ
Nope if you know lebron's game, he would drive left and lay it up with his left hand
@dachicagoan lmfao oh my had me thinking of Halo 2 like 15 yrs ago!
Bitch please, this is NOT real NBA Basketball. And LeBron would easily out play if he was there.
90s bulls is the best team ever assembled any sport including yankees old Celtics with no competition old Lakers.. people also forget if Jordan wouldn't have retired there was possibly a chance at 8 straight in that era with all of those hall of famers and competition
Magic was only 32 still near his prime MJ just a couple of years younger.. people need to stop acting like the Lakers and pistons was old doing Jordans first 3 Peat but no one talks about Jordan being 35-36 doing 2nd 3peat..
Thanks for uploading this. The game seemed more fluid and athletic in 98. Both teams had great role players.
Well, they say that you must rebound to win, and this was clearly an example of that
My god, never thought the offensive rebounds would be that lopsided
That was probably the toughest series for the Bulls in their 90's dynasty
Battle of wills, that's something we don't see much in today's NBA
I loved this era so much, it just flowed so much better without so many fouls. It made driving to the basket more entertaining cause you had to play through actual contact to score.
@ 8:09 MJ got hit and the other guy fell .. So damn strong ..
Indiana had 19 points 6 minutes into the game. Thus, the Pacers scored only 64 points in the last 3 1/2 quarters against the Bulls suffocating defense. The number of points Reggie Miller scored in the 4th quarter- ZERO! Steve Kerr had 11 points including three 3-pointers, and Toni Kukoc had a huge game with 21 points in 33 minutes on 7-11 from the field, 3-4 on 3-point FG's, and 4-5 Free Throws. Kukoc was the X factor during the second Bulls 3-peat. The Bulls outrebounded the Pacers in this game 50-34 including an incredible 22 to 4 on the offensive glass. Pippen had 6 offensive boards and Jordan had 5.
Kukoc always came in clutch
I was 20 years old yet at the time of that fantastic series, but the Pacers have always been my favorite. I was on the edge of my seat watching that entire series, even though the Pacers lost, they fought them the mighty Bulls to the wire. If they had to lose, I was glad it was to them! That was beyond greatness! And it's on film!!!!!!!!
Michael doesn't credit himself but his key bench players for the win. That's what a team leader does.
There is no "I" in team.
William Hurley but there is an “i” in win!
@@dmkcustomcomputers7628 haha true!
William Hurley
but there is a me
There is an I in win
- the goat
From a Miller fan
Mike don't make no promises to his wife but promises a game 7 win
These 2 teams were tough as Fuck
I don't even bother to watch these days.
They so macho they'd make covid stay home.
Daaaamn I remember this series awesome ! I was hoping the lakers would have met the mighty bulls that year but the Utah jazz sweep the powerful laker team of 1998 great basketball overall !
8:45 tells the Jordan story.
One of the most exciting series that Chicago has been in.
Man, I remember watching this game FEELING that the Pacers were going to pull off the monumental upset and stop the Bulls' dynasty in it's tracks. The Bulls just did all the little things that champions sometimes have to do to prevail!
drlee2 you mean blow the refs for calls? Yeah totally, those "little things" sure helped.
Mitt Mittens Don't get me wrong, I was rooting for the Pacers. And believe me if I thought the refs were giving the Bulls the benefit, I'd say so. I honestly think that back then, players were just allowed to play and a lot more physical contact. The Bulls put bodies on you. The Pacers had their chances though and just didn't convert down the stretch.
drlee2 90s was the downfall of the NBA.
Mitt Mittens ? Check stats again.
Rok Jaklič More offense but less defense. And I already checked the stats.
In 1998 no disrespect to the Utah Jazz but these two teams were the best in the NBA that year. Whomever won this series would be champions
Yeah 100% agree with this
The East was really tough in the 90s and 80s
Thanks SO much for posting this-this was fun to relive!
This is how exciting and the real battle of the nba back in the day 💪🏻 wow!!!
I remember this series so well, great respect to the Pacers, I think they gave the Bulls the hardest playoff battle during the whole course of the second three-peat. That game 7 was a brilliant team effort by the Bulls, Kukoc came up huge in the 3rd quarter, Kerr hit some big shots, everybody contributed greatly.
I remember this being the best playoff series I've ever seen. It's a shame Reggie Miller never got a championship, but that's the breaks when you have to go through Jordan to get to the championship.
This is the greatest to ever play running on fumes but doing everything he can to pull out the win.
No one can compare to MJ, period.
One of the best series I ever watched.
9:08 You can tell Jordan was extremely exhausted. One last dance indeed
kerr such a winner, cant believe he used to hit shots like this... that 3 to tie
michael and the rest of this bulls team will never forget this pacers team(best pacers team ever), even if the general public has long forgotten them, michael and scottie know this was their toughest battle.
I remember watching this game. It was, by far, the most nerve-racking game I ever watched as a Bulls fan. Although MJ and Pip struggled (shooting wise), the rest of the team really stepped up to deliver this key win.
You can tell mj is was just so strong. I don't wanna here the LeBron bigger faster stronger stuff. Yes lebron is bigger. But in jordan's prime he was very fast. And I haven't seen anything that tells me he's stronger then jordan
preach.....the lebron hype is suffocating and pathological......
The young MJ was one of the fastest players in the league, insane speed with the ball. MJ also had better balance and elasticity in his muscles. But that's the difference between a guy who is 6'5" and played between 195-215lbs vs a 6'8" 250 to 270lb forward.
My god you're ignorant
Rabsel Yoehnam don't tell me. Another lebron fan boy... on a Chicago Bulls video. .smh
What I can't be a Lebron fan and appreciate MJ at the same time? MJ as of right now is the greatest ever, no question, but he was not nearly as strong as Lebron. Something about Lebron being 275 pounds and at 6'9" with that explosiveness? He's a freak. Now don't get me wrong, part of why Michael was so dominant was because he put in more work in the weight room than 90% of the nba back then, and is without doubt one of the most physically imposing guards ever.
Bird was thinking to himself, can I go in and win this game myself?
Bird was dope as Fuck till he blew his back out working a driveway in the off-season.
A prime bird vs a prime Jordan woulda made magic disappear.
That MacDonald commercial of them was legit
Great interview at the end. Real thought out answers.
Revisiting this after the "Last Dance" docu-series aired. Can't wait to see what they show from THIS game. Especially when Jordan guarded Miller in the 4th.
Kukoc and Kerr saved the Bulls in Game 7
The whole squad did.
Also jude buechler came to help with his 3 triple
Tell that to Skip Bayless 😂
the Pacers were always a tough match
Daaaaaamn I remember this game like it was yesterday I was shaking and my hands were sweating like Hell... I almost thought that the Pacers were gonna win this series... I mean this Pacers team really scared the shit out of me 😣😣🥶
I was Grade four during this game, and i cut classes just to watch this game. i watched that game when u have to turn your antenna every now and then because of bad reception. we live from Carcar , Cebu Philippines- it is a mountain area , yet just fortunate to watch because my father made another antennas just For RPN 9 channel (NBA On NBC). We have 2 antennas that time..so Crazy we used that other antenna every bulls game. That bulls time was very unexplainable, the charisma of Michael Jordan is simply unmatched.
Damn what a game!!! You guys see how many rebounds Jordan has here??? He fought for everything!!
Lets give the same love to his mentee
Listen to that crowd.. when stevie kerr hit that 3 .. YYYYYYYYYYYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH Haha I love it! My dad always talked about old chicago stadium and even when it turned to the UC back in the 90's how loud it used to get!
I think the "Yeah" from the crowd was more emphasized with the Scottie Pippen 2-pointer after Kerr's 3-pointer. Both shots had awesome fan reaction though.
Before those shots go in they always screamed THREEEEE!!! Lol 😂 that's 90's basketball 👍🏻
Damn, 5 offensive boards from Jordan in a must-win game. He could beat you in myriad ways, as was mentioned. Bird had a great quote after this series iirc; he said something like "that's why Jordan is the best player in the game; his shot was off, but down the stretch he got to the line, got big rebounds, and made all the right passes." So true.
what a gorgeous jumpshot steve kerr had.... does anyone have the press conference afterward where larry bird goes "the referees sucked in this series"????
jaboo82681 yes... the bulls put scottie pippen on mark jackson, and he got physical with him the same way he did Magic in 91... Bird thought scottie should have fouled out of every game... and yes, i even remembering laughing out loud myself at the press conference comments afterward
jaboo82681 Hehe. I dont think he said just his teammates were sissies, he said something like "we played like sissies", that was including himself.
You're rewriting history brother. Everything you say about Kukoc is valid on the offensive end. The man couldn't guard anybody though. If you could breakdown how much his man scored, his stats are a lot less impressive. Plus, he didn't create his own offence, or command double teams. He had to be fed, and to his credit made a ton of big shots when the ball swung his way. However, if MJ and Scottie didn't draw so much attention then run the triangle, Kukoc would not have been nearly as effective. Toni wasn't very strong, got abused on the low post, blown past by quick guards, and had zero chance against the rebounders of his era. For a 7 footer, even as a guard, he wasn't a great shot blocker. He could never score enough to offset his defensive liability. Still one of my favourite players, let's just keep it real.
7:27 michael can really jump but smith is 7 footer...lol...bulls won that jumpball
Bro~ These were tough games and Jordan and the Bulls still pulled it off. That is greatness!
Back when I loved basketball. Who didn't love the 90's bulls.
That cheer at 8:54 made me remember just how big this game actually was. Scariest game of my life. Toughest series of JOrdan's career IMO.
thanks for sharing this. such a great series. Jordan's Bulls were the best ever
Probably one of the best NBA playoffs series I've ever seen
man nothing beats the tenacity of the 90s bulls
Was watching this on a Sunday night, in my dorm common area, in college. I honestly thought if the Bulls didn't control the jump ball at 7:28 they would've lost. Who's to say, but in a tightly contested game like this, every possession counted.
God I miss those days. The nba teams now don't even come close to this legendary excellence.
1980- 2004 end of an era ,the real NBA..
Jordan was an old man at 35. Anyone else playing at this level at that page you would call him overachieving. But Jordan was simply the best. And I'm a Pacers fan. This series will forever be one of the most memorable series ever for me.
Pippen hit two clutch shots in this game. Kerr hit a huge three, while MJ relentlessly drove the paint to get fouls. True champions. This was a great Bulls Dynasty