1992 NBA Finals
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| Dates: | June 3 - 14 | |||||||||
| MVP: | Michael Jordan (Chicago Bulls) |
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| Television: | NBC (U.S.) | |||||||||
| Announcers: | Marv Albert, Mike Fratello, and Magic Johnson | |||||||||
| Referees: | ||||||||||
| Game 1: Jake O'Donnell, Hue Hollins, Dick Bavetta | ||||||||||
| Game 2: Hugh Evans, Jess Kersey, Paul Mihalik | ||||||||||
| Game 3: Ed T. Rush, Mike Mathis, Bill Oakes | ||||||||||
| Game 4: Darell Garretson, Joe Crawford, Dick Bavetta | ||||||||||
| Game 5: Jake O'Donnell, Jess Kersey, Hue Hollins | ||||||||||
| Game 6: Hugh Evans, Ed T. Rush, Mike Mathis | ||||||||||
| Hall of Famers: | Clyde Drexler (2004) Michael Jordan (2009) Scottie Pippen (2010) Coaches: Phil Jackson (2007) Tex Winter (2011) |
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| Eastern Finals: | Bulls defeat Cavaliers, 4-2 | |||||||||
| Western Finals: | Trail Blazers defeat Jazz, 4-2 | |||||||||
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The 1992 NBA Finals was the championship round of the 1991–92 NBA season. The Chicago Bulls of the Eastern Conference took on the Portland Trail Blazers of the Western Conference for the title, with Chicago having home court advantage, as they had the best record in the NBA.
The two teams appeared headed to face each other for most of the season and comparisons were made between Clyde Drexler and Michael Jordan throughout the season. A month earlier Sports Illustrated had even listed Drexler as Jordan's "No. 1 rival" on a cover the two appeared on together before the playoffs. The media, hoping to recreate a Magic Johnson-Larry Bird type rivalry in Jordan-Drexler, compared the two throughout the pre-Finals hype.
The Bulls would go on to win the series in six games. Michael Jordan was named Finals Most Valuable Player for the second year in a row, to go with his sixth straight regular season scoring titles.
NBC Sports used commentator Ahmad Rashad (both teams' sidelines).
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[edit] Background
[edit] Chicago Bulls
Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls continued their dominance in the 1991-92 season, finishing with a 67-15 record. Jordan won his second consecutive MVP award with a 30.1/6.4/6.1 season. After a physical seven game series over the emerging New York Knicks in the second round and finishing off the Cleveland Cavaliers in the Conference Finals, the Bulls advanced to defend their title, and with their co-tenants at Chicago Stadium, the Blackhawks, coached by Mike Keenan and captained by Dirk Graham, playing in the Stanley Cup Finals, this marked the only time that both the Bulls and the Blackhawks reached their respective league's finals in the same year.
[edit] Portland Trail Blazers
In the 1991-92 campaign, the Blazers repeated as Pacific champions. They steamrolled through the Western Conference playoffs en route to the epic showdown with the Bulls. The 1992 NBA Finals would cement the reputations of both Michael Jordan and Clyde Drexler (placing the latter firmly in the former's shadow).
[edit] How They Got Here
| Portland Trail Blazers (Western Conference Champion) | Chicago Bulls (Eastern Conference Champion) | ||
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| 57–25 (.695) 1st Pacific, 1st West, 2nd overall |
Regular season | 67–15 (.817) 1st Central, 1st East, 1st overall |
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| Defeated the (8) Los Angeles Lakers, 3–1 | First Round | Defeated the (8) Miami Heat, 3–0 | |
| Defeated the (4) Phoenix Suns, 4–1 | Conference Semifinals | Defeated the (4) New York Knicks, 4–3 | |
| Defeated the (2) Utah Jazz, 4–2 | Conference Finals | Defeated the (3) Cleveland Cavaliers, 4–2 | |
[edit] Regular season series
The Chicago Bulls won both games in the regular season series:
| November 29, 1991 | Chicago Bulls 116, Portland Trail Blazers 114 (2OT) | Memorial Coliseum, Portland, Oregon | ||||
| March 1, 1992 | Portland Trail Blazers 91, Chicago Bulls 111 | Chicago Stadium, Chicago, Illinois | ||||
[edit] Series Summary
| Game | Date | Home Team | Result | Road Team |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Game 1 | Wednesday, June 3 | Chicago Bulls | 122-89 (1-0) | Portland Trail Blazers |
| Game 2 | Friday, June 5 | Chicago Bulls | 104-115 OT (1-1) | Portland Trail Blazers |
| Game 3 | Sunday, June 7 | Portland Trail Blazers | 84-94 (1-2) | Chicago Bulls |
| Game 4 | Wednesday, June 10 | Portland Trail Blazers | 93-88 (2-2) | Chicago Bulls |
| Game 5 | Friday, June 12 | Portland Trail Blazers | 106-119 (2-3) | Chicago Bulls |
| Game 6 | Sunday, June 14 | Chicago Bulls | 97-93 (4-2) | Portland Trail Blazers |
[edit] Game 1
| June 3 9:00et |
Portland Trail Blazers 89, Chicago Bulls 122 | Chicago Stadium, Chicago, Illinois Attendance: 18,676 Referees:
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NBC | ||||
| Scoring by quarter: 30–33, 21–33, 17–38, 21–18 | |||||||
| Pts: Drexler, Robinson 16 each Rebs: Jerome Kersey 7 Asts: Clyde Drexler 7 |
Pts: Michael Jordan 39 Rebs: Pippen, Williams 9 each Asts: Michael Jordan 11 |
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| Chicago leads the series, 1–0 | |||||||
Michael Jordan dominated from the beginning, breaking the record for most points in a first half in the playoffs once held by Elgin Baylor (Michael had 35, Baylor had 33). This included six first-half threes (also a record). It was after the 6th 3 that Jordan turned towards the broadcast table and famously shrugged to indicate his surprise. Jordan's shrug became a highlight reel mainstay. This was needed as Portland made their first seven shots and ran to an eight-point lead in the first half, only to go down 29-28 to the Bulls at the end of the quarter. Portland was leading by 1 at 45-44, but then Chicago went on a 22-6 run to grab a 66-51 halftime lead and take control. The game was decided, and the Bulls earned a 122-89 win over the Portland Trail Blazers.
[edit] Game 2
| June 5 9:00et |
Portland Trail Blazers 115, Chicago Bulls 104 | OT | Chicago Stadium, Chicago, Illinois Attendance: 18,676 Referees:
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NBC | |||
| Scoring by quarter: 31–23, 23–22, 16–32, 27–20, OT: 18–7 | |||||||
| Pts: Clyde Drexler 26 Rebs: Buck Williams 14 Asts: Clyde Drexler 8 |
Pts: Michael Jordan 39 Rebs: Horace Grant 12 Asts: Jordan, Pippen 10 each |
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| Series tied, 1–1 | |||||||
With the Blackhawks playing in the Stanley Cup Finals when the Bulls reached the Finals, Game 2 would have had conflict with Game 6 of the Blackhawks' series, as both teams would have played on the same day at Chicago Stadium.[1] However, the Blackhawks series ended in 4 games, so no rescheduling was needed.
Portland built an eight-point lead in the first quarter, and also built a nine-point lead in the half. However, as in Game 1, their lead started to disappear as the Bulls made their run - Jordan would score 14 points while Paxson would score 9 points in the third quarter, taking a seven-point lead in the third quarter. Chicago was looking to take a commanding 2-0 lead in the series when Clyde Drexler fouled out with 4:36 remaining. With the Bulls up by 10, Jordan started to lose his poise, committing a foul and then a technical foul. This would help Portland build a 15-5 run pushing the game into overtime after Jordan narrowly missed at the buzzer. In overtime, Portland dominated, especially Ainge who scored six points with one minute remaining as the Blazers won 115-104, the Bulls worst home defeat in an NBA Finals game.
[edit] Game 3
| June 7 7:00et |
Chicago Bulls 94, Portland Trail Blazers 84 | Memorial Coliseum, Portland, Oregon Attendance: 12,888 Referees:
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NBC | ||||
| Scoring by quarter: 34–26, 20–19, 16–15, 24–24 | |||||||
| Pts: Michael Jordan 26 Rebs: Grant, Pippen 8 each Asts: Scottie Pippen 7 |
Pts: Clyde Drexler 32 Rebs: Jerome Kersey 12 Asts: Terry Porter 4 |
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| Chicago leads the series, 2–1 | |||||||
Chicago had lost home court advantage, but dominated Portland, holding them to numerous franchise playoff lows: 84 points in a game, 39 second-half points and 28 field goals. Chicago would go on a 30-13 run in the first half to gain a 44-30 lead which Portland would cut to three with 7:09 left in the third before the Bulls went to another 12-3 run. Portland would then go on a field goal drought not scoring from the 4:33 mark in the third quarter until the 9:36 mark of the fourth, a 6:57 stretch.
[edit] Game 4
| June 10 9:00et |
Chicago Bulls 88, Portland Trail Blazers 93 | Memorial Coliseum, Portland, Oregon Attendance: 12,888 Referees:
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NBC | ||||
| Scoring by quarter: 26–18, 22–27, 21–21, 19–27 | |||||||
| Pts: Michael Jordan 32 Rebs: Horace Grant 10 Asts: Jordan, Pippen 6 each |
Pts: Drexler, Kersey 21 each Rebs: Kevin Duckworth 11 Asts: Clyde Drexler 9 |
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| Series tied, 2–2 | |||||||
Portland was still playing as they were during Game 3, not scoring for four minutes and finding themselves down 10-0. The Bulls would be up 22-9 before the Blazers climbed up and cut the deficit to three at half but found themselves down again in the third quarter. While Jordan scored 13 points in the third quarter, he would not score in the game's final 10:26. Portland would go on a 15-6 run to even the series at two games.
[edit] Game 5
| June 12 9:00et |
Chicago Bulls 119, Portland Trail Blazers 106 | Memorial Coliseum, Portland, Oregon Attendance: 12,888 Referees:
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NBC | ||||
| Scoring by quarter: 39–26, 27–28, 28–24, 25–28 | |||||||
| Pts: Michael Jordan 46 Rebs: Scottie Pippen 11 Asts: Scottie Pippen 9 |
Pts: Clyde Drexler 30 Rebs: Jerome Kersey 12 Asts: Terry Porter 8 |
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| Chicago leads the series, 3–2 | |||||||
The Bulls jumped out to a 10-2 lead and never looked back, answering every Blazers comeback attempt with a run of their own. Chicago opened the second half on a 16-8 run to give the Bulls a 20-point lead. Portland didn't pull back within single digits until less than four minutes were left in the game, and ended up losing 119-106.
Michael Jordan, who briefly sat with a bad ankle, finished with 46 points on 14-of-23 from the field and 16-of-19 from the line. Scottie Pippen fell just short of a triple-double, with 24 points, 11 rebounds and nine assists. Clyde Drexler scored 30 points to lead six Portland players in double figures. However, Portland had 18 turnovers and shot just 43.8 percent from the field, compared to 54.8 percent for the Bulls.
[edit] Game 6
| June 14 7:30et |
Portland Trail Blazers 93, Chicago Bulls 97 | Chicago Stadium, Chicago, Illinois Attendance: 18,676 Referees:
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NBC | ||||
| Scoring by quarter: 25–19, 25–25, 29–20, 14–33 | |||||||
| Pts: Drexler, Kersey 24 each Rebs: Jerome Kersey 9 Asts: Terry Porter 8 |
Pts: Michael Jordan 33 Rebs: Scott Williams 8 Asts: Horace Grant 5 |
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| Chicago wins the series, 4–2 | |||||||
Portland started strongly as they held Michael Jordan scoreless for the game's first 11 minutes, and would take a 43-28 lead midway through the second quarter before Chicago went on a 16-7 run and cut the deficit to only six points. Portland also dominated the third quarter, building a 79-64 lead. Phil Jackson would go with four reserves and Scottie Pippen to start the fourth quarter, cutting Portland's lead to three after only three minutes. Jordan returned and had two steals and converted them to hoops to give Chicago a permanent lead. The Bulls' defense would hold Portland to only six points in the final four minutes, leading the Bulls to their second straight championship.
[edit] Miscellaneous Information
The Blackhawks, the Bulls' co-tenants, were swept in their finals by the defending champion Pittsburgh Penguins, losing the deciding game at Chicago Stadium. (It would not be until their next finals appearance, in 2010 when the Blackhawks won their first championship since 1961, when they beat the Philadelphia Flyers, in-state rivals of the Penguins, in six games).
[edit] Untouchabulls and "Jam"
Just months later, the 1991-92 NBA season documentary Untouchabulls was released. Narrated by Hal Douglas, it recaps the Bulls' championship season. "Jam" by Michael Jackson was used as the theme song for the documentary. That same year, Jordan was featured in Jackson's music video for "Jam".
[edit] Quotes from the Finals
Here's Jordan for three, yes!!! Did you see that look? Michael, he can't believe it.—-Marv Albert calling Michael Jordan's shrug following his NBA Finals record sixth first half three-pointer in Game 1.
Paxson spins away from Kersey, to Michael, three again. Oh! Michael good again! Oh my goodness!—-Bulls radio announcer Neil Funk calling the same play.
This is the greatest performance, maybe ever, in a single half, playoffs or in the history of this league!—-NBA radio announcer Joe McConnell commenting on Jordan's first-half performance in Game 1.
[edit] Team Rosters
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[edit] Aftermath
The Bulls won their third straight championship in the 1992–93 season, winning 57 games and defeating the Phoenix Suns in the 1993 NBA Finals. In the offseason that preceded Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen played for the Dream Team that won the gold medal in the 1992 Barcelona Olympics. That team also included Blazers guard Clyde Drexler.
The 1992 Finals would be the Blazers' last finals appearance to date. In the next three seasons, the Blazers rebuilt the team, hiring general manager Bob Whitsitt in 1994 and lost the core of their 1992 Finals team to free agency and trades, beginning with Kevin Duckworth's departure to the Bullets in the 1993 offseason. The last remaining piece of the team, Clyde Drexler, was traded and went on to win the NBA championship with the Houston Rockets in 1995.
The 1991-92 Bulls, along with the 1995-96 Bulls, were named one of the 10 greatest teams in NBA history during the league's golden anniversary.
[edit] Notes and references
- ^ Kiley, Mike (May 27, 1992). "If necessary, Game 6 may be pushed back". The Chicago Tribune: p. Sports.8.
