1994–95 Chicago Bulls season
| 1994–95 Chicago Bulls season | |
|---|---|
| Michael Jordan returns | |
| Head coach | Phil Jackson |
| Owner(s) | Jerry Reinsdorf |
| Arena | United Center |
| Results | |
| Record | 47–35 (.573) |
| Place | Division: 3rd (Central) Conference: 5th (Eastern) |
| Playoff finish | East Semifinals (eliminated 2–4) |
|
Stats @ Basketball-Reference.com |
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| Local media | |
| Television | SportsChannel Chicago, WGN |
| Radio | WMAQ |
| < 1993–94 | 1995–96 > |
The 1994-95 Chicago Bulls were able to finish third overall in the Central Division and fifth overall in the Eastern Conference. Chicago received a major boost upon the return of Michael Jordan, who came out of retirement to rejoin the team. The Bulls would eventually lose in the second round of the 1995 NBA Playoffs to the Orlando Magic.
Contents |
Offseason [edit]
NBA Draft [edit]
| Round | Pick | Player | Position | Nationality | School/Club Team |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 21 | Dickey Simpkins | F |  United States |
Providence |
| 2 | 49 | Kris Bruton | F | United States |
Benedict |
Regular season [edit]
Jordan returns [edit]
In the 1993–94 season, the Jordan-less Bulls notched a 55–27 record,[1] and lost to the Knicks in the second round of the playoffs. But the 1994–95 version of the Bulls was a shell of the championship squad of just two years earlier. Struggling at mid-season to ensure a spot in the playoffs, Chicago needed a lift. The lift came in early 1995, when Jordan decided to return to the NBA for the Bulls.
On March 18, 1995, Jordan announced his return to the NBA through a two-word press release: "I'm back."[2] The next day, Jordan donned jersey number 45 (his number with the Barons), as his familiar 23 had been retired in his honor following his first retirement. He took the court with the Bulls to face the Indiana Pacers in Indianapolis, scoring 19 points.[3]
Although Jordan had not played in an NBA game in a year and a half, he played well upon his return, which included a game-winning jump shot (against Atlanta in his fourth game back), and a 55-point game against the Knicks on March 29, 1995.[4] The Bulls made the playoffs and advanced to the Eastern Conference Semi-finals against the Orlando Magic. At the end of the first game of the series, Orlando's Nick Anderson commented that "He didn't look like the old Michael Jordan,"[5] after which Jordan returned to wearing his old number (23). Jordan averaged 31.5 points per game in that series, but Orlando prevailed in six games.
Season standings [edit]
| Central Division | W | L | PCT | GB | Home | Road | Div |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| y-Indiana Pacers | 52 | 30 | .634 | – | 33–8 | 19–22 | 18–10 |
| x-Charlotte Hornets | 50 | 32 | .610 | 2 | 29–12 | 21–20 | 17–11 |
| x-Chicago Bulls | 47 | 35 | .573 | 5 | 28–13 | 19–22 | 16–12 |
| x-Cleveland Cavaliers | 43 | 39 | .524 | 9 | 26–15 | 17–24 | 17–11 |
| x-Atlanta Hawks | 42 | 40 | .512 | 10 | 24–17 | 18–23 | 9–19 |
| Milwaukee Bucks | 34 | 48 | .415 | 18 | 22–19 | 12–29 | 13–15 |
| Detroit Pistons | 28 | 54 | .341 | 24 | 13–28 | 8–33 | 7–21 |
Roster [edit]
| 1994-95 Chicago Bulls roster | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Player stats [edit]
Note: GP= Games played; REB= Rebounds; AST= Assists; STL = Steals; BLK = Blocks; PTS = Points; AVG = Average
| Player | GP | REB | AST | STL | BLK | PTS | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| B.J. Armstrong | 82 | 186 | 244 | 84 | 8 | 1150 | 14.0 |
| Corie Blount | 68 | 240 | 60 | 26 | 33 | 238 | 3.5 |
| Toni Kukoc | 81 | 440 | 372 | 102 | 16 | 1271 | 15.7 |
| Luc Longley | 55 | 263 | 73 | 24 | 45 | 358 | 6.5 |
| Will Perdue | 78 | 522 | 90 | 26 | 56 | 621 | 8.0 |
Playoffs [edit]
East First Round [edit]
(4) Charlotte Hornets vs. (5) Chicago Bulls: Bulls win series 3-1
- Game 1 @ Charlotte Coliseum, Charlotte (April 28): Chicago 108, Charlotte 100 (OT)
- Game 2 @ Charlotte Coliseum, Charlotte (April 30): Charlotte 106, Chicago 89
- Game 3 @ United Center, Chicago (May 2): Chicago 103, Charlotte 80
- Game 4 @ United Center, Chicago (May 4): Chicago 85, Charlotte 84
East Conference Semifinals [edit]
(1) Orlando Magic vs. (5) Chicago Bulls: Magic win series 4-2
- Game 1 @ Orlando Arena, Orlando (May 7): Orlando 94, Chicago 91
- Game 2 @ Orlando Arena, Orlando (May 10): Chicago 104, Orlando 94
- Game 3 @ United Center, Chicago (May 12): Orlando 110, Chicago 101
- Game 4 @ United Center, Chicago (May 14): Chicago 106, Orlando 95
- Game 5 @ Orlando Arena, Orlando (May 16): Orlando 103, Chicago 95
- Game 6 @ United Center, Chicago (May 18): Orlando 108, Chicago 102
Last Playoff Meeting: Not available (first playoff series)
Awards and records [edit]
NBA All-Star Game [edit]
- Scottie Pippen
References [edit]
- ^ Chicago Bulls, databasebasketball.com, accessed January 16, 2007.
- ^ Michael Jordan, nba.com/history, accessed January 15, 2007.
- ^ "Michael Jordan returns to Bulls in overtime loss to Indiana Pacers - Chicago Bulls", Jet Magazine, April 3, 1995, available on findarticles.com, accessed January 15, 2007.
- ^ Michael Jordan bio, nba.com, accessed January 20, 2007.
- ^ Lawrence, Mitch. Memories of MJ's first two acts, espn.com, September 10, 1999, accessed March 8, 2009.
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