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by: Chris Maynard
([email protected])
Happy belated Memorial Day!
Thirty years ago, Memorial Day was tomorrow!
On Monday, May 27, 1996, the Chicago Bulls took on the Orlando Magic in Game Four of the Eastern Conference Finals of the 1996 NBA Playoffs.
Chicago would pull off the sweep in what would be Shaquille O'Neal's final game as a member of the Magic.
With this memory in mind, I started thinking about all of the other playoff games the Bulls played on the Mondays of Memorial Day Weekends during the title winning seasons of 1991-1993 and 1996-1998.
Whereas the Bulls were 5-1 on the Saturdays of Memorial Day Weekends during this time period, the Bulls were 3-3 on Memorial Days during the title-winning seasons.
Make the jump to read about my favorite and least favorite memories of the Chicago Bulls' Memorial Day games from the championship seasons of 1991, 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997 and 1998.
([email protected])
Happy belated Memorial Day!
Thirty years ago, Memorial Day was tomorrow!
On Monday, May 27, 1996, the Chicago Bulls took on the Orlando Magic in Game Four of the Eastern Conference Finals of the 1996 NBA Playoffs.
Chicago would pull off the sweep in what would be Shaquille O'Neal's final game as a member of the Magic.
With this memory in mind, I started thinking about all of the other playoff games the Bulls played on the Mondays of Memorial Day Weekends during the title winning seasons of 1991-1993 and 1996-1998.
Whereas the Bulls were 5-1 on the Saturdays of Memorial Day Weekends during this time period, the Bulls were 3-3 on Memorial Days during the title-winning seasons.
Make the jump to read about my favorite and least favorite memories of the Chicago Bulls' Memorial Day games from the championship seasons of 1991, 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997 and 1998.
My #1 Memorial Day Monday Game of the '90s Bulls' Dynasty
1991 Eastern Conference Finals, Game 4 (Mon., May 27, 1991)
Chicago Bulls 115, Detroit Pistons 94
After getting eliminated during the past three playoffs by the Pistons, Chicago finally vanquished the Bad Boys, completing the sweep in Detroit with a controlling 21-point victory. Detroit's despearation was seen early in this game when Dennis Rodman gave a cheap shot to Scottie Pippen, pushing him with two hands in the back, leading to stitches for the Bulls' superstar. Apparently, Rodman would have to apologize to Pippen about this play before joining the Bulls prior to the 1995-96 season. Of course, with the exception of John Salley and a few other Detroit players, the Pistons infamously walked off the court, past the Chicago bench without shaking hands, with Isaiah Thomas and Bill Laimbeer the ring leaders of this goonish behavior. I remember watching this game on Memorial Day Monday at my Uncle John's house, so excited that Chicago had finally gotten past Detroit. None of us were surprised by the lack of class from the Pistons, which actually made the victory that much sweeter.
My #2 Memorial Day Monday Game of the '90s Bulls' Dynasty
1993 Eastern Conference Finals, Game 4 (Mon., May 31, 1993)
Chicago Bulls 105, New York Knicks 95
After his famous gambling excursion to Atlantic City between Games 1 and 2 of the 1993 Eastern Conference Finals, and a quiet Game Three during which he only scored 22 points on 3-for-18 from the field, Jordan finally broke out against the Knicks in Game Four, scoring a game-high 54 points to even the series at two games apiece. Jordan was 18-for-30 from the field, including 6-for-9, willing Chicago to a huge victory I watched on a small television of the back porch at my childhood home. Two nights later, my whole family would gather on the porch to watch Game Five, during which Chicago knocked off the Knicks 97-94 at Madison Square Garden to take a 3-2 series lead. I remember my brother, Mom, Dad and I going crazy at the end of the game as Chicago continually stuffed Charles Smith at the rim to hold onto the victory. My brother and I immediately had to go to bed afterwards as it was nearly 11 p.m. I remember being restless in bed, so excited that the Bulls had come back from being down 2-0 and were just one game away from a third-straight trip to the NBA Finals.
My #3 Memorial Day Monday Game of the '90s Bulls' Dynasty
1996 Eastern Conference Finals, Game 4 (Mon., May 27, 1996)
Chicago Bulls 106, Orlando Magic 101
I remember my parents having a Memorial Day party at our house to watch this game. Even though Orlando got off to a quick start, Chicago eventually took control and hung onto win. I was in disbelief that Chicago had swept the Magic. I remember my Uncle John feeling that O'Neal was being a sore loser after the game, walking off to the locker room and not sticking around to shake hands with the Bulls. Little did we know this would be the last time we'd see Shaq in an Orlando uniform. After the game, my cousins and I played basketball in my yard with my older cousin Kristen's boyfriend Jason, who later became her husband. As we were playing, the ball bounced in the garden of my next door neighbor, who was not happy. At first the lady picked up the ball and threw it down the alley, with Jason saying "Thank you!" Then the ball went in the yard again, and the woman took it inside her house, saying we were doing it on purpose. My Dad then went over and rang the door bell, and the woman threw the ball back in the yard. We decided to call it a day with playing any more basketball. :-)
My #3 Least Favorite Memorial Day Game of '90s Bulls' Dynasty
1992 Eastern Conference Finals, Game 4 (Mon., May 25, 1992)
Cleveland Cavaliers 99, Chicago Bulls 85
I remember watching this game at my Uncle John and Aunt Donna's house, with Jordan nearly punching Danny Ferry after Ferry committed a cheap and dirty foul on Jordan. Ferry was ejected for that play, and Jordan showed restraint not punching the former Duke player, knowing he would have been thrown out as well. I don't remember much else from this loss except that my Dad and uncles went golfing this morning. Apparently, it was very cold on the links, and they all came back with their feet nearly frozen. I remember all the adult men sitting in the kitchen with their bare feet around the radiator vents, trying to warm them up. Sadly, my younger brother Tim accidentally stepped on my Dad's frozen foot, causing him to squeal out in pain. I had never seen my Dad in pain before that moment so it was quite shocking. Also shocking was that the Bulls were now tied at two games apiece with a game Cleveland squad that wouldn't win another game this series.
My #2 Least Favorite Memorial Day Game of '90s Bulls' Dynasty
1997 Eastern Conference Finals, Game 4 (Mon., May 26, 1997)
Miami Heat 87, Chicago Bulls 80
This game pissed me off. Up 3-0 against Miami, the Bulls were getting blown out early against the Heat during Game Four, with Michael Jordan having a tough shooting game. Jordan got fired up when Miami's Alonzo Mourning got away with a nasty elbow to the forehead of Scottie Pippen, who was left with an alien-sized welt on his head. Mourning almost got into a fight with Dennis Rodman this game as well, and Jordan had enough, nearly bringing the Bulls back. Chicago would end the series in Game Five back in Chicago, with Jordan ignoring Mourning during the pregame handshake. I remember watching Game Four at my house during another family party. For some reason, my older cousin Courtney brought one of her cute high school friends over. I remember having a crush on the girl and watching Mourning and Rodman nearly fight with her upstairs at my house.
My #1 Least Favorite Memorial Day Game of '90s Bulls' Dynasty
1998 Eastern Conference Finals, Game 5 (Mon., May 25, 1998)
Indiana Pacers 96, Chicago Bulls 94
Now this game really, really pissed me off, maybe more so than any Bulls' playoff game of the nineties. Earlier that day, my Dad took my cousin Brian, brother Tim and I fishing. We listened to the beginning of the game on the car radio as we drove home from a day of catching nothing. After returning home, I was watching this game with my family on the deck that my Dad began building this spring. He had nearly finished the deck, except for adding railings around it. As we watched Game Four on a small television, the Bulls seemed to be in control in the fourth quarter. However, Scottie Pippen missed two big free throws and Indiana called timeout. Out of the timeout, Reggie Miller pushed off Jordan with two full hands to the chest to get free and hit a three. Sophomore me went crazy about the lack of an offensive foul call on Miller, throwing my food into the grass. My Dad chewed me out for my behavior. Jordan nearly stole the game with a three that banked in and out at the buzzer. Chicago should have been up 3-1 but was now in a 2-2 dogfight of a series that would go seven games. It's safe to say the rest of my Memorial Day was ruined. I even shed some tears during this loss, which was quite embarrassing as I was a sophomore in high school at the time. Yikes! Back then, the Bulls were life and death to me. I guess I finally snapped after enduring this entire season of hearing every commentator saying how this was the end of the Bulls' dynasty, which had gotten annoying. The blatant missed call on Miller was as bad of a non-call a I have ever seen, whether I am a Bulls fan or not. I think I even called into a local sports radio station to voice my complaints later that night, the one and only time I have ever done such a thing.
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