 |  |  |
After watching all 18 of the Chicago Bulls' playoff games from the 1996 NBA Playoffs, I have decided to rank them from least favorite (18) to most favorite (1).
Here are a couple of stipulations:
1) Games did not always have to be close to a favorite.
2) A victory did not necessarily make a game more favorable.
3) A loss did not necessarily make a game less favorable.
I tried to balance importance of the game, quality of play and overall enjoyment watching each game.
Make the jump to see my rankings of all 18 Chicago Bulls' playoffs games from the 1995-96 championship run.
Here are a couple of stipulations:
1) Games did not always have to be close to a favorite.
2) A victory did not necessarily make a game more favorable.
3) A loss did not necessarily make a game less favorable.
I tried to balance importance of the game, quality of play and overall enjoyment watching each game.
Make the jump to see my rankings of all 18 Chicago Bulls' playoffs games from the 1995-96 championship run.
#18: 1996 NBA Finals, Game 5
Seattle SuperSonics 89, Chicago Bulls 78
This game irritated me back on June 14, 1996, and it frustrated as much or even more 30 years later. Neither team played all that great, to be honest, with the Bulls especially off in terms of composure.
#17: 1996 NBA Finals, Game Four
Seattle SuperSonics 107, Chicago Bulls 86
Simply put, the Bulls were vastly outplayed by the Sonics during a game Chicago missed the opportunity to sweep the series and finish 15-1 for the 1996 NBA Playoffs.
#16: 1996 Eastern Conference Second Round, Game Five
Chicago Bulls 94, New York Knicks 81
The first half of this game was hard to watch, as Chicago's offense stalled out but eventually did enough to eliminate the Knicks during a choppy and boring contest.
#15: 1996 Eastern Conference Finals, Game Three
Chicago Bulls 86, Orlando Magic 67
With the exception of an excellent performance from Scottie Pippen, the Bulls did not play spectacular; however, the Magic were that much worse as Chicago took a commanding 3-0 lead during a rainy Saturday afternoon game in Orlando.
#14: 1996 Eastern Conference First Round, Game One
Chicago Bulls 102, Miami Heat 85
It took the Bulls a half to find their footing during the playoff opener, a gritty victory that was not always pretty.
#13: 1996 NBA Finals, Game Two
Chicago Bulls 92, Seattle SuperSonics 88
The Bulls continued to shake off the rust from a long layoff in between the Eastern Conference Finals and NBA Finals, not hitting a field goal for the final six minutes of the game yet still winning thanks to the offensive board work of Dennis Rodman.
#12: 1996 Eastern Conference Second Round, Game One
Chicago Bulls 91, New York Knicks 84
As a team, Chicago played its worst game of its first four playoff games, though Jordan saved the Bulls with nearly half of the team's scoring, 41 points.
#11: 1996 NBA Finals, Game One
Chicago Bulls 107, Seattle SuperSonics 90
The final score was deceiving, as Game One was a feeling-out process for the inexperienced Sonics and rusty Bulls, which were propelled by a Toni Kukoc outburst at the start of the fourth quarter.
#10: Eastern Conference First Round, Game Two
Chicago Bulls 106, Miami Heat 75
The Bulls came out and really dominated the Heat from the get-go, with the lone detraction from this game being the officiating in the second half, which grinded a blowout to a halt out of fear of things escalating between Rodman and Alonzo Mourning.
#9: 1996 Eastern Conference Second Round, Game Two
Chicago Bulls 91, New York Knicks 80
This choppy game really picked up in intensity during the fourth quarter as Patrick Ewing stormed after Chicago Assistant Coach Jim Cleamons, making the United Center feel like the old Chicago Stadium and boosting the entertainment value of this contest.
#8: 1996 Eastern Conference First Round, Game Three
Chicago Bulls 112, Miami Heat 91
The Bulls cruised on the road in Miami, with Pippen having a monster triple-double of 22 points, 18 rebounds and 10 assists during a brilliant performance as the Triangle hummed to perfection.
#7: 1996 Eastern Conference Second Round, Game Three
New York Knicks 102, Chicago Bulls 99
Chicago's first loss of the playoffs was a thriller at Madison Square Garden, with the Bulls rallying late to force overtime on a ridiculous Jordan three before finally succumbing to the Knicks.
#6: 1996 Eastern Conference Second Round, Game Four
Chicago Bulls 94, New York Knicks 91
New York seemed to be on the verge of evening the series at two games apiece before Dennis Rodman fed Bill Wennington for the game-winning jumper during a tight Mother's Day affair.
#5: 1996 NBA Finals, Game Three
Chicago Bulls 108, Seattle SuperSonics 86
Up 2-0 despite not playing that great so far in the Finals, the Bulls came out on the road looking to pounce, leading 34-16 at the end of the first quarter, with Jordan scoring 27 of his 36 points during a sizzling first half.
#4: 1996 Eastern Conference Finals, Game Four
Chicago Bulls 106, Orlando Magic 101
Chicago got revenge for the second-round loss to Orlando during the 1995 NBA Playoffs with a Memorial Day victory and sweep that would be the end of Shaquille O'Neal with the Magic.
#3: 1996 Eastern Conference Finals, Game Two
Chicago Bulls 93, Orlando Magic 88
Down 15 points at halftime, Chicago cranked up the defense in the second half to cap off an incredible comeback and essentially break the spirit of Orlando.
#2: 1996 Eastern Conference Finals, Game One
Chicago Bulls 121, Orlando Magic 83
After a choppy series against the Knicks, Chicago came out focused and motivated to get revenge against Horace Grant and the Magic, leading 10-0 in the blink of an eye and sending a series-opening message with the 28-point victory.
#1: 1996 NBA Finals, Game Six
Chicago Bulls 87, Seattle SuperSonics 75
While it took a couple of games longer than expected, Chicago finished off Seattle at home, fittingly winning the title on Father's Day and completing the greatest overall season in NBA history.
RSS Feed