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by: Chris Maynard
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Let's finish up my recaps of the 1995-96 Chicago Bulls' historic regular season.
Here are the recaps for:
([email protected])
Let's finish up my recaps of the 1995-96 Chicago Bulls' historic regular season.
Here are the recaps for:
With 12 games remaining, the 1995-96 Chicago Bulls needed to win just 7 games to tie the 1971-72 Los Angeles Lakers for the one most wins in NBA history, 69.
Given that Chicago had not lost more than two games during any prior ten-game stretch of this season, it seemed certain that the Bulls would set the all-time record for wins during an NBA season.
After a surprising one-point loss at Toronto on Sunday, March 24th, the Bulls had won two straight games entering Games 71-82. The Bulls would reel off four more victories, back-to-back wins against the Miami Heat, a destruction of the Charlotte Hornets, and a memorable Sunday victory against the Orlando Magic. I wrote about this famous NBA on NBC game, during which Shaquille O'Neal got to the game just as it started. Here is the piece sharing my memories.
Given that Chicago had not lost more than two games during any prior ten-game stretch of this season, it seemed certain that the Bulls would set the all-time record for wins during an NBA season.
After a surprising one-point loss at Toronto on Sunday, March 24th, the Bulls had won two straight games entering Games 71-82. The Bulls would reel off four more victories, back-to-back wins against the Miami Heat, a destruction of the Charlotte Hornets, and a memorable Sunday victory against the Orlando Magic. I wrote about this famous NBA on NBC game, during which Shaquille O'Neal got to the game just as it started. Here is the piece sharing my memories.
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After defeating Orlando to go 66-8, the Bulls suffered a surprising one-point loss at home to the Charlotte Hornets the following night on Monday, April 8th. Amazingly, this was Chicago's first home loss of the season, and I have no recollection of this game.
The Bulls would bounce back with victories at New Jersey and against the Philadelphia 76ers, heading into another Sunday NBA on NBC game with the opportunity to earn win #69 and tie the Lakers. I tuned in and watched Chicago boat race Cleveland that day, winning 98 to 72. That night I remember watching the Channel 32 news Sunday night sports show in Chicago, with the opening of the show playing the Space Hog song "In the Meantime" while showing highlights of the Bulls crushing the Cavs. What a great song, what a great memory, what a fitting tile for what the Bulls were doing to the rest of the league!
The Bulls would bounce back with victories at New Jersey and against the Philadelphia 76ers, heading into another Sunday NBA on NBC game with the opportunity to earn win #69 and tie the Lakers. I tuned in and watched Chicago boat race Cleveland that day, winning 98 to 72. That night I remember watching the Channel 32 news Sunday night sports show in Chicago, with the opening of the show playing the Space Hog song "In the Meantime" while showing highlights of the Bulls crushing the Cavs. What a great song, what a great memory, what a fitting tile for what the Bulls were doing to the rest of the league!
Two nights later, Chicago would travel to Milwaukee and defeat the Bucks in a tough game to earn the record-setting 70th victory. While I didn't get to watch this game live as it was a Tuesday night game on cable, I rushed to turn on the 10 p.m. news, ecstatic to see the Bulls had done it. I will never forget the image of Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen and Dennis Rodman coming together to hug, with the Bulls announcer Tom Dore saying, "There it is. 70 wins is a reality." I'll never forget the following day, going to my cousin Brian's house after school as my parents both worked on Wednesdays, with my Aunt having bought my cousin a Bulls' shirt celebrating the 70 wins. "Man, I wish I had that shirt," I thought to myself.
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Hardly resting on its laurels, Chicago crushed Detroit two nights later before losing a controversial game at home to Indiana on Saturday, April 20th. I remember watching this game on NBC in my basement, shooting around on a mini-basketball rim as the Bulls nearly pulled off an improbable comeback. Of course, this is the game when Jordan was called for a controversial foul on Indiana's Eddie Johnson, with the debate being whether the hand was a part of the ball.
The Bulls wound end the regular season the following afternoon with a victory at Washington. My grade school baseball team had a doubleheader this Sunday, and I remember my one friend Todd showing up to the game saying that Jack Haley had scored four points during the Bulls' victory. The late Haley never played and was essentially signed as a cheerleader/babysitter of Rodman, a friend from their playing days in San Antonio. Haley actually played for the Bulls as a rookie during the 1988-89 season.
The Bulls wound end the regular season the following afternoon with a victory at Washington. My grade school baseball team had a doubleheader this Sunday, and I remember my one friend Todd showing up to the game saying that Jack Haley had scored four points during the Bulls' victory. The late Haley never played and was essentially signed as a cheerleader/babysitter of Rodman, a friend from their playing days in San Antonio. Haley actually played for the Bulls as a rookie during the 1988-89 season.
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With the regular season complete, Chicago had compiled an amazing 72-10 record, losing back-to-back games only once that year. How good were these Bulls? Chicago's last three losses all were by one point! The Bulls only lost two games by double digits all season! Chicago finished 39-2 at home, 33-8 on the road! Chicago's longest winning streak was 18 games!
For all the incredible accomplishments, the Bulls knew the regular-season record meant nothing. As the players would say heading into the playoffs, "72-10 don't mean a thing without a ring." As seen during my coverage of the 1996 NBA Playoffs, the Bulls looked well on their way to winning the title, going 11-1 through the first three rounds.
For all the incredible accomplishments, the Bulls knew the regular-season record meant nothing. As the players would say heading into the playoffs, "72-10 don't mean a thing without a ring." As seen during my coverage of the 1996 NBA Playoffs, the Bulls looked well on their way to winning the title, going 11-1 through the first three rounds.
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I have scoured YouTube for Chicago's last 12 games of the 1995-96 season.
Make the jump to view games 71-82 and link to the box scores as Chicago finishes 72-10, a record that would last for 20 seasons until the Golden State Warriors went 73-9 during the 2015-16 season.
Make the jump to view games 71-82 and link to the box scores as Chicago finishes 72-10, a record that would last for 20 seasons until the Golden State Warriors went 73-9 during the 2015-16 season.
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