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by: Chris Maynard
([email protected])
([email protected])
With a 107-90 victory against the Seattle SuperSonics during Game One of the 1996 NBA Finals, the Chicago Bulls improved, at the time, to 3-1 in opening games of the league's championship series.
Overall, Chicago was 4-2 in Game Ones of the NBA Finals, losing the opener in its first and last Finals in 1991 and 1998, respectively.
Make the jump for a quick breakdown of Chicago's Game 1 performances during the 1991, 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997 & 1998 NBA Finals, including the:
Overall, Chicago was 4-2 in Game Ones of the NBA Finals, losing the opener in its first and last Finals in 1991 and 1998, respectively.
Make the jump for a quick breakdown of Chicago's Game 1 performances during the 1991, 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997 & 1998 NBA Finals, including the:
- Heartbreaker.
- Dominator.
- Message sender.
- Rust shaker.
- Jordan saver.
- Close but no cigar.
The Heartbreaker: 1991 NBA Finals, Game One
Los Angeles Lakers 93, Chicago Bulls 91
Despite looking like a team playing in its first ever NBA Finals game, Chicago clung to a one-point lead late before Magic Johnson posted up Jordan, drew a double team and kicked out to Jordan's former college teammate Sam Perkins, who drained a three to help the Lakers steal the 1991 Finals opener. After finally beating the Detroit Pistons, were the Bulls going to succumb to the more-experienced Lakers on the game's biggest stage?
The Dominator: 1992 NBA Finals, Game One
Chicago Bulls 122, Portland Trail Blazers 89
The 1992 NBA Finals pitted what some considered the two best players in the NBA, Michael Jordan and Clyde Drexler, in that order. Well, Jordan showed how big the gap was between Drexler and him by scoring 35 of this 39 points in the first half, including hitting six threes, in what turned out to be a Game One laugh, with the 1991 NBA champs, Chicago, humiliating the 1990 runner up, Blazers, by 33 points.
The Message Sender: 1993 NBA Finals, Game One
Chicago Bulls 100, Phoenix Suns 92
After winning four straight games to oust the New York Knicks in the Eastern Conference Finals, the Bulls continued its momentum during Game One of the 1993 NBA Finals by blitzing the Phoenix Suns, an organization making its first Finals' appearance since 1976 and looking happy to be there. Chicago led by 14 at the end of the first period.
The Rust Shaker: 1996 NBA Finals, Game One
Chicago Bulls 107, Seattle SuperSonics 90
After having eight full days off in between the 1996 Eastern Conference Finals and NBA Finals, Chicago looked a bit rusty during Game One against the Sonics before turning a two-point lead after three quarters into a seventeen-point romp thanks to the fourth quarter heroics of Toni Kukoc and Ron Harper.
The Jordan Saver: 1997 NBA Finals, Game One
Chicago Bulls 84, Utah Jazz 82
Utah seemed on the verge of stealing Game One of the 1997 NBA Finals at the United Center before Karl Malone missed two free throws with the game tied. Chicago called timeout and then drew up a play for Jordan, who isolated Bryon Russell on the wing and canned a jumper at the buzzer for the series-opening win.
The Close but No Cigar: 1998 NBA Finals, Game One
Utah Jazz 88, Chicago Bulls 85 (O.T.)
After needing seven games to defeat the Indiana Pacers during the Eastern Conference Finals, Chicago began the 1998 NBA Finals on the road against a Utah team that had swept the Los Angeles Lakers during the Western Conference Finals. Despite having tired legs, Chicago hung around and eventually forced overtime late on a Luc Longley short jumper from the wing set up by Jordan before Malone and John Stockton proved too much in overtime. Without the homecourt advantage for just the second time in six Finals' appearances, Chicago definitely needed to split in Utah if hoping to win the 1998 NBA Finals, with the Game One looming as a big missed opportunity.
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