1998 NBA Finals: Jordan's Last Dance with the Bulls

On June fourteenth, nineteen ninety eight, the Utah Jazz are attempting to beat the two time defending champ Chicago Bulls when Michael Jordan hits an iconic crossover shot with only five seconds remaining to beat the Utah Jazz and give the Chicago Bulls their second three repeat. Here's the story behind how all this happened Today on Daily Sports History. Welcome to Daily Sports History. I'm Ethan Rees, your guide to a rapid deep dive into sports history every day, and today's trivia question to listen out for is what was the lowest score ever in the NBA Final Game. Now, let's go back to nineteen ninety eight. Titanic was ruling the box office as well as its hot song My Heart Will Go On. Harrison Ford was voted the sexiest man alive. Everyone was getting jiggy with it with Will Smith and Er Smith Don't want to miss a Thing. Ferby's were the hottest toy of the year. Harry Potter had just been released in the US for the first time, and Bill Clinton was involved in the scandal with Monica Lewinsky. It was a unique time in America, but it was also a unique time in the NBA, as the Chicago Bulls had just become off of winning back to back titles with Michael Jordan, who had come back to the NBA his retirement after playing baseball for a couple of years. The top pick that year was Tim Duncan to the San Antonio Spurs, and the Washington Bullets had officially changed their name to the Wizards. This year. In the Trel Sprey Row of the Golden State Warriors made news as he choked his coach PJ. Carlissimo during a practice and was suspended sixty eight games, and Violet Palmer and d Cantnor became the first two female officials in the NBA history this season. In nineteen ninety eight, Utah ja were led by legendary coach Jerry Sloan and their two future Hall of famers in Carl Malone and John Stockton. With great role players so with great role players filling in the gaps with Jeff Hornseack and Byron Russell, and the Jazz started the season strong, but they really finished even better, winning thirty one of their final thirty six game, giving them the best record in the NBA. Led by Karl Malone's twenty seven points and ten rebounds a game. And then when they got to the playoffs, they were up against Hakeema Elijauan in the Houston Rockets, who gave them a run for their money, but they eventually pulled out the series win in five games. Then they went up against the San Antonio Spurs led by Tim Duncan and David Robinson and took them out in four games. Then they came up against a new upstart team in the La Lakers being led by Shaquille O'Neill and a young Kobe Bryant, but the savvy veteran team was able to pull off the sweep and head to the NBA Finals the second straight year to attempt to win their first NBA title, and they would be facing off against the back to back champion who beat them last year, the Chicago Bulls, led by Hall of Fame coach Phil Jackson and of course arguably the greatest player of all time in Michael Jordan and his running mate Scottie Pippen, with a slew of great role players such as Ron Harper, Steve Kerr, Tony Kukoach and Dennis Rodman. And despite Scottie Pippen missing half the year to to an injured tow they were able to end with the record of sixty two and twenty, good enough for first in the Eastern Conference, where they came up against Keith Van Horns, New Jersey Nets, sweeping them three to zero, and in the next round they would face the Charlotte Hornets led by j R. Reid Glenn Rice, and the Bulls would take them down in five games, setting up in the Eastern Conference Final against Reggie Miller and Jalen Rose the Indiana Pacers, who forced them all the way to a game seven, but Michael Jordan would not be stopped on his quest to win another NBA championship and they would meet the Utah Jazz again. This is the previous year, and coming into the game, the Jazz had a lot of confidence behind them. They had beaten the Bulls the two regular season games they met previously, and they knew what to expect from the team that they had just faced a year earlier in the NBA Finals. In the first game was held on June third in Utah, where the Jazz took the lead into halftime up by five points, but the Bulls storing back, keeping Utah to just twelve points in the fourth quarter, and they tied the game, sending it into overtime. But in the overtime period, the Jazz took control and were up eighty eight to eighty five when Scottie Pippen attempted a three point shot at the end of regulation to send it into another overtime, and he missed, giving the Utah Jazz one in the finals. In Game two, still in Utah, the Bulls really took control, leading by four at halftime and Michael Jordan was leading the way and they were able to keep Carl Malone and Jockson Toxton under sixteen points as Michael Jordan outscored both of them himself, scoring thirty seven points. Then Game three gets moved to Chicago and the Chicago Bulls have one of the most dominant defensive performances ever in the NBA Finals, as Carl Malone was able to score twenty two points this game, but he was the only player on their team to score in double digits, as they only scored fourteen in the first quarter, seventeen in the second, giving them a thirty one point halftime score, and in the second half they only scored twenty three points, giving them a final score of fifty four, and the Balls scored ninety six, winning by forty two points, which was a record for the largest loss in Finals history and at the time was the lowest point scored by an NBA team in the Finals since the shot clock was introduced. And after this demoralizing loss, the Jazz were able to come back and at least make it a fight, as they were only down two points at halftime, But the Bulls were still too strong, as Michael Jordan scored thirty four and Carl Malone scored twenty one and the only other player in double figures was Byron Russell for the Jazz, and that wasn't enough and the Bulls won eighty six to eighty two, leading the series three to one. Now, Game five took place in Chicago. With their backs against the wall, the Jazz came out swinging, especially Karl Malone, who would go on to score thirty nine points in this game. Despite that they were down six points at halftime, but they came back with a dominant third quarter to take the lead by six points and would fight off the Bulls to win eighty three to eighty one in the only game where Michael Jordan was not the leading scorer for the Bulls, as Tony Kukoch scored thirty points and Michael Jordan only had twenty eight. Now the Bulls lead the series three to two and it goes back to Utah for Game six and this is often the game that everyone remembers for the shot and during this game, Scottie Pippen goes out with an injury early and only scores eight points the entire game, but Michael Jordan goes on to score forty five in this game as he was ready to end the series to night. But with forty one seconds set left, John Sockton hits a three point shot, giving Utah the lead eighty six to eighty three, and the crowd is going wild, but Michael Jordan is able to make a layup, putting the game within one point. But it's the Utah Jazz possession when Michael Jordan steals pass from John Stockton to Carl Malone and with ten seconds remaining, being guarded by Byron Russell, Michael Jordan does arguably the most famous crossover about twenty feet away from the basket, hitting the shot with five seconds left to give the Bulls the lead eighty seven to eighty six, but there was still a little bit of time and as time expired, John Stockton shoots a three point shot and missus, giving the Bulls the game and the series, and the Bulls would win the second three peats and Michael Jordan is named Finals MVP for the sixth time. And after this game, it'd be the last time the Jazz or the Bulls made it to the NBA Finals because after this season, Phil Jackson would leave the team to go coach the Los Angeles Lakers, where he would win three straight titles with them, and on January thirteenth, nineteen ninety nine, Michael Jordan would announce his retirement for the second time and Scottie Pippen would be traded to Houston Rockets, ending an era for the Bulls in the NBA, who arguably had one of the most dominant stretches in an eight year period, winning six titles, having two three peats, and the sad thing is two of the greatest players to ever play the game in John Sockton and Karl Alone were never able to win a championship because they kept running in to the unbeatable Chicago Bulls. Thank you for listening to today's Daily Sports History. I want to thank Wesley Wright, Jared Baker, Josh Mucia, and Malcolm Connor all who suggested this topic. It was one of our most suggested topics. It's a great moment in history and that shot will always live on. And thank you guys so much. If you want to have a topic done, all you need to do is leave us a review wherever you're listening, or go to or go to Apple Podcast and leave our review there. Leave us your name and the topic you like us to cover, and come back tomorrow for more Daily Sports History. And the answer to today's trivia question, which was what is the lowest score in an NBA Final game since the shot clock was instituted. The answer is fifty four by the Utah Jazz