1990 Eastern Conference Semifinals Game 7 vs Pistons

Lore & Background

The Bulls got off to a slow start losing their first three games, and later on holding a 5–6 start to the regular season. However, the team soon recovered posting a seven-game winning streak between November and December afterwards, and posting another seven-game winning streak in January, as the team held a 32–14 record at the All-Star break. The Bulls posted an 11-game winning streak between February and March, and then posted a nine-game winning streak in March, finishing in first place in the Central Division with a 61–21 record, surpassing their previous franchise-best record from the 1971–72 season, and earning the first seed in the Eastern Conference; the team qualified for the NBA playoffs for the seventh consecutive year. Widely regarded as one of the greatest teams of all time, the Bulls had the best team offensive rating and the seventh best team defensive rating in the NBA.

In Their Own Story

The air inside The Palace was thick with tension, smelling of stale popcorn and nervous sweat. As the fourth quarter clock wound down, Michael Jordan stood at the free-throw line, the roar of the Detroit crowd a deafening wall of sound trying to drown out his focus. He dribbled the ball once, twice, feeling the weight of history pressing against his shoulders. With a calm that belied the chaos around him, he stepped back and launched the shot that would change everything, silencing the Bad Boys forever.

Reader's Guide

In the Eastern Conference Finals, and for the fourth consecutive year, the Bulls faced off against the 3rd–seeded, and 2-time defending NBA champion Detroit Pistons, who were led by the All-Star trio of Isiah Thomas, Joe Dumars, and Defensive Player of the Year, Dennis Rodman. The Bulls won the first two games over the Pistons at the Chicago Stadium, and then won the next two games on the road, including a Game 4 win over the Pistons at The Palace of Auburn Hills, 115–94 to win the series in a four-game sweep, and advance to the NBA Finals for the first time in franchise history.

Did You Know?

• Michael Jordan won his second NBA Most Valuable Player of the Year award and also won the NBA Finals Most Valuable Player award.
• Craig Hodges won the NBA Three-Point Shootout for the second consecutive year during the 1991 NBA All-Star weekend.
• The Bulls finished fourth in the NBA in home-game attendance, with an attendance of 757,745 at the Chicago Stadium during the regular season.