Bulls vs Knicks, 1993 Eastern Conference Finals Game 7

Lore & Background

In the Eastern Conference Semi-finals, the Bulls faced the 2nd-seeded New York Knicks for the fourth consecutive year. The Bulls lost the first two games on the road at Madison Square Garden, then won the next two at the Chicago Stadium. After losing Game 5 on the road 87–86, the Bulls won Game 6 at home 93–79 to even the series. However, the Bulls lost Game 7 at Madison Square Garden 87–77, losing in a hard-fought seven-game series. The Knicks would advance to the 1994 NBA Finals, but would lose to the Rockets in a full seven-game series.

In Their Own Story

By the fourth quarter, Madison Square Garden was a cauldron of noise and tension. The Knicks rode their home crowd to keep pace, but Jordan refused to yield. As the Bulls extended their lead with calculated possessions, the energy shifted from anxiety to triumph. When the final horn sounded on the 94-84 victory, the silence that briefly fell over the Garden spoke louder than the roar before it. The Bulls had survived the gauntlet, leaving a physical and exhausted Knicks team in their wake.

Reader's Guide

One notable incident occurred in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Semi-finals against the Knicks at the Chicago Stadium on May 13, 1994. During the second quarter, second-year guard Jo Jo English and Knicks guard Derek Harper both got into a brawl which spilled into the stands near the fans; the brawl also occurred in front of NBA commissioner David Stern. Harper was fined $15,000 and suspended for two games, while English was fined $10,000 and suspended for one game. Another incident in Game 3 occurred late in the fourth quarter; with 1.8 seconds remaining and the score tied at 102–102, head coach Phil Jackson designed a play for Toni Kukoč to take the game-winning shot. Scottie Pippen was upset that the play was not designed for him, argued with Jackson and refused to enter the game. The Bulls called another timeout as Jackson put Pete Myers in the game to replace Pippen. Kukoč took the inbound pass from Myers and hit a 22-foot jumper over Knicks defender Anthony Mason at the buzzer; the Bulls defeated the Knicks 104–102.

Did You Know?

• Scottie Pippen averaged 22.0 points, 8.7 rebounds, 5.6 assists and 2.9 steals per game, and was named to the All-NBA First Team and NBA All-Defensive First Team.
• Horace Grant averaged 15.1 points, 11.0 rebounds and 1.2 blocks per game, and was named to the NBA All-Defensive Second Team.
• Toni Kukoč was named to the NBA All-Rookie Second Team.
• During the 1994 NBA All-Star Game, Scottie Pippen scored 29 points along with 11 rebounds and 4 steals, and was named the NBA All-Star Game Most Valuable Player.
• The Bulls finished seventh in the NBA in home-game attendance, with an attendance of 760,816 at the Chicago Stadium during the regular season. This was their last season at the Chicago Stadium before moving to the United