Bulls vs. Lakers: 1991 NBA Finals Game 4

Lore & Background

This was Michael Jordan's first NBA Finals appearance and Magic Johnson's last. The Bulls' victory marked the first time they defeated the Lakers in a playoff series, ending the Lakers' Showtime era and beginning the Bulls' dynasty. Jordan averaged 31.2 points on 56% shooting, 11.4 assists, 6.6 rebounds, 2.8 steals and 1.4 blocks en route to his first NBA Finals MVP Award.

In Their Own Story

The air in The Forum was electric, yet laced with a creeping dread for the home fans. Magic Johnson drove the lane, his eyes scanning the paint, but the help defense was already there—Scottie Pippen waiting like a coiled spring. Jordan, sweat glistening under the arena lights, didn't need to shout; his presence commanded the floor. As the fourth quarter wound down and the Bulls pulled away, the silence of the crowd grew louder than the squeak of sneakers on hardwood. When the final whistle blew, the roar that erupted wasn't from Los Angeles, but from the traveling Chicago faithful who had witnessed history: a dynasty born in the heart of enemy territory.

Reader's Guide

In Game 4, the Lakers led 28–27 after the first quarter, only the second time in the 1991 playoffs that a team led the Bulls at the end of the first quarter. Chicago then went on a 19–9 run to start the second period and took a 46–37 lead. Michael Jordan scored 11 points in the second quarter, while the Lakers made only 12 of 41 shots in the second and third quarters. The Lakers suffered a huge blow as James Worthy and Byron Scott left the game (and eventually the series) with ankle and shoulder injuries, respectively.

Did You Know?

• The 1991 NBA Finals was the first NBA Finals broadcast by NBC after 17 years with CBS.
• Michael Jordan became only the fourth player in NBA history to capture the scoring title and a championship in the same season.
• The Bulls swept the Detroit Pistons in the Eastern Conference finals after the Pistons walked off the court with 8 seconds left in a blowout loss.
• The Lakers replaced head coach Pat Riley with Mike Dunleavy, Sr. before the 1990–91 season.