Bulls vs Suns, 1993 NBA Finals Game 6

Lore & Background

The Bulls aimed at an elusive "three-peat" after two consecutive NBA championships. No team had won a third consecutive NBA title since the Boston Celtics won eight in a row from 1959 to 1966. In the off-season, Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen played for the Dream Team at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics, winning the gold medal. They entered the new season with little rest, but led the Bulls to a 57–25 record, good for second in the Eastern Conference. Chicago began its push with back-to-back sweeps of the Atlanta Hawks and Cleveland Cavaliers. Against the top-seeded New York Knicks, the Bulls fell behind 2–0 before winning the next two games in Chicago, tying the series. In Game 5 at Madison Square Garden, the Bulls stole a rare road victory, aided by an array of blocks on Charles Smith in the final seconds, before wrapping up the series in Game 6 at Chicago Stadium.

In Their Own Story

The Arizona heat seemed to press against the glass as the clock wound down with just eight seconds left. The Suns clung to a narrow lead, and America West Arena roared for the final stop needed to force overtime. Jordan dribbled near the top of the key, eyes locked on the basket amidst the cacophony. He drove left, stepped back, and rose over Dan Majerle. The ball hung against the arena lights before swishing through the net. As the final seconds ticked away on a futile Suns possession, Jordan stood with hands on hips, watching his teammates erupt while he absorbed the moment of immortality.

Reader's Guide

In Game 6, the Bulls got off to a good start but struggled in the fourth quarter, squandering a double-digit lead to trail 98–94. Michael Jordan made a layup to cut the lead to 2 points, and Dan Majerle's 30-foot three-pointer fell short on the Suns' next possession. Trailing 98–96, Chicago ran a play called "Blind Pig" that had them increasing the play's "thrust" by bringing the ball from 3/4 back of the basket. Danny Ainge left John Paxson to try and either steal the ball or foul Horace Grant, who had missed all five of his shot attempts in the game. Grant saw Paxson alone 25 feet from the basket and fired a perfect pass, and Paxson then made a three pointer with 3.9 seconds left, giving the Bulls a 99–98 lead. Paxson's three-point field goal was the only score by any Bulls player other than Michael Jordan in the entire fourth quarter. The victory was secured by a last-second block from Grant on Kevin Johnson.

Did You Know?

• Michael Jordan averaged a Finals-record 41.0 PPG during the six-game series.
• Jordan became the first player in NBA history to win three straight Bill Russell NBA Finals Most Valuable Player Awards.
• The Bulls became the first team since the Boston Celtics of the 1960s to win three consecutive championship titles.
• John Paxson's game-winning 3-pointer in Game 6 gave the Bulls a 99–98 victory.