The 1997 NBA Finals Game 6: Bulls vs. SuperSonics

Lore & Background

For the Chicago Bulls, the campaign was almost identical to their record-breaking 1995–96 season. They began the season 12–0, and by the All-Star break, were 42–6, putting them on pace to win 70 games for a second year in a row. But some late-season injuries and poor play, including Scottie Pippen's failed attempt at a game-winning three-pointer in the Bulls' final regular season game against the New York Knicks, and the Bulls settled for a league-best 69–13 record. The Jazz emerged as a force in the Western Conference as far back as the mid-1980s, powered by its All-Star duo of point guard John Stockton and power forward Karl Malone. They advanced to the Western Conference finals three times between 1992 and 1996 (1992, 1994 and 1996), but lost on each occasion. However, a different story was written for the 1996–97 season. Powered by league MVP Karl Malone, along with the talented John Stockton, the Jazz finally asserted themselves atop the Western Conference, finishing with a franchise-record 64 wins.

In Their Own Story

The arena hummed with anticipation as the final minutes ticked away on the clock. Michael Jordan stood at the free-throw line, sweat dripping from his brow, the weight of a championship resting on his shoulders. The crowd roared, a mix of desperate hope and exhausted tension filling KeyArena. With every bounce of the ball against the hardwood, the legacy of the Bulls was being written in real-time.

Reader's Guide

The Finals were played using a 2–3–2 site format, where the first two and last two games are held at the team with home court advantage's (Chicago's) home court (United Center). Game 1: Despite injuring his foot in the Eastern Conference finals against Miami, Scottie Pippen helped the Bulls to an 84–82 victory over Utah on Sunday. He scored 27 points while Jordan scored 31. Michael Jordan made a 20-footer at the buzzer to give Chicago a 1–0 series lead. Game 2: The Bulls simply dominated Game 2. After a hard-fought first quarter, the Bulls took control of the game with a 12–0 second-quarter run. Dennis Rodman nailed a late 3-pointer to put the Bulls up 97–85. Game 3: Utah's fans welcomed their proud Western Conference champs with force. Utah was led by Karl Malone, who scored 37 points and had 10 rebounds. Chicago attempted a 4th-quarter comeback, cutting a 24-point deficit down to 7, but Utah ultimately won its first game of the series. Game 4: A tight game with many lead changes throughout. The Jazz's 12–2 run tied the series at two games apiece. The 78–73 score was one of the lowest scores in NBA Finals history.

Did You Know?

• For the fifth time in as many Finals appearances, Michael Jordan was named NBA Finals MVP.
• The Bulls and Jazz won a combined 133 regular season games, the second most in Finals history behind the previous year's 136.
• Until 2016, the 1997 NBA Finals was the last to feature teams that won a total of at least 130 regular season games.
• Jordan joined Cliff Hagan in Game 6 in 1957, Jerry West in Game 3 in 1962, Larry Wright in Game 1 in 1979, and Dennis Johnson in Game 4 in 1985 as the only NBA Finals buzzer-beaters. To date, there has not been another b