The Last Dance - Bulls Go Back to Back, Then Get The Three-peat

The 1991-92 Back-to-Back Champion Chicago Bulls.

The 1991-92 Chicago Bulls season started off with a bang as the team received their championship rings from the previous year and then proceeded to roll to a 39-9 record, which included a 13-game winning streak during the month of January, by the NBA's All-Star break.
The Bulls would finish the regular season with a 67-15 record, the best in the NBA, including a 36-5 record at home and 31-10 on the road. Michael Jordan led the league in scoring once again, averaging 30.1 points per game. Scottie Pippen averaged 21.0 points per game while Horace Grant scored 14.2 PPG and averaged ten rebounds per game to lead the team.
Once the playoffs began, everyone was expecting the Bulls to cruise to another title, but this road to the NBA championship was much tougher than in 1990-91 (15-2 in post-season) as they finished 15-7 in the post-season, including a rugged seven-game series against the New York Knicks in the Eastern Conference semi-finals.
The Bulls would sweep the Miami Heat in three games in the opening round of the playoffs, including two blowout wins at Chicago Stadium before finishing things up with a 119-114 victory in Miami.
In the semi-finals, the Knicks stunned the Bulls by winning the opener in Chicago, 94-89 with Knicks center Patrick Ewing leading all scorers with 34 points (and 11 rebounds) to lead the way. The New York bench outscored Chicago's subs, 28-9 to help make the difference. Game two was a hard fought battle once again, with the Bulls getting an 86-78 win as Jordan scored 27 to lead the way. B.J. Armstrong contributed 18 points off the bench for Chicago as the Bulls reserves put 27 points on the board this time to help even the series 1-1 heading back to New York.
The teams would split the two games in Madison Square Garden and the Bulls won the pivotal game five, 96-88 back in Chicago. The Knicks blasted the Bulls, 100-86 in game six back in NYC to force the game seven in Chicago Stadium, which turned out to be no contest as the Bulls steam rolled the Knicks, 110-81 with a huge second half as they outscored the Knicks, 54-30 with MJ leading the way with 42 points while Pippen had a triple-double (17 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists) to put the stubborn Knicks away for good.
In the Eastern Conference Finals, the Bulls knocked out the Cleveland Cavaliers, four games to two, wrapping up the series in Cleveland with a 99-94 victory. The series had been tied 2-2 as the teams split the home and road games evenly. The Bulls blasted the Cavs, 112-89 in the crucial game five at Chicago Stadium as Jordan hung 37 points on them. The Bulls bench was key in the win, outscoring the Cavs' reserves by a 38-25 count. In the series clincher, Jordan and Pippen each poured in 29 points while Grant added 20 points to seal things up and send the Bulls back to the NBA Finals.
In the 1992 NBA Finals, Chicago outlasted the Portland Trail Blazers, four games to two to win back-to-back NBA championships. It marked the third consecutive time for back-to-back title winners in the NBA as the Detroit Pistons (1989-90) and the Los Angeles Lakers (1987-88) also accomplished the feat.
The Bulls crushed the Blazers in game one in Chicago Stadium, 122-89 as Michael Jordan scored 39 points while the Bulls shot 55 percent from the floor. Jordan made an NBA record six three-point field goals in the first half. The Bulls led 66-51 at the half and 104-68 after three quarters. In game two, Portland evened things up with a 115-104 overtime win as six players (including the starting five players) scored in double figures with Clyde Drexler leading the way with 26 points. Jordan led the Bulls with 39 points in defeat.
The next three games out west saw the Bulls get two out of three to send the finals back to Chicago

Bulls win it all again.

Stadium with the Bulls up, 3-2 and a chance to win the title at home. The Bulls took game three, 94-84 and the Blazers pulled back even at 2-2 with a fourth quarter comeback win in game four, 93-88 as Drexler and Jerome Kersey each had 21 points.
The pivotal game five went to the Bulls in pretty easy fashion, 119-106 as they raced out to a 39-26 lead after the first quarter and cruised the rest of the way, once again shooting 55 percent from the field. Jordan led all scorers with 46 points while Pippen added 24 and Drexler had 30 for Portland in the loss.
The deciding game six was a thriller for the ages as the Bulls overcame a 15-point fourth quarter deficit thanks mainly to the bench players effort, including Bobby Hansen (a mid-season acquisition) who hit a big three-point shot and then made a steal to fuel the come from behind effort.
After the Bulls got back into it, Jordan (game high 33 points) and company put the finishing touches on it. Scottie Pippen added 26 points as the Bulls outscored Portland, 33-14 in the final quarter for the 97-93 final score that gave the Bulls their second consecutive NBA championship.

                                        Chicago Bulls --  Back-to-Back NBA Champions ! 




The 1992-93 season saw the Bulls get out to a 21-7 start with the highlight being an 89-77 mauling of the rival New York Knicks at Chicago Stadium on Christmas Day. A rough stretch in January (7-8) cost the Bulls the chance for home court advantage throughout the East playoffs this season (Knicks

finished first in the East in 1992-93 with a 60-22 mark) as the Bulls rebounded to go 29-10 the final three months of the season to finish 57-25 (32-9 at home and 25-16 on the road) heading to the playoffs. Jordan did lead the NBA in scoring once again in the '92-'93 season, averaging 32.6 points per game.
Once the playoffs began, the Chicago Bulls rolled out to seven straight wins, sweeping the Atlanta Hawks in the first round then the Cleveland Cavaliers in the East semi-finals to pave the way to another playoff showdown against the New York Knicks in the Eastern Conference finals.
The Bulls disposed of Atlanta with two blowout wins at home and then a 98-88 victory in Atlanta to move forward. The Bulls didn't mess around with Cleveland in this season's playoffs like what happened the year before (4-2 series win in 1992 playoffs) as they completed the four-game sweep when Michael Jordan hit the shot at the buzzer in game four to win it, 103-101 and wrap things up.
The Eastern Conference finals started in New York this time around and the Knicks won the first two games in Madison Square Garden, including a 96-91 decision in game two as the Bulls shot just 43 percent from the field.
Game three back in Chicago was all Bulls as they raced out to a 62-43 halftime lead and never looked back en route to an easy 103-83 win. Game four was more of the same as Chicago jumped ahead early once again and won it, 105-95 as Jordan scored 54 points to get the series even at two games each.
The pivotal game five back in New York came down to the wire and the Bulls defense rose up in a 97-94 win as Horace Grant blocked Charles Smith's layup attempt in the closing seconds. Jordan scored 29 points to lead the Bulls while Pippen had 28 points. Patrick Ewing led the Knicks with 33 points in defeat.
The series clincher back in Chicago went to the Bulls, 96-88 as they started strong (29-21 lead after first quarter) and held off the Knicks to win the series and advance to their third straight NBA Finals. Jordan and Pippen once again led the way, scoring 25 and 24 points, respectively.
In the NBA Finals, the Phoenix Suns were waiting and had home court advantage as they had the NBA's best record that season. Led by Most Valuable Player Charles Barkley, the Suns split the two

Three time  NBA champions.

regular season games with the Bulls as each team won on the road. That would prove to play out once again in these finals.
Chicago won the first two games in Phoenix, taking game one, 100-92 as Jordan scored 31 points and Pippen had 27 and then won game two, 111-108 behind 42 points from Jordan, 24 points by Horace Grant and a triple-double by Pippen, who finished with 15 points, 12 rebounds and 12 assists.
Game three in Chicago went into triple overtime as the Suns survived with a 129-121 win to get back into the series. Seven Phoenix players scored in double figures (led by 28 from Dan Majerle) as they outscored Chicago 15-7 in the third extra session. Jordan scored 44 points in defeat while B.J. Armstrong and Pippen added 21 points and 26 points, respectively.
Game four was all Michael Jordan as he scored 55 points to lead the Bulls to a 111-105 decision and a commanding three games to one lead in the series. The Bulls were looking to wrap things up two nights later at home, but the Suns had other ideas as they outplayed the Bulls the entire game and came away with a relatively easy 108-98 win in game five. Charles Barkley scored 24 points while Kevin Johnson and Richard Dumas each added 25 points. Jordan led Chicago with 41 points as the series went back to Phoenix with the Bulls holding a 3-2 series lead.

Game six was Sunday, June 20, 1993 in Phoenix and was one for the record books as the Bulls

Paxson nails the deciding three pointer.

Bulls get the Three-peat.

completed the three-peat with an exciting 99-98 victory as John Paxson (eight points) nailed a three-point shot with just four seconds remaining and then Horace Grant blocked Kevin Johnson's jumper as time expired.


Jordan scored 33 points in the clincher while Pippen had 23 points as the Bulls jumped out to a 37-28 lead after the first quarter. But the Suns, led by balanced scoring from Barkley and Majerle (21 points each) and Johnson (19 points) forged ahead in the second half before the late game heroics by Paxson and Grant.

Michael Jordan was named Finals MVP, averaging 41 points per game and the Chicago Bulls had done the impossible . . .   "Three-peat" three time NBA champions !