4a. Bulls reach mountaintop for the first time in 1991
After dropping the first game at home in the 1991 NBA Finals, the Bulls reeled off four straight victories to win the franchise’s first NBA title against Earvin “Magic” Johnson and the Los Angeles Lakers.
Game 5 was more than just finishing off the Lakers and winning the title. The 1990-91 season was the ascendance of the Chicago Bulls to the top of the NBA food chain.
“The Bulls weren’t good enough to beat Boston and Detroit in the Eastern Conference.”
The Bulls won 61 games and had home-court advantage through the playoffs.
“Yeah, but Jordan will never get past Detroit in the playoffs!”
The Bulls not only beat Detroit down, they swept the two-time defending champions out of the postseason.
There was only one obstacle left: The game’s best point guard and the “Co-Team of the 1980’s”.
Led by their two-time league MVP, the Bulls overcame their final obstacle, starting in Game 2. The Bulls didn’t want to fly to Los Angeles down two games in the series, so who else but Michael Jordan would step up?
4b. “The Move”
“A SPEC-TACULAR MOVE … BY MICHAEL JORDAN!”
“The Move” led to two of Jordan’s game-high 33 points on 15-of-18 shooting in Game 2 of the series. Jordan dished out 13 assists and grabbed seven rebounds, and the Bulls tied the series at one win apiece.
In terms of improbable things that Michael Jordan did on a basketball court, this one ranks pretty high on the list.
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