Chicago Bulls - Indiana Pacers | 1998 Playoffs | ECF Game 7: "Last Dance" continues

The Chicago Bulls, given chance after chance by the Indiana Pacers, will have a chance at their third straight NBA title.

The two-time defending champions, playing their first Game Seven in four years, overcame surprisingly poor shooting by Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen with timely offensive rebounding in an 88-83 victory that vaulted the Bulls into the NBA Finals against the Utah Jazz.

"We definitely got the effort from our players, but the difference in the game was that we got beat to loose balls and on the boards," Pacers coach Larry Bird said. "We've talked about offenssive boards all year. Tonight we were just overmatched. The number of offensive rebounds they got ripped our hearts out."

Even with league rebound leader Dennis Rodman limited to six boards, the Bulls held a 50-34 edge on the glass. Pippen pulled down 12 and Jordan and Luc Longley grabbed nine apiece. Pippen and Jordan combined for 11 offensive rebounds.

"Rebounding is a huge part of our offense," Phil Jackson said. "One of the reasons we do well in that area is we have a lot of people around the boards. We have a sense of just being there when the shots are going up."

The Bulls had more to lose and it showed in the early going. Everyone appeared tentative, including Jordan, who was playing in his first Game Seven in six years. Chicago quickly fell behind as Indiana calmly executed its offense.

Jordan's follow shot 91 seconds into the game gave Chicago a 5-4 lead, but Indiana scored the next 10 points. Smits and Dale Davis had four apiece and a turnaround jumper by Davis extended the lead to 14-5 with 7:45 remaining.

Even after a timeout, the Bulls continued to struggle and the Pacers, who made their first eight shots, widened the advantage to 20-7 on a free throw by Jackson with 5:41 left, silencing the sellout crowd at the United Center.

Rose's free throw opened the second quarter before the Bulls finally snapped out of it and got back in the game with their defense, rebounding and bench. Kukoc scored and Jordan had a pair of baskets around a three-pointer by Kerr to forge a 28-28 tie.

"We were able to win this game with defense and that's been a keynote for us throughout our championship runs," Jordan said. "I give our bench a lot of credit. Kerr gave us some huge minutes."

The Bulls widened a three-point halftime lead to 69-61 behind Kukoc, who was 5-of-5 in the third quarter, including a trio of three-pointers. But Chicago went scoreless over the final 2:17 of the period, as Dale Davis made free throws around a layup by Game Six hero Travis Best to cut the deficit to 69-65.

"Kukoc is the guy tonight who really stepped up big for us," Jackson said. "Without his contribution and Steve Kerr's open looks off the bench, we don't stay in this game."

Jordan ended Chicago's 10-shot dry spell of 6:44 with a follow shot with 7:53 remaining. Smits made a free throw before Jordan drove for a dunk and drew a foul with 7:28 to go. His free throw gave the Bulls the lead, but Smits converted a three-point play and Antonio Davis made a foul shot before the game's telling sequence.

McKey stripped Jordan on a drive and a jump ball between the 7-4 Smits and 6-5 Jordan was called. Smits tipped the ball straight to Pippen, who found Kerr for a three-pointer that tied it at 77-77 with 6:07 left.

Antonio Davis made a banker, but Jordan tied it with two foul shots and Pippen made a jumper after his offensive rebound to give the Bulls the lead for good at 81-79 with 4:45 remaining. A jumper by Longley - his only basket of the game - moved the margin to four points with 3:25 left.

Indiana's Reggie Miller scored 22 points, but none over the last 15:30. He attempted just one shot in the fourth quarter -- an airball that Antonio Davis converted into the Pacers' only hoop off an offensive rebound with 2:05 left, cutting the deficit to 85-83.

After Miller's miss, Pippen beat him down the floor and threw in a running hook as Davis fouled out. Pippen missed the free throws, but Jordan rebounded, killing valuable time.

Indiana's Derrick McKey forced a three-pointer and Harper was fouled with 8.9 seconds left, making a free throw to seal the seventh win of the series by the home team.

"This series and this game was a test of our will to determine if we're still championship caliber," Bulls coach Phil Jackson said. "We were able to answer that in a positive way tonight."

The Bulls held the Pacers scoreless over the final 2:05 and reached the Finals for the sixth time in eight years. They have never lost in the championship round and begin a rematch with the Jazz on Wednesday night in Salt Lake City.

"Not having home court is going to definitely be to Utah's advantage," Jordan said. "But nobody has taken anything away from us yet. We're still the champions and that's how we're going to think when we go into this series."

Category:

Sports

Tags:

• Chicago
• Bulls
• Indiana
• Pacers
• Michael
• Jordan
• NBA
• Basketball
• Playoffs
• 1998
• Elimination
• Pippen
• Miller
• Kerr
• Kukoc
• Bird

[jan279]

This Indiana team should have been included in NBA 2K11! =)))

[lobelia2]

lebron are you watching?

[geoff1424]

steve kerr holy hell!  just whip lash on those threes!

[gigalonupe]

GOAT

[wisenuff1]

@wornoutshoes11 Nba is an "era thing" as much as you like Jordan... He is NOT coming out of the 80 with 6 Champinship. Not with Bird Magic and the Bad boys in thier prime. He couldnt even beat the bad boys them for 3 straight years much less magic and bird. He dominated HIS era.. YES. which was the 90's But He never beat Larry in a Playof series and wouldnt have beaten magic in the 80's becuase he didnt understand the "team concept" yet no matter who you put with him.

[wisenuff1]

@wornoutshoes11 jordan was NOT a complete play in the 80's and would not have beaten magic in his prime. Godd scorer, yes but not able to make his team mates better.It took a tounge lashing from Phil jackson during the 1991 finals for jordan to realize he had to pass (to paxson) in order to win. Magic was a winner from the day 1. (1980rookie of year, finals mvp) playing the center position handing out assist and points . He made others better from day 1. It took jordan 7 years to figure that out

[comicelaya]

By the way I enjoyed more this playoff series agagins the Pacers, than the final against the Utah Jazz..just my opinion

[comicelaya]

One of the few teams that could take the bulls (Jordan era) to the 7th game...epic

[wornoutshoes11]

@wisenuff1 even BIRD himself said that if only MJ had help early on his career he could have won rings a bit earlier and never had to wait 7 yrs for his first ring. it is not about BIRD or MAGIC dominating MJ, its just that the celtics and the lakers were so stacked in the 80's they simply crushed MJ and his weak supporting cast.

[wornoutshoes11]

@wisenuff1 not really dude... if jerry reisdorf has the mentality of a jerry buss (Laker owner) he would have given MJ a super center and a bunch of other great players to play with and could have started to compete for the finals in his early years. the thing about the bulls is that they are what u can call a legit team, a team that went the process of really building a franchise through drafting player's. it was a slow process but once they got there...they simply became unbeatable.

[bboyleap]

jordan is the reason why alot of great nba players never had rings

[Apollo7265]

@jan279 wrd son and '93 phoenix suns