NBA's 60 Greatest Playoff Moments: #1

With Game 6 of the NBA Finals on the line, everyone in the Delta Center -- Utah Jazz coaches and players included -- knew the ball would end up in his hands. For the Chicago Bulls, too, it was another no-brainer. There was no play to call, no screens to set. It was simple: Get it to '23'. That Michael Jordan is the go-to guy in the last seconds of any close Bulls game is the worst secret in basketball -- and still it makes no difference.

Further, the Jazz learned in heartbreaking fashion that the more there is at stake, the more pressure-packed the moment, the more unstoppable Jordan becomes.

With Chicago trailing by three points in the final minute, Jordan first scored on a drive. Then he stripped the ball from Karl Malone at the defensive end. Finally, he buried the game-winning shot, a 20-footer with 5.2 seconds left, that gave the Bulls an 87-86 victory and their sixth championship in eight years.

Jordan had overcome fatigue and finished with 45 points as he won his sixth Finals Most Valuable Player award, while reaffirming his status as the NBA's best player.

"Let's face it," said Bulls guard Steve Kerr. "We all hopped on Michael's back. He just carried us. It was his game tonight. That guy was ridiculous. He is so good it's scary."

Jordan shot 15-of-35 from the field and 12-of-15 from the line. He scored 16 points in the fourth quarter, including Chicago's final eight over the last 2:06, carrying the offense as Scottie Pippen -- hampered by a back injury -- struggled.

Jordan's critical steal from Malone set in motion the Bulls' climactic rally.

"We've been trying to double-team (Malone)," Jordan said. "And (Utah's Jeff) Hornacek was trying to, I guess, pick Karl Malone, and he never really cleared, which gave me an opportunity to go back. Karl never saw me coming, and I was able to knock the ball away."

Moments later, Jordan finished off the Jazz with a simple swish. With the clock ticking below 10 seconds, Jazz swingman Bryon Russell occupied Jordan's path to the basket with tight one-on-one defense. But in an instant, Russell fell for a fake, slipped to the floor, and allowed an essentially wide-open Jordan to bury the shot and play the role of hero once again.

"As soon as Russell reached, he gave me a clear lane. I made my initial drive, and he bit on it, and I stopped, pulled up and I had an easy jump shot," Jordan said. "I had a great look, and it went in. Once it went in I knew from that point on, we've been hanging around long enough, it was the game-winning basket, and it was a matter of playing solid defense. Our defense has held us strong all series, we wouldn't be in this scenario without the defense. All we had to do was play defense for 5.8 seconds, and I knew we could do that."

Said Jazz coach Jerry Sloan: "You can't afford to give them second chances, with Michael Jordan out there, he was going to make the plays, he was able to do that and you live with that."

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[TurnMySwagOn911]

The last shot Michael Jordan took as a Chicago Bull... Sad..

[HardknockS231]

Anybody else notice that Lebron James isn't in any of these top 60 greatest playoff moments?? lmao

Some of you are probably thinking.."Lebron James..who's that?" well if you only watch the fourth quarter of every NBA game then your best bet is to probably go ask Cleveland..Miami would lie to you and say he's the best ever..ha what a joke

[KingsofMadrid]

@HardknockS231 Lebron makes more money then you. Just sayin

[genericallyaccepted]

anyone know this song?

[IBdaPrince]

@maxoid5 I think the play made number 1 because (at the time) the significance of it being his last game and MJ ending his career on top, with the game winning shot for ring #6. I wouldn't argue the Havlicek play though, the Larry Bird one I would only because it was Conference Finals against the Pistons, and his play would later be trumped by Magic's hook in the closing moments of game 4 of the Finals.

[sniper6r4]

that was shit

[dlawson688]

@maxoid5 non taken, but no one agrees with you.

[TheCorySteele]

the nba's greatest playoff moment was an offensive foul

[lazarosapoel]

@HardknockS231 this 60 greatest moments was until 2006

[bwoy7]

NBA's 60 Greatest Playoff Moments: #1 Michael Jordan, I only have one question to ask....Who else?

[Michoacan209tapout]

Greatest play in playoff history by the gratest to ever play the,game

[2Addicted2YT]

Why didn't they show the whole play? The shot on it's own doesn't make it the best play in the playoffs unless you include the steal off Malone.