The 1996 NBA playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 1995–96 season. The tournament concluded with the Eastern Conference champion Chicago Bulls defeating the Western Conference champion Seattle SuperSonics 4 games to 2. Michael Jordan was named NBA Finals MVP for a then record fourth time.
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| Tournament details | |
|---|---|
| Dates | April 25 – June 16, 1996 |
| Season | 1995–96 |
| Teams | 16 |
| Final positions | |
| Champions | Chicago Bulls (4th title) |
| Runner-up | Seattle SuperSonics |
| Semifinalists |
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← 1995
1997 →
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The Chicago Bulls entered the NBA playoffs with a record of 72–10 (the best regular season record until the 2016 Golden State Warriors went 73–9), eclipsing the 1972 Los Angeles Lakers record of 69–13, helped by Michael Jordan’s first full season back from his mid-1990’s retirement and the addition of another future Hall of Famer to the Bulls, Dennis Rodman. The SuperSonics were only the tenth team in NBA history to win 64 games during the regular season, but their feat went largely unnoticed due to Chicago's record 72 wins.
This was the Sacramento Kings' first playoff appearance since 1986, but would be Mitch Richmond's only one as a King (he previously appeared twice in the playoffs for the Golden State Warriorsin1989 and 1991). The Kings did not make it back until 1999, which began their eight-year string of playoff appearances. Richmond would be traded to the Wizards in 1998 and would later win his first and only championship with the Lakers in 2002 (he would retire shortly thereafter).
Game 4 of the Lakers-Rockets series was Magic Johnson’s final NBA game. He would retire for good after a brief in-season comeback following the loss.
As for the two-time defending NBA champion Houston Rockets, their quest for a 3-peat was thwarted by the Seattle SuperSonics, who swept the Rockets 4–0 in the Western Conference Semifinals. The SuperSonics were also the last team to defeat the Rockets in the playoffs before their two–year title run, in the 1993 Western Conference Semifinals (Seattle won 4–3). Also noted during their two-year title run, the Rockets never faced the SuperSonics in the playoffs as they were eliminated in the first round by both the Denver Nuggets and the Los Angeles Lakers, respectively.
The 1996 Eastern Conference Finals between the Chicago Bulls and Orlando Magic were redemption for Michael Jordan after his first return to the playoffs in 1995 and the Bulls' disappointing second-round loss to the 1995 Orlando Magic, a team that would be swept in last year’s finals. With Jordan leading the way, the Bulls swept the defending Eastern Conference champion Magic, winning all four games by an average of 17 points. As for the Magic, it ended a three-year run of dominance for the team, as Shaquille O'Neal went on to sign with the Lakers the following season. The Magic did not have another 50-win season, division title and first round playoff series victory until 2008, followed the season afterward by an Eastern Conference championship and the franchise's second NBA Finals appearance in 2009 to which they lost to the Lakers.
With their Western Conference Finals victory over the Utah Jazz, the Seattle SuperSonics made the NBA Finals for the first time since 1979. They wouldn't return ever again because the franchise was sold after drafting future Pro Basketball Hall of Famer, Kevin Durant. With the win, the SuperSonics vindicated themselves as well after their stunning first-round loss to the Denver Nuggetsin1994, when they had become the first top seeded team to lose to an eighth-seed in the NBA playoffs. Despite the Jazz losing in seven games to the SuperSonics in the Western Conference Finals (their third appearance in 5 years), in retrospect it kickstarted their own Finals run, which they ultimately accomplished in 1997 and 1998, but lost both times to the Bulls.
By winning their fourth title in six years, the Bulls capped what many consider to be the greatest season in NBA history, finishing with a combined 87–13 record, including 72–10 in the regular season and 15–3 in the postseason. In addition, they remain the first and only team to win 70+ games in the regular season and win the NBA championship.
| First Round | Conference Semifinals | Conference Finals | NBA Finals | ||||||||||||||||
| E1 | Chicago* | 3 | |||||||||||||||||
| E8 | Miami | 0 | |||||||||||||||||
| E1 | Chicago* | 4 | |||||||||||||||||
| E5 | New York | 1 | |||||||||||||||||
| E4 | Cleveland | 0 | |||||||||||||||||
| E5 | New York | 3 | |||||||||||||||||
| E1 | Chicago* | 4 | |||||||||||||||||
| Eastern Conference | |||||||||||||||||||
| E2 | Orlando* | 0 | |||||||||||||||||
| E3 | Indiana | 2 | |||||||||||||||||
| E6 | Atlanta | 3 | |||||||||||||||||
| E6 | Atlanta | 1 | |||||||||||||||||
| E2 | Orlando* | 4 | |||||||||||||||||
| E2 | Orlando* | 3 | |||||||||||||||||
| E7 | Detroit | 0 | |||||||||||||||||
| E1 | Chicago* | 4 | |||||||||||||||||
| W1 | Seattle* | 2 | |||||||||||||||||
| W1 | Seattle* | 3 | |||||||||||||||||
| W8 | Sacramento | 1 | |||||||||||||||||
| W1 | Seattle* | 4 | |||||||||||||||||
| W5 | Houston | 0 | |||||||||||||||||
| W4 | LA Lakers | 1 | |||||||||||||||||
| W5 | Houston | 3 | |||||||||||||||||
| W1 | Seattle* | 4 | |||||||||||||||||
| Western Conference | |||||||||||||||||||
| W3 | Utah | 3 | |||||||||||||||||
| W3 | Utah | 3 | |||||||||||||||||
| W6 | Portland | 2 | |||||||||||||||||
| W3 | Utah | 4 | |||||||||||||||||
| W2 | San Antonio* | 2 | |||||||||||||||||
| W2 | San Antonio* | 3 | |||||||||||||||||
| W7 | Phoenix | 1 | |||||||||||||||||
The Seattle SuperSonics clinched the best record in the Western Conference, and had home court advantage throughout the Western Conference playoffs.
The following teams clinched a playoff berth in the West:[1]
The Chicago Bulls clinched the best record in the NBA, and earned home court advantage throughout the entire playoffs.
The following teams clinched a playoff berth in the East:
April 26 |
| Miami Heat 85, Chicago Bulls 102 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 22–29, 32–25, 13–25, 18–23 | ||
| Pts: Tim Hardaway30 Rebs: Chris Gatling9 Asts: Tim Hardaway7 |
Pts: Michael Jordan35 Rebs: Dennis Rodman10 Asts: three players 3 each | |
| Chicago leads series, 1–0 | ||
United Center, Chicago, Illinois |
April 28 |
| Miami Heat 75, Chicago Bulls 106 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 19–28, 19–35, 19–24, 18–19 | ||
| Pts: Sasha Danilovic15 Rebs: Chris Gatling11 Asts: Tim Hardaway4 |
Pts: Michael Jordan29 Rebs: Scottie Pippen8 Asts: Scottie Pippen8 | |
| Chicago leads series, 2–0 | ||
United Center, Chicago, Illinois |
May 1 |
| Chicago Bulls 112, Miami Heat91 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 37–23, 25–21, 27–22, 23–25 | ||
| Pts: Michael Jordan26 Rebs: Scottie Pippen18 Asts: Scottie Pippen10 |
Pts: Alonzo Mourning30 Rebs: Mourning, Thomas 8 each Asts: Tim Hardaway6 | |
| Chicago wins series, 3–0 | ||
Miami Arena, Miami, Florida |
| Chicago won 3–1 in the regular-season series | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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This was the second playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Bulls winning the first meeting.
| Chicago leads 1–0 in all-time playoff series | ||||||
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April 26 |
| Detroit Pistons 92, Orlando Magic 112 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 18–24, 29–23, 17–33, 28–32 | ||
| Pts: Grant Hill21 Rebs: Grant Hill11 Asts: three players 4 each |
Pts: Dennis Scott23 Rebs: Horace Grant13 Asts: Brian Shaw11 | |
| Orlando leads series, 1–0 | ||
Orlando Arena, Orlando, Florida |
April 28 |
| Detroit Pistons 77, Orlando Magic 92 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 19–25, 19–16, 19–24, 20–27 | ||
| Pts: Allan Houston23 Rebs: Otis Thorpe16 Asts: Otis Thorpe3 |
Pts: Shaquille O'Neal29 Rebs: Horace Grant10 Asts: Penny Hardaway8 | |
| Orlando leads series, 2–0 | ||
Orlando Arena, Orlando, Florida |
April 30 |
| Orlando Magic 101, Detroit Pistons98 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 27–18, 24–30, 30–22, 20–28 | ||
| Pts: Penny Hardaway24 Rebs: Horace Grant16 Asts: Penny Hardaway5 |
Pts: Allan Houston33 Rebs: Otis Thorpe13 Asts: Joe Dumars7 | |
| Orlando wins series, 3–0 | ||
The Palace of Auburn Hills, Auburn Hills, Michigan |
| Orlando won 3–1 in the regular-season series | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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This was the first playoff meeting between the Pistons and the Magic.[3]
April 25 |
| Atlanta Hawks 92, Indiana Pacers80 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 21–27, 28–13, 19–28, 24–12 | ||
| Pts: Steve Smith27 Rebs: Grant Long14 Asts: Mookie Blaylock9 |
Pts: Rik Smits19 Rebs: Dale Davis12 Asts: Ricky Pierce5 | |
| Atlanta leads series, 1–0 | ||
Market Square Arena, Indianapolis, Indiana |
April 27 |
| Atlanta Hawks 94, Indiana Pacers 102 (OT) | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 15–29, 27–24, 19–19, 26–15, Overtime: 7–15 | ||
| Pts: Steve Smith25 Rebs: Christian Laettner9 Asts: Mookie Blaylock7 |
Pts: Rik Smits29 Rebs: Dale Davis12 Asts: Mark Jackson9 | |
| Series tied, 1–1 | ||
Market Square Arena, Indianapolis, Indiana |
April 29 |
| Indiana Pacers 83, Atlanta Hawks 90 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 20–21, 20–19, 25–29, 18–21 | ||
| Pts: McKey, Smits 13 each Rebs: Dale Davis10 Asts: Mark Jackson6 |
Pts: Steve Smith26 Rebs: Christian Laettner8 Asts: Mookie Blaylock7 | |
| Atlanta leads series, 2–1 | ||
Omni Coliseum, Atlanta, Georgia |
May 2 |
| Indiana Pacers 83, Atlanta Hawks75 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 25–22, 25–19, 18–23, 15–11 | ||
| Pts: Rik Smits17 Rebs: D. Davis, Smits 9 each Asts: Mark Jackson5 |
Pts: Steve Smith19 Rebs: Grant Long12 Asts: Mookie Blaylock5 | |
| Series tied, 2–2 | ||
Omni Coliseum, Atlanta, Georgia |
May 5 |
| Atlanta Hawks 89, Indiana Pacers87 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 22–25, 30–22, 15–16, 22–24 | ||
| Pts: Mookie Blaylock23 Rebs: Christian Laettner11 Asts: three players 3 each |
Pts: Reggie Miller29 Rebs: Dale Davis13 Asts: Mark Jackson8 | |
| Atlanta wins series, 3–2 | ||
Market Square Arena, Indianapolis, Indiana |
| Indiana won 3–1 in the regular-season series | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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This was the fourth playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Pacers winning two of the first three meetings.
| Indiana leads 2–1 in all-time playoff series | ||||||||||||||||||
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April 25 |
| New York Knicks 106, Cleveland Cavaliers83 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 22–17, 18–23, 29–27, 37–16 | ||
| Pts: Patrick Ewing23 Rebs: three players 7 each Asts: three players 7 each |
Pts: Terrell Brandon18 Rebs: Michael Cage8 Asts: Brandon, Majerle 5 each | |
| New York leads series, 1–0 | ||
Gund Arena, Cleveland, Ohio |
April 27 |
| New York Knicks 84, Cleveland Cavaliers80 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 17–21, 27–20, 18–18, 22–21 | ||
| Pts: Anthony Mason23 Rebs: Mason, Ewing 12 each Asts: John Starks7 |
Pts: Terrell Brandon21 Rebs: Michael Cage8 Asts: Terrell Brandon12 | |
| New York leads series, 2–0 | ||
Gund Arena, Cleveland, Ohio |
May 1 |
| Cleveland Cavaliers 76, New York Knicks 81 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 16–24, 16–26, 23–16, 21–15 | ||
| Pts: Terrell Brandon19 Rebs: Michael Cage12 Asts: Terrell Brandon7 |
Pts: John Starks22 Rebs: Patrick Ewing10 Asts: three players 4 each | |
| New York wins series, 3–0 | ||
Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York |
| Cleveland won 3–1 in the regular-season series | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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This was the third playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Knicks winning the first two meetings.
| New York leads 2–0 in all-time playoff series | ||||||||||||
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April 26 |
| Sacramento Kings 85, Seattle SuperSonics 97 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 13–24, 25–27, 26–24, 21–22 | ||
| Pts: Mitch Richmond18 Rebs: Olden Polynice9 Asts: Mitch Richmond4 |
Pts: Gary Payton29 Rebs: Ervin Johnson10 Asts: Gary Payton9 | |
| Seattle leads series, 1–0 | ||
KeyArena, Seattle, Washington |
April 28 |
| Sacramento Kings 90, Seattle SuperSonics81 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 22–23, 21–26, 22–18, 25–14 | ||
| Pts: Mitch Richmond37 Rebs: Olden Polynice16 Asts: Owens, Marciulionis 5 each |
Pts: Shawn Kemp21 Rebs: Shawn Kemp8 Asts: Gary Payton7 | |
| Series tied, 1–1 | ||
KeyArena, Seattle, Washington |
April 30 |
| Seattle SuperSonics 96, Sacramento Kings89 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 26–28, 22–22, 16–23, 32–16 | ||
| Pts: Sam Perkins17 Rebs: Shawn Kemp9 Asts: Gary Payton7 |
Pts: Mitch Richmond24 Rebs: Olden Polynice14 Asts: Billy Owens6 | |
| Seattle leads series, 2–1 | ||
ARCO Arena, Sacramento, California |
May 2 |
| Seattle SuperSonics 101, Sacramento Kings87 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 25–22, 25–26, 27–21, 24–18 | ||
| Pts: Gary Payton29 Rebs: Detlef Schrempf10 Asts: Detlef Schrempf9 |
Pts: Lionel Simmons24 Rebs: Polynice, Smith 9 each Asts: Lionel Simmons3 | |
| Seattle wins series, 3–1 | ||
ARCO Arena, Sacramento, California |
| Seattle won 4–0 in the regular-season series | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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This was the first playoff meeting between the Kings and the SuperSonics.[6]
April 26 |
| Phoenix Suns 98, San Antonio Spurs 120 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 26–28, 18–30, 29–37, 25–25 | ||
| Pts: Charles Barkley26 Rebs: Charles Barkley12 Asts: Kevin Johnson11 |
Pts: Vinny Del Negro29 Rebs: Will Perdue9 Asts: Avery Johnson18 | |
| San Antonio leads series, 1–0 | ||
Alamodome, San Antonio, Texas |
April 28 |
| Phoenix Suns 105, San Antonio Spurs 110 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 25–23, 34–36, 25–26, 21–25 | ||
| Pts: Charles Barkley30 Rebs: Charles Barkley20 Asts: Kevin Johnson16 |
Pts: David Robinson40 Rebs: David Robinson21 Asts: Avery Johnson15 | |
| San Antonio leads series, 2–0 | ||
Alamodome, San Antonio, Texas |
May 1 |
| San Antonio Spurs 93, Phoenix Suns 94 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 26–23, 28–29, 17–24, 22–18 | ||
| Pts: David Robinson22 Rebs: Will Perdue9 Asts: Vinny Del Negro8 |
Pts: Charles Barkley25 Rebs: Charles Barkley13 Asts: Kevin Johnson8 | |
| San Antonio leads series, 2–1 | ||
America West Arena, Phoenix, Arizona |
May 3 |
| San Antonio Spurs 116, Phoenix Suns98 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 28–26, 24–25, 33–18, 31–29 | ||
| Pts: David Robinson30 Rebs: David Robinson13 Asts: Avery Johnson13 |
Pts: Charles Barkley21 Rebs: Charles Barkley9 Asts: Kevin Johnson8 | |
| San Antonio wins series, 3–1 | ||
America West Arena, Phoenix, Arizona |
| San Antonio won 3–1 in the regular-season series | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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This was the third playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Suns winning the first two meetings.
| Phoenix leads 2–0 in all-time playoff series | ||||||||||||
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April 25 |
| Portland Trail Blazers 102, Utah Jazz 110 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 26–30, 30–14, 25–29, 21–37 | ||
| Pts: Rod Strickland27 Rebs: Chris Dudley10 Asts: Rod Strickland12 |
Pts: Karl Malone33 Rebs: Karl Malone9 Asts: John Stockton23 | |
| Utah leads series, 1–0 | ||
Delta Center, Salt Lake City, Utah |
April 27 |
| Portland Trail Blazers 90, Utah Jazz 105 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 27–30, 23–20, 28–27, 12–28 | ||
| Pts: Arvydas Sabonis26 Rebs: Arvydas Sabonis12 Asts: Rod Strickland7 |
Pts: Karl Malone30 Rebs: Karl Malone14 Asts: John Stockton16 | |
| Utah leads series, 2–0 | ||
Delta Center, Salt Lake City, Utah |
April 29 |
| Utah Jazz 91, Portland Trail Blazers 94 (OT) | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 17–11, 14–26, 28–26, 24–20, Overtime: 8–11 | ||
| Pts: Karl Malone35 Rebs: David Benoit11 Asts: John Stockton11 |
Pts: Arvydas Sabonis27 Rebs: Arvydas Sabonis12 Asts: Rod Strickland8 | |
| Utah leads series, 2–1 | ||
Rose Garden, Portland, Oregon |
May 1 |
| Utah Jazz 90, Portland Trail Blazers 98 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 17–27, 23–27, 24–20, 26–24 | ||
| Pts: Jeff Hornacek30 Rebs: Malone, Morris 6 each Asts: John Stockton11 |
Pts: Rod Strickland27 Rebs: Arvydas Sabonis13 Asts: Rod Strickland7 | |
| Series tied, 2–2 | ||
Rose Garden, Portland, Oregon |
May 5 |
| Portland Trail Blazers 64, Utah Jazz 102 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 12–18, 12–28, 14–24, 26–32 | ||
| Pts: Arvydas Sabonis14 Rebs: Arvydas Sabonis8 Asts: Rod Strickland8 |
Pts: Karl Malone25 Rebs: Karl Malone10 Asts: John Stockton11 | |
| Utah wins series, 3–2 | ||
Delta Center, Salt Lake City, Utah |
| Utah won 3–1 in the regular-season series | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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This was the fourth playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Trail Blazers winning two of the first three meetings.
| Portland leads 2–1 in all-time playoff series | ||||||||||||||||||
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April 25 |
| Houston Rockets 87, Los Angeles Lakers83 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 21–22, 19–17, 25–27, 22–17 | ||
| Pts: Hakeem Olajuwon33 Rebs: Olajuwon, Horry 8 each Asts: Drexler, Smith 4 each |
Pts: Cedric Ceballos22 Rebs: Cedric Ceballos12 Asts: Nick Van Exel8 | |
| Houston leads series, 1–0 | ||
Great Western Forum, Inglewood, California |
April 27 |
| Houston Rockets 94, Los Angeles Lakers 104 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 11–24, 31–25, 27–25, 25–30 | ||
| Pts: Sam Cassell22 Rebs: Horry, Olajuwon 7 each Asts: Sam Cassell8 |
Pts: Magic Johnson26 Rebs: Vlade Divac12 Asts: Magic Johnson5 | |
| Series tied, 1–1 | ||
Great Western Forum, Inglewood, California |
April 30 |
| Los Angeles Lakers 98, Houston Rockets 104 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 28–34, 27–22, 20–24, 23–24 | ||
| Pts: Elden Campbell18 Rebs: Elden Campbell10 Asts: Magic Johnson13 |
Pts: Hakeem Olajuwon30 Rebs: Robert Horry10 Asts: Clyde Drexler11 | |
| Houston leads series, 2–1 | ||
The Summit, Houston, Texas |
May 2 |
| Los Angeles Lakers 94, Houston Rockets 102 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 29–35, 22–23, 25–25, 18–19 | ||
| Pts: Cedric Ceballos25 Rebs: Cedric Ceballos12 Asts: Nick Van Exel11 |
Pts: Hakeem Olajuwon25 Rebs: Hakeem Olajuwon11 Asts: Olajuwon, Drexler 7 each | |
| Houston wins series, 3–1 | ||
The Summit, Houston, Texas |
Game 4 is Magic Johnson's final NBA game.
| Houston won 3–1 in the regular-season series | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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This was the fifth playoff meeting between these two teams, with each team winning two series apiece.
| Tied 2–2 in all-time playoff series | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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May 5 |
| New York Knicks 84, Chicago Bulls 91 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 17–25, 30–29, 22–19, 15–18 | ||
| Pts: Patrick Ewing21 Rebs: Patrick Ewing16 Asts: Derek Harper5 |
Pts: Michael Jordan44 Rebs: Dennis Rodman12 Asts: Scottie Pippen7 | |
| Chicago leads series, 1–0 | ||
United Center, Chicago, Illinois |
May 7 |
| New York Knicks 80, Chicago Bulls 91 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 19–22, 22–20, 18–19, 21–30 | ||
| Pts: Patrick Ewing23 Rebs: Charles Oakley11 Asts: Derek Harper5 |
Pts: Michael Jordan28 Rebs: Dennis Rodman19 Asts: Scottie Pippen6 | |
| Chicago leads series, 2–0 | ||
United Center, Chicago, Illinois |
May 11 |
| Chicago Bulls 99, New York Knicks 102 (OT) | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 17–25, 21–18, 20–19, 30–26, Overtime: 11–14 | ||
| Pts: Michael Jordan46 Rebs: Dennis Rodman16 Asts: Scottie Pippen6 |
Pts: John Starks30 Rebs: Oakley, Ewing 13 each Asts: John Starks6 | |
| Chicago leads series, 2–1 | ||
Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York |
Michael Jordan hits the game-tying 3 with 19.4 seconds left to force OT
May 12 |
| Chicago Bulls 94, New York Knicks91 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 24–28, 27–22, 26–18, 17–23 | ||
| Pts: Michael Jordan27 Rebs: Dennis Rodman19 Asts: Michael Jordan8 |
Pts: Patrick Ewing29 Rebs: Patrick Ewing10 Asts: Derek Harper5 | |
| Chicago leads series, 3–1 | ||
Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York |
Bill Wennington hits the game-winner with 36.9 seconds left.
May 14 |
| New York Knicks 81, Chicago Bulls 94 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 18–18, 18–24, 23–26, 22–26 | ||
| Pts: Patrick Ewing22 Rebs: Charles Oakley13 Asts: Derek Harper6 |
Pts: Michael Jordan35 Rebs: Dennis Rodman12 Asts: Jordan, R. Harper 5 each | |
| Chicago wins series, 4–1 | ||
United Center, Chicago, Illinois |
| Chicago won 3–1 in the regular-season series | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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This was the seventh playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Bulls winning five of the first six meetings.
| Chicago leads 5–1 in all-time playoff series | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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May 8 |
| Atlanta Hawks 105, Orlando Magic 117 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 24–29, 32–33, 24–30, 25–25 | ||
| Pts: Stacey Augmon23 Rebs: Alan Henderson8 Asts: Steve Smith9 |
Pts: Shaquille O'Neal41 Rebs: Shaquille O'Neal13 Asts: O'Neal, Hardaway 6 each | |
| Orlando leads series, 1–0 | ||
Orlando Arena, Orlando, Florida |
May 10 |
| Atlanta Hawks 94, Orlando Magic 120 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 19–36, 27–31, 20–22, 28–31 | ||
| Pts: Mookie Blaylock25 Rebs: Christian Laettner6 Asts: Steve Smith5 |
Pts: Shaquille O'Neal28 Rebs: Horace Grant11 Asts: Penny Hardaway7 | |
| Orlando leads series, 2–0 | ||
Orlando Arena, Orlando, Florida |
May 12 |
| Orlando Magic 103, Atlanta Hawks96 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 31–30, 23–21, 28–31, 21–14 | ||
| Pts: Shaquille O'Neal24 Rebs: Shaquille O'Neal12 Asts: Penny Hardaway6 |
Pts: Christian Laettner26 Rebs: Grant Long13 Asts: Mookie Blaylock8 | |
| Orlando leads series, 3–0 | ||
Omni Coliseum, Atlanta, Georgia |
May 13 |
| Orlando Magic 99, Atlanta Hawks 104 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 29–44, 18–23, 36–15, 16–22 | ||
| Pts: Grant, Hardaway 29 each Rebs: Horace Grant20 Asts: Penny Hardaway11 |
Pts: Steve Smith35 Rebs: Grant Long7 Asts: Mookie Blaylock11 | |
| Orlando leads series, 3–1 | ||
Omni Coliseum, Atlanta, Georgia |
May 15 |
| Atlanta Hawks 88, Orlando Magic 96 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 20–22, 27–30, 26–25, 15–19 | ||
| Pts: Grant Long24 Rebs: Grant Long13 Asts: Mookie Blaylock7 |
Pts: Shaquille O'Neal27 Rebs: Shaquille O'Neal15 Asts: O'Neal, Scott 4 each | |
| Orlando wins series, 4–1 | ||
Orlando Arena, Orlando, Florida |
| Tied 2–2 in the regular-season series | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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This was the first playoff meeting between the Hawks and the Magic.[11]
May 4 |
| Houston Rockets 75, Seattle SuperSonics 108 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 28–29, 16–15, 15–29, 16–35 | ||
| Pts: Robert Horry18 Rebs: Clyde Drexler9 Asts: Kenny Smith5 |
Pts: Gary Payton28 Rebs: Shawn Kemp12 Asts: Gary Payton7 | |
| Seattle leads series, 1–0 | ||
KeyArena, Seattle, Washington |
May 6 |
| Houston Rockets 101, Seattle SuperSonics 105 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 19–22, 32–27, 31–31, 19–25 | ||
| Pts: Clyde Drexler19 Rebs: Hakeem Olajuwon16 Asts: Kenny Smith7 |
Pts: Detlef Schrempf21 Rebs: Schrempf, Kemp 10 each Asts: Schrempf, Payton 5 each | |
| Seattle leads series, 2–0 | ||
KeyArena, Seattle, Washington |
May 10 |
| Seattle SuperSonics 115, Houston Rockets 112 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 28–37, 34–29, 28–18, 25–28 | ||
| Pts: Gary Payton28 Rebs: Shawn Kemp18 Asts: Gary Payton8 |
Pts: Clyde Drexler28 Rebs: Hakeem Olajuwon13 Asts: Kenny Smith11 | |
| Seattle leads series, 3–0 | ||
The Summit, Houston, Texas |
May 12 |
| Seattle SuperSonics 114, Houston Rockets 107 (OT) | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 26–18, 31–25, 26–23, 18–35, Overtime: 13–6 | ||
| Pts: Shawn Kemp32 Rebs: Shawn Kemp15 Asts: Gary Payton11 |
Pts: Hakeem Olajuwon26 Rebs: Clyde Drexler15 Asts: Drexler, Cassell 6 each | |
| Seattle wins series, 4–0 | ||
The Summit, Houston, Texas |
| Seattle won 4–0 in the regular-season series | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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This was the fifth playoff meeting between these two teams, with the SuperSonics winning the first four meetings. The SuperSonics defeated the two-time defending NBA champion Rockets to return to the Western Conference Finals for the second time in four years.
| Seattle leads 4–0 in all-time playoff series | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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May 7 |
| Utah Jazz 95, San Antonio Spurs75 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 29–18, 17–23, 28–20, 21–14 | ||
| Pts: Karl Malone23 Rebs: Karl Malone7 Asts: John Stockton19 |
Pts: David Robinson29 Rebs: Will Perdue7 Asts: Avery Johnson5 | |
| Utah leads series, 1–0 | ||
Alamodome, San Antonio, Texas |
May 9 |
| Utah Jazz 77, San Antonio Spurs 88 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 9–25, 29–11, 16–27, 23–25 | ||
| Pts: Karl Malone24 Rebs: Malone, Ostertag 8 each Asts: John Stockton13 |
Pts: David Robinson24 Rebs: David Robinson12 Asts: Avery Johnson10 | |
| Series tied, 1–1 | ||
Alamodome, San Antonio, Texas |
May 11 |
| San Antonio Spurs 75, Utah Jazz 105 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 20–32, 22–19, 16–32, 17–22 | ||
| Pts: Sean Elliott17 Rebs: David Robinson9 Asts: Avery Johnson10 |
Pts: Karl Malone32 Rebs: Karl Malone11 Asts: John Stockton7 | |
| Utah leads series, 2–1 | ||
Delta Center, Salt Lake City, Utah |
May 12 |
| San Antonio Spurs 86, Utah Jazz 101 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 20–24, 22–29, 32–30, 12–18 | ||
| Pts: Sean Elliott22 Rebs: Chuck Person6 Asts: Avery Johnson8 |
Pts: Chris Morris25 Rebs: Adam Keefe7 Asts: John Stockton10 | |
| Utah leads series, 3–1 | ||
Delta Center, Salt Lake City, Utah |
May 14 |
| Utah Jazz 87, San Antonio Spurs 98 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 16–26, 19–19, 18–23, 34–30 | ||
| Pts: Karl Malone24 Rebs: Karl Malone12 Asts: John Stockton8 |
Pts: David Robinson24 Rebs: David Robinson15 Asts: Sean Elliott8 | |
| Utah leads series, 3–2 | ||
Alamodome, San Antonio, Texas |
May 16 |
| San Antonio Spurs 81, Utah Jazz 108 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 17–22, 21–29, 23–27, 20–30 | ||
| Pts: Del Negro, Robinson 17 each Rebs: David Robinson8 Asts: Avery Johnson8 |
Pts: Karl Malone25 Rebs: Karl Malone13 Asts: John Stockton13 | |
| Utah wins series, 4–2 | ||
Delta Center, Salt Lake City, Utah |
| San Antonio won 3–1 in the regular-season series | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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This was the second playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Jazz winning the first meeting.
| Utah leads 1–0 in all-time playoff series | ||||||
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May 19 |
| Orlando Magic 83, Chicago Bulls 121 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 19–32, 26–23, 14–26, 24–40 | ||
| Pts: Penny Hardaway38 Rebs: Shaquille O'Neal6 Asts: Shaquille O'Neal6 |
Pts: Michael Jordan21 Rebs: Dennis Rodman21 Asts: Toni Kukoč10 | |
| Chicago leads series, 1–0 | ||
United Center, Chicago, Illinois |
May 21 |
| Orlando Magic 88, Chicago Bulls 93 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 23–20, 30–18, 16–29, 19–26 | ||
| Pts: Shaquille O'Neal36 Rebs: Shaquille O'Neal16 Asts: Brian Shaw6 |
Pts: Michael Jordan35 Rebs: Dennis Rodman12 Asts: Scottie Pippen9 | |
| Chicago leads series, 2–0 | ||
United Center, Chicago, Illinois |
Chicago overcame an 18-point deficit to win (64–46).
May 25 |
| Chicago Bulls 86, Orlando Magic67 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 23–20, 25–18, 15–19, 23–10 | ||
| Pts: Scottie Pippen27 Rebs: Dennis Rodman16 Asts: Scottie Pippen7 |
Pts: Penny Hardaway18 Rebs: Shaquille O'Neal12 Asts: O'Neal, Hardaway 3 each | |
| Chicago leads series, 3–0 | ||
Orlando Arena, Orlando, Florida |
May 27 |
| Chicago Bulls 106, Orlando Magic 101 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 23–31, 24–25, 28–18, 31–27 | ||
| Pts: Michael Jordan45 Rebs: Dennis Rodman14 Asts: Scottie Pippen8 |
Pts: Hardaway, O'Neal 28 each Rebs: Shaquille O'Neal9 Asts: Penny Hardaway8 | |
| Chicago wins series, 4–0 | ||
Orlando Arena, Orlando, Florida |
| Chicago won 3–1 in the regular-season series | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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This was the second playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Magic winning the first meeting.
| Orlando leads 1–0 in all-time playoff series | ||||||
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The SuperSonics led the series 3-1 after an 88–86 victory at the Delta Center in Game 4. However, the Jazz shocked the Sonics in Seattle in Game 5 98-95 and would handily win Game 6 118-83, Seattle's worst playoff loss in team history. Game 7 was a close affair and the Sonics pulled away late to win 90-86 and advance to their first NBA Finals since 1979. This is the most recent conference final played entirely outside of Texas and California.
May 18 |
| Utah Jazz 72, Seattle SuperSonics 102 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 23–24, 16–30, 21–23, 12–25 | ||
| Pts: Karl Malone21 Rebs: Karl Malone8 Asts: John Stockton7 |
Pts: Payton, Kemp 21 each Rebs: Shawn Kemp11 Asts: Gary Payton7 | |
| Seattle leads series, 1–0 | ||
KeyArena, Seattle, Washington |
May 20 |
| Utah Jazz 87, Seattle SuperSonics 91 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 22–17, 20–25, 31–23, 14–26 | ||
| Pts: Karl Malone32 Rebs: Karl Malone13 Asts: John Stockton7 |
Pts: Gary Payton18 Rebs: Nate McMillan5 Asts: Gary Payton8 | |
| Seattle leads series, 2–0 | ||
KeyArena, Seattle, Washington |
May 24 |
| Seattle SuperSonics 76, Utah Jazz 96 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 27–24, 20–27, 18–21, 11–24 | ||
| Pts: Gary Payton25 Rebs: Payton, Hawkins 6 each Asts: Gary Payton3 |
Pts: Malone, Hornacek 28 each Rebs: Karl Malone18 Asts: Jeff Hornacek8 | |
| Seattle leads series, 2–1 | ||
Delta Center, Salt Lake City, Utah |
May 26 |
| Seattle SuperSonics 88, Utah Jazz86 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 17–21, 32–23, 24–21, 15–21 | ||
| Pts: Gary Payton19 Rebs: Shawn Kemp8 Asts: Gary Payton6 |
Pts: Karl Malone25 Rebs: Karl Malone12 Asts: Malone, Stockton 8 each | |
| Seattle leads series, 3–1 | ||
Delta Center, Salt Lake City, Utah |
May 28 |
| Utah Jazz 98, Seattle SuperSonics 95 (OT) | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 17–26, 35–23, 19–22, 19–19, Overtime: 8–5 | ||
| Pts: Karl Malone29 Rebs: Karl Malone15 Asts: John Stockton6 |
Pts: Gary Payton31 Rebs: Shawn Kemp13 Asts: Gary Payton6 | |
| Seattle leads series, 3–2 | ||
KeyArena, Seattle, Washington |
May 30 |
| Seattle SuperSonics 83, Utah Jazz 118 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 22–35, 25–24, 20–27, 16–32 | ||
| Pts: Shawn Kemp26 Rebs: Shawn Kemp14 Asts: Gary Payton7 |
Pts: Karl Malone32 Rebs: Karl Malone10 Asts: John Stockton12 | |
| Series tied, 3–3 | ||
Delta Center, Salt Lake City, Utah |
June 2 |
| Utah Jazz 86, Seattle SuperSonics 90 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 21–21, 20–23, 26–29, 19–17 | ||
| Pts: Malone, Stockton 22 each Rebs: John Stockton8 Asts: Malone, Stockton 7 each |
Pts: Shawn Kemp26 Rebs: Shawn Kemp14 Asts: Gary Payton5 | |
| Seattle wins series, 4–3 | ||
KeyArena, Seattle, Washington |
| Seattle won 3–1 in the regular-season series | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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This was the third playoff meeting between these two teams, with each team winning one series apiece.
| Tied 1–1 in all-time playoff series | ||||||||||||
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June 5 |
| Seattle SuperSonics 90, Chicago Bulls 107 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 18–24, 30–29, 29–26, 13–28 | ||
| Pts: Shawn Kemp32 Rebs: Gary Payton10 Asts: Gary Payton6 |
Pts: Michael Jordan28 Rebs: Dennis Rodman13 Asts: Ron Harper7 | |
| Chicago leads series, 1–0 | ||
United Center, Chicago, Illinois |
June 7 |
| Seattle SuperSonics 88, Chicago Bulls 92 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 27–23, 18–23, 20–30, 23–16 | ||
| Pts: Shawn Kemp29 Rebs: Shawn Kemp13 Asts: Payton, Schrempf 3 each |
Pts: Michael Jordan29 Rebs: Dennis Rodman20 Asts: Michael Jordan8 | |
| Chicago leads series, 2–0 | ||
United Center, Chicago, Illinois |
June 9 |
| Chicago Bulls 108, Seattle SuperSonics86 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 34–16, 28–22, 13–23, 33–25 | ||
| Pts: Michael Jordan36 Rebs: Dennis Rodman10 Asts: Scottie Pippen9 |
Pts: Detlef Schrempf20 Rebs: Payton, Brickowski 7 each Asts: Gary Payton9 | |
| Chicago leads series, 3–0 | ||
KeyArena, Seattle, Washington |
June 12 |
| Chicago Bulls 86, Seattle SuperSonics 107 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 21–25, 11–28, 31–31, 23–23 | ||
| Pts: Michael Jordan23 Rebs: Dennis Rodman14 Asts: Scottie Pippen8 |
Pts: Shawn Kemp25 Rebs: Shawn Kemp11 Asts: Gary Payton11 | |
| Chicago leads series, 3–1 | ||
KeyArena, Seattle, Washington |
June 14 |
| Chicago Bulls 78, Seattle SuperSonics 89 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 18–18, 24–25, 18–19, 18–27 | ||
| Pts: Michael Jordan26 Rebs: Dennis Rodman12 Asts: Scottie Pippen5 |
Pts: Gary Payton23 Rebs: Shawn Kemp10 Asts: Gary Payton6 | |
| Chicago leads series, 3–2 | ||
KeyArena, Seattle, Washington |
June 16 |
| Seattle SuperSonics 75, Chicago Bulls 87 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 18–24, 20–21, 20–22, 17–20 | ||
| Pts: Detlef Schrempf23 Rebs: Shawn Kemp14 Asts: Gary Payton7 |
Pts: Michael Jordan22 Rebs: Dennis Rodman19 Asts: Michael Jordan7 | |
| Chicago wins series, 4–2 | ||
United Center, Chicago, Illinois |
| Tied 1–1 in the regular-season series | ||||||||||||
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This was the first playoff meeting between the Bulls and the SuperSonics.[16]
| Category | Game High | Average | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Player | Team | High | Player | Team | Avg. | GP | |
| Points | Michael Jordan | Chicago Bulls | 46 | Michael Jordan | Chicago Bulls | 30.7 | 18 |
| Rebounds | Dennis Rodman David Robinson |
Chicago Bulls San Antonio Spurs |
21 | Dennis Rodman | Chicago Bulls | 13.7 | 18 |
| Assists | John Stockton | Utah Jazz | 23 | John Stockton | Utah Jazz | 10.8 | 18 |
| Steals | Mookie Blaylock | Atlanta Hawks | 8 | Clyde Drexler Robert Horry |
Houston Rockets Houston Rockets |
2.6 | 8 |
| Blocks | David Robinson Greg Ostertag Shawn Kemp Patrick Ewing |
San Antonio Spurs Utah Jazz Seattle SuperSonics New York Knicks |
5 | Patrick Ewing | New York Knicks | 3.1 | 8 |