Oct
3
A day released from their freshman year of high school, the liberated teens pedaled as fast as they could to the top of the hill. While thinking that they were young men, the two boys were still kids at heart, as evidenced by their bicycle journey across the city to the far-out park.
Going down the hill required no effort; the momentum from the steep decline did all the work. Getting back up the hill proved to be a much different challenge, requiring the boys to use all that they had in them.
By the time of Game Three of the 1997 NBA Finals, the Utah Jazz had been thrown down the hill thus far by the defending champion Chicago Bulls.
Seemingly on the verge of stealing Game One in the series, Jazz superstar and NBA MVP Karl Malone missed two late free throws, setting the stage for yet another Michael Jordan buzzer-beating game winner.
In a precursor of things to come for Utah swingman Bryon Russell, Jordan beat him right, crossed back to his left and hit a game-winning shot to give Chicago a Game One victory and a 1-0 series lead.
Three nights later, the Bulls would blow out the Jazz at the United Center and head to Utah with a very realistic goal of winning two out of three games.
However, Game Three would be no walk in the park for the Bulls, as the deafening crowd of the Delta Center would push the Jazz up the hill and back into the series, with the help of a surprise reserve forward.
Greg Foster, who turned 39 today and briefly played for the Bulls prior to landing in Utah, had 17 points off the bench in Game Three while Malone paced the team with 37 points and 10 rebounds. The Jazz would cut the series in half, despite Scottie Pippen’s NBA Finals record-tying seven three pointers.
by Chris Maynard, chris@hoops4thesoul.com
A day released from their freshman year of high school, the liberated teens pedaled as fast as they could to the top of the hill. While thinking that they were young men, the two boys were still kids at heart, as evidenced by their bicycle journey across the city to the far-out park. 
Greg Foster, who turned 39 today and briefly played for the Bulls prior to landing in Utah, had 17 points off the bench in Game Three while Malone paced the team with 37 points and 10 rebounds. The Jazz would cut the series in half, despite Scottie Pippen’s NBA Finals record-tying seven three pointers.