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  May 2009

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In what certainly was not the team’s prettiest effort during its sixth championship run, the Chicago Bulls survived and advanced, as Billy Packer likes to call it, 11 years ago today in a scary Game Seven against the Indiana Pacers in the 1998 NBA Eastern Conference Finals. Trailing by double digits in the first half, Chicago slowly fought its way back into the game and eventually eked out a tight 88-83 victory against the Pacers in what was only the second playoff series in Chicago’s six championship seasons to go the distance. After barely getting past the Pacers, Chicago was pitted by many as an underdog against the Utah Jazz in a rematch of the 1997 NBA Finals. Of course, Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen and the Bulls would show their championship mettle by knocking off the Jazz in six games in the 1998 NBA Finals. Continue on to examine the 1998 Eastern Conference Finals between the aging Bulls and the upstart Pacers.

Last night the Los Angeles Lakers advanced to the NBA Finals for the 30th time in franchise history. Eighteen years ago today, the Lakers advanced to the 1991 NBA Finals thanks to a heady play by Magic Johnson at the end of Game Six in the Western Conference Finals. With the Portland Trail Blazers down by one point in the game’s final seconds, Johnson rebounded a Terry Porter miss and flung the ball down court, essentially running out the clock. By the time the ball rolled out of bounds, there was only 0.1 seconds left in the game, leaving Portland with little hope of scoring. Continue on to examine Magic the basketball genius during the 1991 NBA Playoffs.

The fourth time in the Western Conference Finals proved to be the charm for John Stockton, Karl Malone and the Utah Jazz. After losing in the Western Conference Finals in 1992, 1994 and 1996, the Jazz finally advanced to the NBA Finals on a Stockton buzzer-beating three pointer in Game Six against the Houston Rockets 12 years ago today. Stockton’s heroics denied Houston’s dream trio of Hakeem Olajuwon, Clyde Drexler and Charles Barkley the opportunity of reaching the Finals together and capped a memorable series in which the Rockets’ Eddie Johnson won Game Four with a buzzer-beater three of his own. Continue on to examine Utah’s playoff disappointments prior to breaking through in the 1997 Western Conference Finals.

After average 24.8 points and 10.8 rebounds per game with the Los Angeles Lakers during Magic Johnson’s rookie season, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was awarded his record-setting sixth NBA MVP award on this day 29 years ago. Amazingly, Abdul-Jabbar won his six MVPs in the first 11 seasons of his illustrious 20-year career. Jabbar’s 1979-1980 MVP campaign was remembered for him hitting a game-winning sky hook against the San Diego Clippers on opening night and missing the final game of the 1980 NBA Finals due to injury. Johnson would fill in at center for Kareem in Game Six and lead the Lakers to a championship-clinching victory against Dr. J and the Philadelphia 76ers. Continue on to examine Abdul-Jabbar’s statistics during his six MVP seasons.

Joining the likes of Bill Russell and Wilt Chamberlain, Boston’s Larry Bird became only the third player in NBA history to win his third straight Most Valuable Player award on this day 23 years ago. Bird averaged 25.8 points, 9.8 rebounds, 6.8 assists and 1.9 steals per game during his 1985-1986 MVP campaign. More importantly, Bird’s Celtics won the NBA crown in a six-game triumph over the Houston Rockets in the 1986 NBA Finals. Continue on to examine Bird, Chamberlain and Russell’s three-straight MVP campaigns.

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