'The Last Dance' Chronicles: The Bulls-Pacers rivalry

MANILA, Philippines — At the end of Episode Eight of "The Last Dance", former Indiana Pacers star and NBA Hall of Famer Reggie Miller talked about sending Michael Jordan into retirement following the 1998 Eastern Conference Finals. 

And that series was one of the most difficult the Chicago Bulls had to play during their dynasty in the 1990s.

While most people will think, “Ah, they only played each other once in the playoffs,” and that is true. But their rivalry extended to the regular season. Showing that scuffle with Miller was just one. The regular season matches were plenty tough. 

There was that match at the United Center in January of 1994 where Miller knocked down a long jumper with 0.8 left to make it 95-93 Indiana. Miller taunted the Chicago crowd by bowing to them sarcastically. In the next play, then Bulls rookie Toni Kukoc hit a game-winning three off an excellent inbound pass by Scottie Pippen to win the game. I remember some of the Bulls taking shots at Miller for his premature celebration. No doubt, along with Jordan’s scrap with Miller in January of 1993, the stage was set over the next three seasons for memorable battles. 

During the 1995-96 season, the Bulls and the Pacers played a back-to-back series: first at Market Square Arena and then the United Center. Indiana won the first meeting of the season, 103-97, which was Chicago’s third loss of that season. The Bulls walloped the Pacers the next night, 120-93. 

Some two months later, the Bulls went into Indiana and claimed a 110-102 triumph. 

Then in the penultimate game of the regular season, the Pacers’ Eddie Johnson hit two free throws at the end of the game to win and prevent the Bulls from tying the Boston Celtics’ 40-1 record for most wins in a season. Furthermore, the Pacers were the only squad to deal the Bulls two losses in that terrific 72-10 season.

Of note is referee Hue Hollins calling that late foul on Jordan, who was trying to block the shot, allowing Johnson to shoot those free throws. Hollins, much to Chicago fans’ chagrin, whistled a very late foul on Scottie Pippen during Game Five of the 1994 playoff with the Knicks that allowed Hubert Davis to win the pivotal game.

During the fourth quarter of that game, Phil Jackson rested his stars and mostly played Randy Brown, Jud Buechler, James Edwards and John Salley. Miller was not available for that match for Indiana. When the Pacers got back in the game, Jackson sent Jordan and Kukoc back in, but it was too late because Indiana had gotten their second wind. Imagine this: if Chicago’s third team held fast, the Bulls would have tied Boston and hiked their win total to 73! I remember it was a very annoying loss.

The next season, the Bulls won their first meeting with Indiana, in another close match, 81-79. In the final minute of the game, Chicago led, 81-75. Dale Davis scored inside for Indiana, after which Jordan missed a well-defended lay-up. Derrick McKey tipped in his own miss to slice the lead to 81-79 with 29 seconds left and at least two possessions left. Pippen missed two free throws with 13 seconds left. Indiana’s Vince Askew missed a 13-foot jumper that would have sent the match into overtime.

Chicago went on to win their next three meetings that season; one of which was another close match that went to the wire for an 86-80 Bulls’ victory.

During the 1997-98 campaign, both teams’ season record against each other was 2-2. 

So during that three-year span, the Bulls were 8-4 against the Pacers in the regular season and 4-3 in the 1998 Eastern Conference Finals. 

More than the players, it was a compelling coaching battle as Phil Jackson matched wits with Hall of Famers Larry Brown and Larry Bird. Bird’s expression throughout the series was incredible. Stoic and far from his expressive demeanor as a player with Boston. 

How many Dream Teamers were in that 1998 Eastern Finals? Five. Jordan and Scottie Pippen with Chicago. Larry Bird and Chris Mullin for Indiana. 

And there were seven Olympians in that series. And at that point in time, Jordan and Pippen had each played on two US Olympic Teams. Kukoc had played for Croatia in the 1992 and 1996 Summer Olympics while Longley played for Australia in 1988, 1992 and 2000 Olympics. Indiana’s Chris Mullin was an Olympic teammate of Jordan’s in 1984 and 1992. And Miller made his first Olympics in 1996 and was a gold medalist. Bird, for his part, won his Olympic gold medal too in Barcelona in 1992. 

That was some series.