Reflecting on the Bulls greatness in ‘ The Last Dance ‘, how could NBA history have been altered if the Portland Trail Blazers had beaten them in 1992?
The Chicago Bulls will forever be ingrained in NBA history as one of the greatest ever teams. How could things have been different though, if the Portland Trail Blazers had beaten them in the 1992 finals?
Six championships in eight years. Arguably the greatest player of all-time in Michael Jordan. Arguably the greatest number two of all-time in Scottie Pippen.
For any team to win six championships, they need a lot of luck. Luck with injuries, schedule, the bounce of the ball.
When the Blazers played the Bulls in the Finals of 1992, the series was back and forth. Though each team had some big wins they traded wins all the way to game six on Chicago’s home floor.
This version of the Blazers was one of their all-time best. Clyde Drexler matched up with Jordan, Jerome Kersey matched up with Pippen, and the best point guard in the series was on the Blazers side in Terry Porter.
Coming into game six at the United Center in Chicago, the Blazers were down three games to two, but were confident of being able to take it to game seven after already stealing an away game earlier in the series.
Jordan and Pippen were an amazing combo at this stage but they hadn’t faced real adversity in the finals yet. They beat the aging Los Angeles Lakers in 1991 with a gentleman’s sweep of four games to one.
In this playoffs the New York Knicks had pushed them to seven games and then the Cleveland Cavaliers had pushed them to six games. They had one title from the previous year, but they weren’t the juggernaut Bulls that we know now.
This game six was a classic – lets break it down.
It started off slowly for both teams, with the most noticeable factor being a quiet Michael Jordan, who didn’t attempt a shot until 5 minutes into the first quarter. Though offenses were slow for both teams, the Blazers had the early advantage with strong play from Kersey among the second chance points that were converted.
Limiting the Bulls in this quarter to just 19 points, the Blazers lead by six at the break. Though Kersey and Robinson were able to get going, Drexler was noticeably quiet early on with some wayward shots and turnovers.
Jordan on the other hand, was just warming up. Drexler was even struggling to hit lay-ups and Jordan was going by him on drives. Pippen and Kersey were now trading buckets in the second, as Drexler sat with just 2 of 8 shooting.
Drexler starting getting to the line, and the Blazers still had the lead in the second. Kersey and Clifford Robinson were being super aggressive on both ends and an 11 – 0 run had them up by 15 before a Pippen free throw reduced it to 14.
Jordan hadn’t been heavily involved but he suddenly he had a trip to the line where he hit both, a Porter three matched this after a Jordan two and then a three-pointer from an o board. He was rolling.
Another Jordan 3 was traded with a Porter mid-ranger as the Williams on each team traded twos. Pippen finished the half with a pair of free throws, score 48 – 42 to the Blazers.
To start the half the Blazers missed two point-blank lay-ups to go with two straight forward ones in the first half. They still had the lead, and in a lot of ways were the dominant team, but they weren’t asserting the authority on the scoreboard right away.
Drexler was still getting to the line, and Jordan was kept quiet early as Portland were up 14 midway through the third. Future Bulls front office member John Paxson was keeping his team in touch but Portland were still firmly in control of this contest.
Kersey was now hitting on everything, at the rim and from the floor, easily the best player in the game so far. Now up by 15 the Blazers transition game was killing the Bulls as they were converting most of their shots.
At this point Jordan had 16 points and he traded and-ones with Drexler to keep the scores even. Now with both teams in the bonus, a certain Jordan basket is swatted away by Drexler with the ensuing foul on a Porter possession sending Porter to the line to convert one.
End of the third quarter, Blazers up by 15. Surely they could close this out to send it to game seven.
It didn’t start well though. A Bulls three from Bob Hansen and a Blazers missed lay-up was followed by a questionable Kersey flagrant foul on Stacey King who converted one and then the Bulls had possession.
Baskets traded, 11 point game. Then a 4 – 0 run with Jordan off the floor was punctuated by a Drexler double dribble turnover. Timeout.
Bulls coach Phil Jackson expertly left Jordan out of the game after the timeout, and B.J. Armstrong hit a jumper right away. Five point game. Offensive foul on Buck Williams and the United Center went wild. A King bank shot prompts another timeout.
The Blazers have a three-point lead still, and obviously the ball after the break. Jordan is now in the game, and Porter then manages to dribble out-of-bounds off his foot. A 14 – 2 run by the Balls is halted by a Drexler lay-up.
The Blazers continue to turn it over. Pippen and Jordan trade with one Blazers bucket, timeout again Blazers, Bulls down by one now.
Porter’s strong game continued as he went to the line and hit a jumper either side of a Pippen three. Jordan was now cranking up, he hit a tough sideways fade-away, tie game. 4.41 remaining.
A Jordan miss was followed by another Bulls miss, and then a heads up steal and a dunk by Jordan again. Drexler has a lay-up to keep it tied, momentum Bulls, but the Blazers are still in it. Bulls time out. 3.06 remaining.
Pippen and Jordan are taking over this game now, a Pippen jumper between a missed lay-up and another Blazers turnover gives the Bulls lead with around two to go. Jordan hits a massive dagger with 1.39 to go to give the Bulls a four point lead. Last timeout taken for the Blazers.
Drexler manages to get to the line and convert both. The Blazers get the stop they need and have the ball with one minute on the clock. Drexler with an aggressive drive isn’t able to convert, and should probably have had a foul call but the refs swallow their whistle. Jump ball.
Jordan does what he does best on the next possession, a quick bucket to give the Bulls a two for one. An expert lay-up with 35 seconds on the clock. Blazers down 4 with no time-out left. A miss by Drexler was followed by an in the bonus foul by Pippen, Kersey to the line, he ices both.
27 seconds left, Bulls up by two. They had to foul, unfortunately it was Jordan. You know the rest.
The Blazers never got back to the mountaintop unfortunately after this series loss. This was their chance to win game six and come home in game seven to maybe win an NBA title and stop the Bulls going back to back.
If the Blazers win this series, do the Bulls come back and win a second title in 1993? Does Jordan still retire the year after that? Jordan winning three titles makes his retirement in 1994 a lot easier.
If the Blazers win this game and the series, NBA history is changed forever. Is Jordan still the GOAT? Probably. Does he win six titles in eight years though? Maybe not.
This was still an all-time great Blazers team, even if they weren’t able to change history. It’s a shame that they couldn’t add a championship to the Blazers resume, but after re-watching the game, it’s great to see how impressive this early 90s team was.
What might have been.