© Anne Ryan-USA TODAY
How the Chicago Bulls eliminated the Indiana Pacers in the 1998 Eastern Conference Finals
No other Eastern Conference team presented a bigger challenge for the legendary 1998 Chicago Bulls than the Indiana Pacers. While they didn't have too much star power, they more than made up for it with grit and determination. For seven games, the two teams battled it out for a chance to go to the NBA Finals.
In Game 7, the Pacers fought hard, but the Bulls seemed destined to make it through. With just five minutes remaining, the game was tied at 79. However, the Bulls would go on a 9-4 run to take the lead and hold on for an 88-83 victory.
Nearly spoiled "The Last Dance"
The Pacers didn't care about the "Last Dance." After all, at that point, they had yet to make it to the NBA Finals, and with a team led by Reggie Miller, Rik Smits, Mark Jackson, Chris Mullin, Jalen Rose, and Travis Best, they wanted more than anything to take that final step into the hallowed ground of legitimate championship contenders.
However, the Bulls' experience and poise under pressure came to the fore after Pippen's layup with less than two minutes remaining to give Chicago an 87-83 lead. The Bulls' defense then held the Pacers scoreless the rest of the way to secure the win and earn an NBA Finals rematch with the Utah Jazz.
Plenty of heroes
Although Michael Jordan had an off night shooting the basketball, missing 16 of his 25 attempts, he still almost had a triple-double with 28 points, nine rebounds, and eight assists. Toni Kukoc scored 14 of his 21 points in the third quarter to keep the game close for the Bulls. Steve Kerr also came off the bench and scored 11.
"It was a hard-fought victory," Jordan said. "It was a great effort. It was truly a championship-type team, in terms of just trying to find ways to win and then making it happen."
