1983 PHILADELPHIA 76ERS vs 1996 CHICAGO BULLS – Moses Malone, Dr. J in Eastern Finals, Game 1

1983 PHILADELPHIA 76ERS vs 1996 CHICAGO BULLS – Moses Malone, Dr. J in Eastern Finals, Game 1

Yeah, it’s an exciting Sunday night edition of the NBA on 2K Sports. This is Kevin Harland with Greg Anthony and Clark Kellogg and our sideline reporter David Aldry. It’s the Chicago Bulls and the home team. Now, let’s take a look at the Bulls opening lineup. Pippen is out there with Rodman. Then there’s Harper. Then it’s Jordan. And it’s Longley in at the center filling out the middle. Now here’s Longley. Good. Taking up so much space, it’s hard to stop Lonely. He’s a huge, humongous fella. Tony against Jordan. Colon with the screen. There’s the try. Banked in off the glass. You know, coaches will take possessions like that all day long. Phenomenal use of the screen there. Harper with the ball [Applause] outside. Jordan Pippen the pass to Long and it’s Irving with the rebound. You know they don’t score on that shot but they’re going to be happy with those kinds of possessions. Pass to Cheeks. Now here is Tony. Back to Chiefs. Four on the clock from deep. Rebound by the Bulls. This team has been cruising through these playoffs. Just one loss so far. Yeah, they’ve ripped through the postseason thus far. Arguably playing their best basketball of the season. That’s what you want this time of year. Now here’s Harper. Pass to Pipp. Chicago needs to get a shot off and it’s Irving with the rebound. Harper with the steel. Good work there as it goes. Now remember, Ron Harper is 66 and he’s long. Huge for somebody that plays a lot of point guard and that helps him operate down low too. Jordan against Tony Aloneman [Applause] with the rebound. That is some tough defense there against one of the better finishers in our game. And here is Harper [Applause] upside Pippen over Irving. Shots good by Pippen. From any spot on the floor, including in tight, Pippen can hurt you. Just over two and a half minutes playing here so far in the first quarter. Trying to find some answers offensively. Yeah, and you know, that’s going to be the focus of this timeout. They need to come up with the spark to get the offense going. [Applause] Malone the pass to Chiefs. And here’s Tony. And Malone excels at putting himself in a great position really on both ends. Just a dynamite rebounder and interior score. This is his first free throw of the game. That free throw no good. [Applause] He hits the second from the line. Here’s Harper. Pass to Pippen. Jones against Rodney. Here’s Harper. Shot clock at five. A nice shot by Jordan. Yeah, we know Jordan is a master from the mid-range. Whether he’s squared up or falling away, you feel like it’s going to splat. Tony against Jordan. Good D by Jordan. They’re one of four here to start looking to get into a flow offensive. Time for Pippen. Pass to Longwood. [Applause] outside Jordan [Applause] and no good trying to use the glass. Yeah, but the hand in the face, it’s critical that you contest his shots every time down the floor. Here’s Irving. It’s all in by the Bulls. Really just struggling here in the first few minutes. Five attempts with only one falling. Jordan kicks to Pipple. Back to Jordan. Rodman finds Jordan. Rodman with a screen on Tony. Here’s Jordan. That doesn’t go either for Jordan. Boy, he’s got to be kicking himself for failing to make that shot. That’s money. Cheeks the pass to Tony. Here’s Malone. He’s guarded by Harper. Back to Tony. All alone. Offensive rebound. A second chance effort. Malone gets the bucket. Well, you can’t give him any room to maneuver on the board because once he does, he’s going to make you pay. [Applause] Tony against Jordan outside. [Applause] Pass to Jordan. Shoots over Tony. Jordan with another miss. You know, he looks a little offkilter to me this quarter. still trying to find his rhythm. Shots good by Tony. And that’s an example of playing big, adapting to the situation. And sometimes that’s the best policy when you’re going up against a big guy. Take it to the 10 right at him. Get to the rack. Tony against Jordan. Pippen with it. And then outside. Pass to Jordan. [Applause] Got it. Good job in the long post. And what you like there, Jordan never looks like he’s rushing. Makes quick, solid decisions. Home team. [Applause] Next jump in for Cheeks. Inside number 15, Steve M. Irving picks to Jones. Here’s Tony. And it’s Chicago with the rebound. And not allowing the shooter even an inch of breathing room on that one. And guys, that’s exactly the kind of high impact defense they want to see out of him. Now here’s Longley [Applause] left side. Jordan just five on the clock over Irving. Jordan can’t get it to go. He’s tried to get it going, but the shots simply have not been there. Nothing seems to be. Jones looking for an opening. Right side. Irving over Jordan. Hley grabs the miss. The Bulls leading by three. Now Harper. Longley with it outside. Jordan. The shot from 20 ft away. And that comes off the assist by Longley. Jordan’s got six points. Jordan getting quickly into the shot. No hesitation, supreme confidence shooting off the pass. Jordan’s gone three for seven tonight. They need a bucket in a big way here to regain some confidence. And here they come ahead and it’s sent back by Irving and it goes out of bounds. A last touch by Irving. Let’s take a second look at that fantastic block. Well, you got to take your defense up a notch in the playoffs. He takes it up about three notches on this block. [Applause] Jordan outside. Pass to Harper. Odman in the high post. Gets hold in by Nicks. Tony against Harper. Tony the bass to Irving and here’s Jones. [Applause] Down to five on the shot clock. Here’s Tony and he can’t stop this drought. Another miss and that one ends up out of bounds. No key possession. Edwards, he’s checked in for Tony. And the Bulls making a change also. Cuckoo coach. He’s checking for Jordan. Malone passes to Jones. Back to Malone. You know, he’s such a load to deal with inside because Malone’s intensity and relentlessness down there makes defenses almost have to foul. Shot two free throws in the game, made one, missed one. Spurs checked in for Longwood. Both shots good from the strike. And now the first timeout called here for the Bulls and team strategies closely guarded. One aspect of the game the fans aren’t always privy to. Yeah, typically there’s some type of adjustment made out of a timeout. It might be major or it could be just a slight tweak. Pippen dishes to Harper. Back to Pippen. Rodman sets the screen for Pippen. Lands soft on the front of the rim and drops and the Bulls lead by five. I think this is one of the sweet spots for Pippen’s jumper. He thrives in the mid-range game outside. Irving wants to get it to Malone and does. Oh, that’s blocked. Jones against Biffen. Here’s Rodman. It’s held in by Nicks. Edwards against Kirk and it’s going to be out of bounds. The Bulls will take Chicago making some changes. Remington comes in for Rodman and in for Ron Harper. And so it’s Pippen with it. He brings it up for the Bulls. It’s a five-point game. Pass to Simkins. Pippen outside. Nailed from three-point land. Pippen’s got seven points. Scotty Pippen a dependable shooter from here now. Like how he gets his feet set first. That’s fundamental, but essential. Pippen’s gotten all three of his shots to fall for him. 343. Alone [Applause] falls back and crings the fadeaway jumper. He has seven. Well, he could have earned some style points there, but he really doesn’t need to use the fadeaway when he’s that wide open. [Applause] Cerr [Applause] outside. Cuck coach over Jones. Koach gets the bucket. Cooch I mean K coach has the touch to strike from anywhere. The mid-range is just another place where he’s a real threat. [Applause] Edwards looking it over down low. Here’s Irving. [Music] Artistry and poetry in motion. Irring can create in the air as well as anybody. And great camera work showing up on the AT&T 5G Slam Cam. Now here’s Ker. Still yet to score. It’s stolen by Edwards. Pass to Irving. [Applause] The layup’s good off the glass. And now it’s just a four-point Bulls lead. Those huge hands combined with that elite athleticism. Irving does the most damage inside the painted area because of And here are the Bulls now. [Applause] Now here’s Pippen. [Applause] There’s a minute 40 left to play in the first. And some nice ball movement here by Chicago. Four on the shot clock. Who coach can’t get it to go and Kevin, they need to be consistent with their effort on the boards. You look at the box score and they’re at a definite disadvantage. And you know, time will tell how big a factor that becomes in this game, guys. But if you’re the coaching staff, it’s certainly a point of emphasis. Now, here’s Kirk after Julius Irving’s miss to Pippen. Here’s Simpkins on the wing. Cooach gets it to go from beyond the ark. Three. CO has got five. Coo a reliable shooter off the catch. He’s got a nice sweet lefty stroke up top. Edwards. [Applause] There’s 47 seconds left to play in the first quarter. Can’t connect from short range. Pass to Pippen. Here’s Sy [Applause] with it. A three. It’s rebounded by Malone. They’ve been struggling here on offense. Yeah, a bit of a dry spell for sure. Now, here’s Edwards. Nothing on the board. Back to Jones. Three-pointer. And he got that one up in time, but doesn’t go in. And so it’s Chicago heading to the bench with a seven-point lead as we wrap up the quarter. And they’ve done a phenomenal job down low. So many of their points coming right at the rim. We’ve got more in store for you right after this. [Music] [Music] [Applause] And we’re ready to get back into the action here in game one. Let’s see what this quarter has in store for us. And a chance for just a second to check out the scoring breakdown for the Bulls. To me, it’s been the ball movement. That’s been the key. I mean, going from good to great. Not settling for a good shot. Making that extra pass, keeping the defense off balance, and taking great shots. And also they’re doing something you don’t see as much anymore and that is converting time and time again from the mid-range. Edwards is out there with Tony. Then it’s Johnson and it’s mix. So with Pitman sitting on the bench, this is Phil Jackson’s lineup. You’ve got Simkins. Cerr is out there with Jordan. Then there’s Bill Wington and it’s Cooach in at the three. Bulls on defense following the miss by Michael Jordan. Boy, at the offensive end, his game is so impressive. I mean, he’s a threat every time up the floor. Kerr outside. Pass to Jordan. Back to Kerr. There’s a good screen and there’s Jordan. That’s good on the assist by Kerr. Jordan’s got eight points. Terrific dime from Kerr there. Finding his guys nicely. Second quarter and we’re just over a minute in. And here’s Tony. Here’s Ivoroni defended by Kirk inside. And that one’s good. Ivoroni. Ivoroni has got his first bucket in this one. And boy did he ever sell the pump fake. Worked to absolute perfection. [Applause] Jordan against Tony. Pass to Simkins on the wing. Cuck coach. Six to shoot. Gets some rim on the way in. And the bucket’s good. He’s got seven. Able to get his shot in a variety of ways. Cos can do it within the flow of the offense as well as one-on-one. And it’s going to be out of bounds. The Bulls will take and that’s just carelessness there. I mean, you have got to have your head in the game. Cheeks checked in for Edwards. And Chicago also making a switch. Caffy’s checked in. Now here’s Curry. Scoreless thus far. Over to the wing. It’s Jordan on the wing. The shot will not fall. Jordan’s gone 40% from the floor in 10 attempts. Knocks it loose and stolen by Jordan. A finish and it’s Jordan with the jam. You know, Jordan doesn’t need any help there. I mean, his athleticism is really on another level [Applause] here in the second quarter. We’ve played a little over two and a half minutes now. Time out. Time out. Trying to find some answers offensively. Yeah. And you know that’s going to be the focus of this timeout. They need to come up with a spark to get the offense going. Bulls making a switch here. Sally’s checked in. Here’s Tony. And it’s Chicago with the rebound. Here’s Jordan. 10 points for him on the wing. Coach Jordan left side of three fails to score here. He has made five of 12 in of this one. Tony the pass to mix and he takes the feed in stride and swings it home. Strong move to the 10 trying to get his guys going. Hard not to get motivated GA right when your teammate makes that kind of play. You know, when you’re looking to close the gap, you need guys who will take it upon themselves to step up, take the initiative, and make something happen. Pass to Jordan. [Applause] Shoots over Tony. Jordan can’t get it to go. Jordan’s gotten five shots in 13 tries. Some tough offensive sets. They want to turn it around. Yeah, right now you just need a bucket to get some momentum. [Applause] Cheeks outside. He clangs that one off the back iron and down it falls. And now it’s only a fivepoint Bulls lead. Curr outside. Pass to Jordan looking to end his cold spell. And it’s good on the layup. And that’s 12 points for Michael Jordan. Efficiency personified there. Jordan scoring at will, taking over the game whenever he chooses. Here’s Cheeks. [Applause] Here’s Mix. [Applause] Iron passes to Tony. Shot clock at six. [Applause] and he hits it just before the shot clock expires. Tony’s got six. A tough start scoring the basketball, but they’re starting to turn it around now. Yeah, it looks like they’ve gained a little bit of confidence as the lid has come off the hoop. Chicago leading by five. Jordan passes to Sally. [Applause] Back to Jordan. Outside Coo. Good. And the assist goes to Jordan. Cuck coach has got five points in the quarter. How about the shot selection of Tony Cuck coach? A threat to sink the three ball. You got to chase him off of that line. cheats outside to the middle and two free throws coming up. Unable to get that one to go with all the content. Clearly a foul. Yeah, he took a shot there. Earned those free throws. He’s getting his first free throw attempt of the night right now. He can’t make the second free throw either. Miss both. And lost his touch right there. Didn’t see that coming. Usually when he’s hot, he stays hot. Pass to CO. [Applause] Jordan inside defended by Tony and the bucket is good. Three-point play chance here for him. Man, the body control and focus. I mean, Jordan able to draw the foul and still finish the basket. And the Bulls will go for a different look here. Wrongley’s checked in for Wington. Rodman comes in for Sally. Scotty Pippen’s checked in for Tony Cuckoo. And it’s Harper in for Cur and stolen by Jordan. And Jordan slams it home. Michael Jordan. MJ. It really doesn’t get much better than this. Here’s Cheeks. [Music] Pass to Tony. Malone in the post. Longley on hit and it goes down. Two points. Malone’s got nine. Yeah, they’ve raised their shooting percentage in this quarter and they’re starting to get on track. And they’re starting to heat up is what they’re doing. They’re on fire. I mean, that’s what they need to climb back into this game. And that’s foul number two. Maybe you don’t sit it at this point, but you really have to be careful to not pick up another before. Mike Dunley has checked in for Tony. Now here’s Rodney. Hasn’t made one yet. [Music] Outside Jordan to the paint. Malone with the steel. Now Dunle [Applause] over Jordan. Dunleyy’s shot is off. The Bulls leading by 11 outside Harper. Pass to Rod. Now Jordan Hunley with it. Just five to shoot. And here’s Harper from the arc. And that’s collected by Malone. Malone’s got four rebounds in this game. Chicago foul. long. First personal foul. Second team foul. [Applause] Master Wyberoni. Cheeks kicks to Dunley. Five on the clock from the high post. Totally. Time called here. The Bulls decide to talk it over. every timeout a chance to review the lineups, matchups, or call a play. Yeah, and I agree. I think there’s going to be a new wrinkle in their game plan when they come out of this timeout. Cuck coach, he’s checked in for the Bulls. The Bulls leading by 11. Harper dishes to Pippen and looks like the illegal pick was set. Yep, that’s right. That’ll get their attention. And guys, point of emphasis for the league is to really crack down on illegal screens. Yeah. You know, he might have gotten away with that a few years ago, but not anymore. No way. Now you’ve got to be stationary on those screens. No extra hips or elbows or they’ll call it. Gets it down to single digits and 11 points for Moses Malone. [Applause] And Chicago has possession. 13 points was their biggest lead in the game. outside. Cuckoo. Oddman passes to Pippen. Some nice ball movement here by Chicago. Five to shoot and again Chicago. No good. Cheeks outside. Dunling. He can’t get it to go. Rodman with the defensive effort. The Bulls leading [Applause] [Music] outside. Harper [Applause] pass to Koach. [Applause] Rodman looking it over to the inside. [Applause] Pippen. No luck. [Applause] Good coach against Irving. Here he goes. That one goes in. Irving’s got his third bucket of the night. That makes it 10 of their last 12 coming from inside the paint. And so it’s Pippen with it. He brings it up for Chicago. Pass to Cucman outside [Applause] now. Pippen defended by Dunley. And here is Harper. Here’s Longly. No good. And they can’t put an end to this drought. [Applause] Cheeks. No good. So you will not see that from him very often, especially right at the rim. It’s Pippen with the drive. [Applause] to the middle. Rodman kicks the Cuckoo. Another shot and it’s laid in by Rodman. Well, we’ve seen Rodman do that often. Going up, getting that board and getting the foot back. Exactly what you want from him inside. Now, here’s Chiefs and stolen by Longley. Now here’s K coach Harper. The pass to Pippen. Pippen is double. Six on the shot clock. Crew coach can’t get it to go. Close to making the defense pay for the lack of coverage that time. Malone. And it’s Malone finishing it off. So far Malone has it going on, folks. The defense appearing absolutely helpless trying to stop it. Bulls leading by seven. There’s a minute 47 left in the first half. Harper the pass to Rodman Coo for a three. They get it again. Back to Pippen. And that’s collected by Malone. Malone’s got six rebounds now in the game. The 17-footer. Rodman grabs the rebound. Rodman’s got rebound number nine now. What an effort here tonight. And here is Harper outside. Rodman Pippen is double clock at four. Three-pointer. Cuck coach connects from three-point range. Cooacho has got a pair of triples in the second now for the Bulls. Cooach has gotten half of his three-pointers to fall for him. Three of six on the night. Malone. A screen on Harper. The put back. The put back. Great positioning on the putback. And it’s coming easy for them right now. five baskets in a row in the paint. And I say, hey, if it keeps working, go to it. Stay with it. I mean, until the defense responds and provides more resistance, keep making them pay. Here’s coach after Moses Malone score. Goo coach dishes to Harper. Here’s Pippen at falls. Nice feed that time from Harper. Pippen’s got nine points and at the offensive end, he’s done about as much as they could have hoped for today. Here’s Cheeks. Just one second between the shot clock and game clock outside. Irving [Applause] hypo shot. Count the basket. Irving’s got four points in the quarter now. Pippen over Dunley. Oh, and the puzzle Peters good. One eye on the rim, one eye on the clock. Nice job. What was really impressive there though, guys, was that he could have rushed, panicked, and yet he kept this cool and splashed. And so it’s Michael Jordan making things happen for the Bolt. He comes away with 11 points in the quarter and is showing no signs of fatigue. We’ll take a quick break and then back to the action here. And it’s time for your back court shots. Please direct your attention. Hey everybody, it’s halftime of game one and a big lead right now for the Chicago Bulls. So they’ve got some firepower coming off that bench, man. And not just complimentary scorers. We’re talking about primary options, which makes this club really difficult to defend for an entire game because they always have fresh people coming in the conference finals. Big fella, do you expect these teams to pull out all the stops? That would be correct, Amanda Arie. That’s right. No minute restrictions. Let the stars shine tonight. You have to leave it all out there. Even if you’re banged up, find a way to get it done. The competition level on the rise. Thank you for being with us. Now, let’s send it to Kevin Harland for the second half tip. And here we go heading back to the action here in the Eastern Conference Finals. What a game we’re seeing from Michael Jordan. No problems fighting his way to the rim in this one. A lot of points in close. Yeah, you know what, guys? They gave him too many free runs to the hoop in the first half. I think they’ve got to be a lot tougher on it. Body him up. Be physical with him. And so here’s the long team trailing by 10. Cheeks is out there with Tony. Then there’s Moses Malone. Then there’s Irving. And it’s Jones in at the power forward position. And then Irving slams it in. And you love the quick ups. But then how about that explosiveness on the finish, Irving, man, he just has incredible gifts. And he’s got his first chance at the line here. [Applause] And that one falls for Irving. A great athlete and an even better human being. It’s easy to love Julius. What he brings to this team and also what he brings to the community. So the Bulls five right now. You’ve got Longley. Michael Jordan is out there with Harper. Then it’s Rodney and it’s Pippen in at the three. And obviously his momentum from the last game has carried over here tonight. Yeah. and the coach pretty smart for zoning in on him and giving him opportunities to stay with that confident play. Here’s Tony after the made shot from Michael Jordan. [Applause] Tony against Jordan. Tony no luck. Yeah, it’s better than giving up the layup. You want to go in there and use the hard foul. They did it there. That’s aggressive attitude defensively. Pippen finds Jordan. [Applause] Lots of room. It’s Chicago with another bucket. He’s got a lot to do with the position that they’re in. A very smart offensive performance tonight for him. Cheeks the pass to Tony. Here’s Irving. The teardrop falls in. Irving’s got five points now this quarter. Well, we’ve seen that movie a few times, haven’t we? An easy bucket in the paint. And here is Jordan. He’s got 21. Pippen. The pass to Hart. Just over a minute and a half played here in the third. Rodman outside. Five on the clock. Here’s Longly. And that’s collected by Mone. Those are chances almost always you can rely on him to get you two points or feet just enough to keep him out of rookie. And you don’t ever want to get into the habit of letting the offense get to the rim. This is his first free throw of the game. And so Jones nails both of them. Well, a big fellow with the ability and confidence at the free throw line is something that every team wants. Don’t have to make those late substitutions. Keep your big guys on the floor. Now, here’s Pippen. 11 points in the game. Back to Harper. Pippen dishes to Harper. Pass to Pippen [Applause] and it’s Irving with the rebound. Irving’s got rebound number eight now on the night. Tony the pass to Jones from down in the low post it goes. They’re doing work here in the second half. Three or four to start. Chicago calls timeout and giving up a run here. Can Can they turn it around? Hard to say right now. At this point, I’ve seen the coaches run through two or three iterations of defense. Is there a fourth? I’m not sure. [Music] A little under two and a half minutes gone by here in the third. Jordan kicks to Pippen. Outside Rodman pass to Jordan and they double up Jordan. And here’s Harper from the arc and the Bulls with another miss. And got to like what they’ve been doing down low in the post. Here’s Cheeks. And here’s Malone. Odman grabs the miss. Odman’s got doubledigit rebounds now in the game. [Applause] Outside Harper. Pippen outside shoots. Harper’s shot goods and the Bulls lead by seven. Here’s Cheeks. Third quarter action in just under three and a half minutes have gone. Pass to Tony. That’s good from Malone on the assist from Tony. Tony’s got four assists now tonight. Malone is relentless inside. So strong with nonstop effort. Now here’s Pippen. 11 points in the game. Rodman kicks to Pley just fine on the clock. Here’s Jordan tries again and that one’s good by Rodman. He seems to be in the right place at the right time more often than anybody that’s on the court here tonight. You see that pay off cheeks have passed him alone. Here’s Tony. Irving surveying the floor. Malone in the high post over Longley. That is good. And the Bulls leaders get down to five on the bucket for Malone. And they’re passing the ball very crisply here. And so it’s Pippen with it. He brings it up for Chicago. outside Longley. Pippen kicks to Hart. Some nice ball movement here by the Bulls. Cheeks against Jordan. It’s rebounded by Malone. Cheeks outside. Pass to Irving. Now here is Tony. Malone outside. Malone with the screen. Here’s Cheeks. And it’s Chicago with the rebound. Rodman’s got rebound number 12 here already in the game. Harper with the ball. Pass to Jordan. No one near him. And the Bulls making a change here. First team coach has checked in now with the lineup for the Bulls. Number seven, Tony Coo on the wing. Cooach inside and stolen by Malone. Cheeks against Jordan and out of bounds as Chicago gains possession. That is just a careless turnover. You’ve got to be smarter in those exchanges. The Bulls leading by five. Pass to Pippen Jones against CO. And here’s Longley. And here’s Harper from the arc. It’s rebounded by Malone. Not his best night from the field, but looking for other ways and finding them so he can chip in. Back to Tony over Jordan. Tony, no luck. Their game plan needs to change if they’re going to get out of this hole because he is just not there offensively. Coo pass to Bippen. Back to CO Jordan on the wing. Six to shoot. Lays it up and in on the nice reverse. Jordan’s got six in the quarter. And that time the screener rolls and Jordan has room to get the shot he wants. Makes a good decision to keep that one himself. [Applause] Mix checked in for Cheeks. Here’s Tony. Six points for him. And the call will be against Scotty Pippen. That’s his first foul. And now only one away from being in the penalty. Back up. On defense, the Bulls, they lead by seven. Now Tony, a three ball. the shot. No good. Well, he’s using the force, but in the worst way possible right now. He just needs to dial it back and look to work the ball around the floor to his teammates. Harper kicks to Pippen. Back to Harper. Jordan passes to Pippen. Really left alone that time. And now it’s a ninepoint Bulls lead. Easy to understand why they give Pippen the ball in that area because this guy knows how to take advantage. Pass to Irving. [Music] Here’s Malone. Covered by Long. And they’re running. Jordan kicks to Cuckoo. [Applause] And you want to talk about difficult guys to match up with. Tony Fukos 611 can shoot it, handle it. I mean, how do you guard it? For Chicago, they have made their only other free throw attempt today in an earlier trip to the line. Cuckoo hits them both. And so here’s the home team. 11-point game up top. Tony, he’s guarded by Hart. Malone down low. Longley on him. And it’s Malone missing. Now here’s Harper. Defended by Tony. Outside Pippen. Back to Harper. Outside Cos to Longwood clock at six outside Pippen and some nice ball movement here by Chicago and it’s Jordan with the jam. And there are nights it really doesn’t matter what you do defensively. MJ is going to score and this is looking like one of those nights. And taking care of the ball has been a problem for him. That’s something they’ve got to fix. While the defense has been good, a lot of these turnovers have been unforced. Get there. Get there. Now here’s Pippen. 13 points in the game. Outside Harper right side. Cooach. Back to Harper. Pivot against Jones. Tries from 10. That one a little long to end the drought. Second shot opportunity. Malone misses. Chicago leading by 13. [Music] Here is Harper outside. Pippen left side. Jordan. [Applause] [Music] [Applause] with the steel and then Irving slams it in. Even though they’re down, he’s still looking to do the spectacular and he did. Well, maybe this is the best time to do it. Time out called the B. [Applause] Teams choosing it up here. Substitution. [Applause] Tony against Pippen. Back to Kerr. Three-pointer and that falls. Nice feed that time from Scotty Pippen. Kurr’s got the lead up to 14 now for Chicago. [Music] And the home team has possession. Outside Edwards to the paint. Here’s Irving. That one off the back iron and out. Pippen against Irving. Pass to CO. Here’s Simp yet to score. Look how Pippen stays nimble inside, adjusting to get the shot off despite the contact. And let’s take a moment, guys, to get your take on the scoring so far for the Bulls. They’re still slashing and attacking the rim and the defense yet to make the adjustment and keep the ball in front. And there’s another thing going on right now for them that has to get their confidence up and that’s the three ball. I mean, it’s been falling for them. They’re locked in and that outside shot going. That’s a big difference maker. And there’s the call. It’s going to be an illegal screen beyond the leaning. You could see his feet more set on that screen. Easy call. Got to hold for or you’re going to get a call. [Applause] And here’s Pippen. 14 points for him. C coach pass to Crew on the wing. C coach six on the shot clock fires at the elbow and that’s good. For two got four this quarter unwilling to let up even for a moment. That’s his killer instinct just fanning the flames. He’s the guy that you want to go to right now trying to put this one away. Mix pass to Edwards. Tony for three. Good on the three-point shot. Tony’s got What a great option he gives them on every possession. 44 seconds left in the third. Pippen feeling it out a bit. They set the pick [Applause] to Simkins up top. Cuck coach 17 points in the game. The shots good. I just don’t think they want him taking that kind of shot again. His teammates are just laughing, shaking their heads there on the bench. [Applause] 24 seconds left to play in the third. Edwards against Kirk. Outside Edwards [Applause] and Johnson sets the screen for Edwards. Pocket four. Here’s Tony. The 17-footer goes down. 11 points in the game. He was wide open, but just to make sure he put a little fade on that jumper. Michael Jordan getting it done for the board. He’s at the quarter century mark. 25 points for him in this game as they have looked to him over and over to make things happen. And we’ve got more M2K Sports coming your way after this break. [Music] [Applause] And we’re ready to get back into the action here in game one. Let’s see what this quarter has in store for us. Chicago leading by 14. We’ve got Dunley leaving also cheeks out there. Mix is out there with Malone. Kerr kicks to Jordan. [Applause] Pass to CO over mix and he didn’t get quite enough under that one. Not sure what what the D was doing there. Clearly a breakdown. You can ill afford to give a guy like him that good a look. [Applause] Jordan against Cheeks. Here’s Malone. And he makes the bucket. Gets the whistle. And now a three-point play chance here for him. And Cheeks is the ultimate orchestrator when it comes to running the offense. A creative guard with exceptional passing ability. Wow, they’ve made every free throw here in the second half. And here are the Bulls now. 17 points was their biggest margin. Cerr the pass to Jordan. Poked away. It’s stolen by Dunley. Pass break. Here we go. The basket good off the assist from Jets. Sheets has got three assists now in this one. How about him in a play here in the fourth quarter? Enzo Jordan will bring it up for the Bulls. They have a nine-point lead. Pass to Simpkins. Jordan with the ball. Defended by Cheeks. They grabbed their own miss. A nice shot by Jordan. Jordan’s got 27. And what you like there, Jordan never looks like he’s rushing. Makes quick, solid decisions. Cheeks against Kirk. Malone trying to break free. Missile blows. Bucket is good. He’ll have a chance at the line to make it a three-point play. the line for Maurice Cheeks shooting wide. The free throw off from Cheeks. Shooting foul as the whistle blows. He’ll shoot two foul. That one on C coach. First one falls for it. And one of the problems in the first half, that shotty work at the free throw line. They needed to fix that and they’ve been much improved since the break. Dennis Rodman, he’s checked in for the Bulls. Bushler comes in for Simpkins. Now here’s Kerr. Pass to Bushler. And here is Jordan defended by Cheeks. Here’s Kerr for three. And this is what dominating the glass looks like. He just cannot be contained. Sort of reminding me of a little Ben Wallace action here from his years with the Pistons. He’s been that much of a force rebounding the ball. Last quarter of play about 2 minutes in now. Cur outside. Here’s Bush who goes best to Jordan. Got loose. Cheaps with it. That’s the non lady kept alive. The Bulls leading by five. Now Kerr outside Cougar Rodman. That’s some nice ball movement here by Chicago. No good from Jordan. Pass to Cheeks. Here’s Dunley. Now Malone defended by Rodman. Malone in the post working on Rod. Caught that one. Now just a three-point Bulls lead. Well, they left it until the fourth quarter, but finally the run they needed to get back into this one. Finally got themselves in the trenches. Momentum completely shifted now. Got a tight one here in the final period. Jones checked in for Dunley with a short break in the action gives us a chance now to send it over to David Aldridge. Well, during that last break, I listened in on Phil Jackson’s huddle. He’s happy with how they’ve been playing. He told them, “Hey, they had their chance, but this is where we take it from. This is our game and our series.” He’s got pretty fired up, Kevin. Thank you, David. Knocks down the three ball. Down the stretch. He’s been flat out awesome. He helped them get the lead and now he’s making sure they keep it. Cheeks outside free throw line jump shot. That one goes in. Cheeks has got six in the quarter. And a lot of teams avoid the mid-range jumper, but they seem to be using it well. Fur the pass to coach. Now here’s Cur defended by Jones. Jordan against Chiefs. Five to shoot. Jordan can’t get it to go. Shoots from eight. Malone with the block. How about the quicks there by Malone to get up and deter that shot utilizing that size and reach for the rejection. Jordan can’t get it to go. Not really his best quarter as far as scoring, but let’s see if he can eventually get back on track. Nicks Ko grabs the miss. Bulls leading by four. [Applause] Now here’s Kerr. Pass to Jordan. Out to the right wing and Kerr with the basket on the assist by Cuckoo. Three-pointers are killing them at this point and they haven’t been able to respond at the other end. Cheeks against Crew. A floater. Good work there as it goes. They should continue to get the ball inside. The defense struggling to contain them. Shakes has gone four for nine from the field. Jones against Cerr. Pass to Rod. Kerr dishes to Rodney. Jordan high post. Shot clock at five. Shoots over Cheeks. Gets some rim on the way in. And the buckets good. That’s now 32 points for Jordan. Here’s Cheeks. Here’s Mix. Here’s Ivoroni outside. Jones [Applause] shot from 16 and it’s Chicago with the rebound. Coo has got four rebounds now tonight. Cur the best to coach. Now here is Jordan. Over [Applause] to the wing and it’s Rodman top of the key. Fade away again. Chicago. The assist totals, Kevin, just continue to grow. They’re way ahead in that category. Ball movement has been flawless. Cheeks with it. outside Jones and he could not get that one to go. Lot of contact and he’ll go to the line for two. Dennis Rodman picks one up. Yeah, and Malone excels at putting himself in a great position really on both ends. Just a dynamite rebounder and interior score. Scotty Pippens checked in for Bush and both free throws good from Malone. And so it’s picking with it. He brings it up for Chicago. 17 points was their biggest margin. And here’s Jordan outside. It’s rebounded by Malone. Not quite enough defense that time around. Just lucky he was off. Here’s Cheeks. Chicago grabs the miss. And here is Jordan. Pass to Pippen. [Applause] Outside Cos and they double up Jordan. Outside Pippen. Back to Jordan over Chiefs. Misses off the left eye. Jones. The best to Chiefs. [Applause] First personal foul 15 at the line for two. No good on the free throw. I felt like he was a little hesitant in the first half, but really he’s amping himself up here and battering around to get himself to the free throw line. Chicago leading by six. [Applause] Now Kirk Jordan looking it over. Balls knocked loose. And now here comes Jones leading the break. Shots good by Tony. And the offense has just operated really smoothly here in the open floor. They’ve done very very well in transition. problems have come in other areas which is why they’re trailing now. Here’s Curry. Pass to Pippen outside. Rodman down low to the middle. Kicks it out to Curry. The shots good on the assist by Pippen. Pippen’s got six assists here tonight. So many of the plays they’re running designed to create opportunities from deep. And I don’t know how they keep doing this, but every time down, the resulting possession ends up at the three-point line in a fairly efficient shot attempt at that. Now here is Tony down to five on the shot clock. The three, the rebound by Cuck Coach. Coo has got rebound number five here tonight. Kerr the pass to Jordan. at Dur. That’s some nice ball movement here by Chicago. Rodman with a screen on Cheeks. Here’s Jordan. Can’t hit the free throw line jump. Cheeks against Pippen. Cheeks outside. Jones with the screen on Pippen. Pass to Irving over Curve. Irving can’t hit. Bulls leading by seven. Fur the pass to Jordan. Krills the baseline jumper. Jordan’s got 36. Well, Jordan’s jumper is just pure, especially at that range. [Music] Jordan against Tony. Pass to Jones. It’s stolen by Rodman. Two minutes remaining. Two. 158 left in the fourth quarter of this one. And here is Jordan. Shot from 12. Rebound Malone. They need this one. And I’ll tell you what, few forwards have ever had that lightning first step of Dr. J. He just takes away the angles of the defense. The Bulls call timeout. [Applause] Check in for the Bulls. Harper comes in for Kirk. 133 left in the fourth quarter. Jordan kicks to heart. Back to Jordan. [Applause] Rothman sets the screen for Jordan. Shoots over Cheeks. Jordan can’t get it to go. Shot didn’t fall, but that play worked well to get a good look at the basket. Yeah, an efficient offensive possession. They found the look that they wanted, just didn’t go in. Yeah, easy call. [Applause] So the first one drops and that brings the lead to six. Some changes for Chicago. Tony Cuck coach, he’s checked in for Long and Kerr subbed in for Harper. Crucial that he converts those shots. They’ve got to keep eating away at the lead. Now here’s Curr outside. goes against Tony. Now here’s Jordan. Got him with the pump fake. Yeah, we move right there. Jordan’s got 38 points. Yeah, it’s just amazing the hang time Jordan gets even on a simple jumper. [Applause] So for the Bulls, Hley comes in for Tony Cuckoo and it’s Harper in for Steve Ker. Off the inbound pass, it’s good. Oh, and that cuts the lead to just five. You can’t just stop when there’s a big set up. Got to fight over it as a defender. That’s one that the coaches will watch tomorrow with that player. You hate to see him give up in that situation. Outside Jordan. Outside Harper. Back to Jordan. It’s Pivot on the way. Michael Jordan on the way. And here’s Harper from the arc. Shot clock at six. And that one good. And the Bulls lead by seven. They’re in total command of this game with time starting to run out. Yeah. Looking for a miracle worker out there. Is the opposing coaching staff. I don’t know that they have one. This game seems to be well in hand. And they can just dribble the ball until the buzzer. Yeah, they got to be happy with the outcome. Jordan outside. And so it’s Chicago winning this one. A pretty good feeling right now for them to be out in front like this in the series. You know, Kevin, momentum so so critical. And you know, they’ll want to ride this wave into game two. And so this one is in the books. We hope you’ve enjoyed being with us for the Eastern Conference Finals. For Greg Anthony, Brent Barry, and David Aldridge, this is Kevin Harland. Thank you for watching the NBA presented by 2K Sports. But first, let’s reveal our player of the game, Michael Jordan. [Music]

0:00 First quarter
15:56 Second quarter
32:14 Halftime
33:26 Third quarter
51:05 Fourth quarter
1:04:10 DUNK OF THE NIGHT

PHILADELPHIA — Recognized as two of the greatest teams to come out of the Eastern COnference, Moses Malone and Dr J’s 1983 Sixers and Jordan’s 1996 Bulls battle it out in a best-of-7 series.

The Bulls quickly established themselves against these Sixers and built a 10-pt lead at halftime. THings were not much different in the 3rd as the Bulls led by as much as 17.

However, the home team made a galant effort in the 4th to outscore the Bulls in the 4th and got to within 3. But Jordan quickly put them to rest, scoring 7 straight points to halt the Sixers momentum and claim Game 1.

Jordan finished with 38 pts 6 rebs 4 assts 4 stls.Kukoc added 19, PIppen 14. Rodman had 13 boards
Moses Malone led the Sixers with a 20-20 double double. 28 pts 21 rebs. Dr J had 17 pts 8 rebs.