Full Game: Triple Overtime Controversy in Utah | Bulls vs Jazz (Feb 3, 1992)
It was a game defined by fatigue, controversy, and a finish that sent the Chicago bench into absolute convulsions. On a grueling West Coast swing—what the Chicago media dubbed the “Grammy Trip”—the defending champion Bulls engaged in a three-overtime war of attrition against the Utah Jazz that ended not with a buzzer-beater, but with a whistle and an ejection.
The narrative of this game is one of survival and eventual unraveling. Michael Jordan played a staggering 56 minutes, pouring in 34 points on 13-of-34 shooting, but the heavy minutes took their toll. As detailed in the Chicago Tribune, the Bulls blew an 18-point lead, and the situation turned dire when Scottie Pippen fouled out in the first overtime. Without his running mate, Jordan was forced to carry the entire offensive load, hitting a clutch three-pointer to force the third overtime, but eventually running out of steam against the relentless duo of John Stockton and Karl Malone (34 points).
The contest ended in chaos. With 0.5 seconds left in the third overtime and the Jazz leading by one, referee Tommie Wood whistled Jordan for a foul on Jeff Malone’s shot attempt—a call Phil Jackson later described as “fatal.” The situation exploded immediately. As noted in the game report, Jordan was ejected for “cursing at and bumping referee Tommie Wood,” and Jackson had to be physically restrained by assistants as the Jazz hit the technical free throws to seal the 126-123 victory. It remains one of the most contentious endings of the the first three-peat era.
Timestamp Index:
00:00 Intro and pre-game interviews with Phil Jackson and Johnny Kerr.
00:09:23 Tip-off and start of the game at the Delta Center.
00:11:11 Michael Jordan hits his first jumper of the night.
00:19:10 Stacey King comes off the bench to hit back-to-back shots.
00:25:50 Scottie Pippen gets the steal and finishes with a spin move layup.
00:29:40 Pippen comes from the weak side for a huge block on Stockton.
00:34:34 Pippen throws down a slam dunk off a Bobby Hansen feed.
00:39:19 Blue Edwards spins on Jordan for a tough basket.
00:46:42 Final two minutes of the first half.
00:51:01 Karl Malone drives down the lane for a power slam.
00:54:17 Halftime feature “Men of Steel” with player interviews.
00:59:30 Start of the 3rd Quarter.
01:05:32 Horace Grant finishes with a slam dunk.
01:07:26 John Paxson drains a 3-pointer.
01:12:21 Jordan hangs in the air to finish a difficult layup.
01:17:30 Jordan drives and dishes to Pippen for the score.
01:22:31 David Benoit hits a 3-pointer at the buzzer to end the 3rd.
01:23:27 Start of the 4th Quarter.
01:34:11 Malone gets the steal and takes it all the way for a slam.
01:39:14 Jordan uses a fake and hits a fadeaway to take the lead.
01:40:03 Stockton hits a reverse layup to tie the game.
01:40:56 Final two minutes of regulation.
01:43:39 Stockton throws the ball away with seconds remaining.
01:47:02 Start of the 1st Overtime.
01:49:50 Pippen scores to tie the game.
01:50:50 Jordan isolates and hits a jumper over Jeff Malone.
01:51:55 Blue Edwards hits a clutch 3-pointer.
01:54:20 Jordan steals the ball and scores on the break.
02:02:50 Edwards hits crucial free throws to extend the game.
02:05:10 Jordan hits a clutch 3-pointer to force a 3rd Overtime.
02:09:50 Start of the 3rd Overtime.
02:13:31 Jordan hits a turnaround jumper in the post.
02:13:50 Edwards keeps Utah alive with another 3-pointer.
02:15:14 Will Perdue finishes a slam dunk.
02:15:54 Stockton hits a huge 3-pointer to tie the game again.
02:32:25 Malone scores a clutch basket in traffic.
02:35:50 Jordan turnover and technical foul ejection.
02:37:50 Jeff Malone hits the game-winning free throws.
9 Comments
TONS OF BAD CALLS IN THIS GAME ….REFS NEED TO BE RETRAINED
The Refs were giving the Utah Jazz favorable calls, Blue Edwards was supposed to be fouled out but the refs gave it Mark Eaton, which would’ve helped the bulls because Bliue was having a great game….The Jazz announcer’s were perplexed by some of the refs calls…Then the refs called an over & back on Scottie, in which he didn’t touch mark eaton and tapped it out to himself, Scottie knew it was another terrible call, so he slammed the ball on the floor and the refs gave him a technical and that was his sixth foul, which means he’s out the game, the Jazz get another free Free throw and the ball back to them…the announcers were still surprised that they were “letting them play” because they felt that MJ was getting swiped across his arms with no call, they didn’t call the foul on Malone when he grabbed Will Perdue across his arms and rewarded them a jump ball, when Paxson missed an open jumper, Jordan actually stole the ball from Benoit but the refs were Real Quick to call that foul on MJ, which tells me the refs are not giving Jordan the benefit of the doubt, they’re treating him like a basic basketball player and not the Superstar that he is…. That’s why Jordan flipped when they called that last foul on him when he clearly stole it, Jeff Malone flailed his arms around hoping to get a call in their favor….and they did….you call that jump ball for Karl Malone but don’t hold your whistle for MJ’s Steal. The refs made sure the bulls weren’t going to win, even Phil Jackson knew that was a terrible call, you don’t call the fouls in that late time of the game, You let them settle it on the court…So, whenever someone says that MJ gets all the calls in his favor, can look at this sad refereeing display and think otherwise. Jordan got his payback and won another championship that year!
There's parts of this game missing.
Great game 🔥
mormons suck! 😂
Oh the refs helped Utah.. hahhahaha
Love you MJ the best.. you are the best!
That was the only game in MJ’s career that he was actually being ejected
MJ with the modern stepback three to tie the game game in ot at 2:08:25 .This is why people who say he wouldn't be able to adapt to today's game are full of crap.
Karl Malone doesn’t get enough credit as a flop artist. Utah was the absolute perfect small market out of sight out of mind spot for his career – shot out K-Mart!!