The Detroit Pistons - "Bad Boys" The "Bad Boy" Detroit Pistons versus Michael Jordan's Bulls was one of the fiercest rivalries of the NBA in the 1990s and one of the most iconic in league history. Riley was furious. The basket put the Knicks up 113-101 and essentially clinched the game and the series. The Dallas Mavericks made their only playoff appearance of the decade. The 1990 NBA Finals was the championship round of the 1989-90 National Basketball Association (NBA) season, and the conclusion of the season's playoffs. I was absolutely devastated. All rights reserved. Find out more. It seems heretical to think this now, but after the Pistons defeated the Bulls in the 1990 Eastern Conference Finals, sports media (in its pre-Internet and pre-talking head shows form) swarmed Michael Jordan. Our reasoning for presenting offensive logos. The winner of this best-of-seven series matchup will advance to The NBA Finals. Jordan felt helpless after losing to the Pistons three years in a row when it mattered most. Though it would take a Paxson three pointer for the win and Grant's saving block in the last seconds to preserve the 99-98 threepeat. Not what you're looking for? Those Eastern Conference finals against Larry Bird's Pacers with Reggie Miller went to a seventh game and to this day Bird still talks about a jump ball lost with five minutes to go he believes changed the outcome and prevented the Pacers from pulling the upset. It would be a lot more difficult in 1992-93 after Jordan and Pippen came back from the exalted Dream Team experience. All logos are the trademark & property of their owners and not Sports Reference LLC. 1996 NHL EASTERN CONFERENCE FINALS SOUVENIR PUCK PENGUINS VS PANTHERS. If you are having difficulty accessing any content on this website, please visit our Accessibility page. Or write about sports? But the Jordan legend was formed in the postseason, even if ultimate success took longer than critics may have wanted. He would go on to set the league record for most games officiated and was inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in 2015. They went on a 2811 run of their own, and Terry Porter drove for a layup to give them a 9392 lead with 5:20 left. Clay, then the Illinois-Chicago PA man, was picked as Edwards'. With the help of Tim Grover, Jordan went from 200 to 215 pounds in the summer of 1990. The Bulls had won their three home games against the Pistons in that 1990 conference finals, the last one by 18 points. With nine seconds left, Porter attempted to drive on Dumars, but Joe blocked his path. The Detroit Pistons bounced the Bulls in the conference semifinals. So the Bulls went on to win 67 games in one of the most dominant seasons in NBA history. Jackson said he wouldn't agree to another contract whether the Bulls won a title or not. Jordan was seen as a guy with excellent stats and not much more. 1990 Eastern Conference Finals | StatMuse The Detroit Pistons won in the 1990 Eastern Conference Finals against the Chicago Bulls, 4 games to 3. Portland took the lead at 104102 when Thomas fouled out with 1:10 left. Jordan countered, taking the ball the length of the court and connecting on an improbable shot over Divac with 3.4 seconds remaining to force overtime. They got it in historic fashion as Jordan made the Space Jam movie and played basketball every day on the movie lot and the Bulls signed the controversial Dennis Rodman, whose presence with Jordan, Pippen, Jackson and the Bulls produced the most famous, notorious and successful basketball team in history. "You can say what you want about me," he said, "but you can't say that I'm not a winner.". The officials quickly ruled it no good, as the foul occurred before the shot, but Thomas made the free throws for a 110107 lead with 8.4 seconds showing. What a difference a year made for Jordan. A little under a month after the release of her debut single Vision of Love, future best selling recording artist Mariah Carey performed a heavily acclaimed rendition of "America the Beautiful". But we knew what we had to do as a team and that was speed the game up. That is what took us to another level. Subscribe to Stathead Basketball: Get your first month FREEYour All-Access Ticket to the Basketball Reference Database. 1990 EASTERN CONFERENCE FINALS, BULLS VS PISTONS GAME 6, 9 1990 EASTERN CONFERENCE FINALS, BULLS VS PISTONS GAME 7, 9 1991 1991 CHRISTMAS GAME, BULLS VS PISTONS, MJ 37PTS, 9 1991 BULLS VS NUGGETS, MJ 38PTS/12AST, 9 1991 BULLS VS CAVALIERS, MJ 37PTS, 9 1991 BULLS VS 76ERS, MJ 40PTS DUNKS ON THE 7'7" MANUTE BOL, 9 The Pistons were plagued with shooting problems as the Blazers raced off to a 3222 lead at the end of the first period. Logos were compiled by the amazing SportsLogos.net. - YouTube 0:00 / 12:15 #2RAW4SPORTS #2RAW4TV #LDBC CHICAGO BULLS ON THE VERGE: THE 1990 EASTERN CONFERENCE FINALS! But despite ranking 19th on that list, Jordan is second in total points scored behind LeBron James. We were able to stop teams, said Pippen. Yet, they would impress in an uneven season that still netted 62 wins. May 24, 1990 12 AM PT From Associated Press AUBURN HILLS, Mich. Michael Jordan, frustrated by injuries and lack of support, blasted his teammates after the Chicago Bulls' loss to the Detroit. Data Provided By After that game, Michael Jordan was as committed and determined as he was during any fourth quarter of his career. "If we're going," Jordan declared, "we may as well win," Really, there was little title talk until then. The Bulls lost Game 1 at home when Sam Perkins forgot he was supposed to try a two to tie and made a three to win. Offensively, we still struggled here and there even though Michael was very dominant. The 1990 Eastern Conference Finals was the toughest for the Bulls to swallow. So take a journey with me of my recollections of the 90s and those great Bulls seasons. Jordan and his Bulls had a great opportunity to advance to the NBA Finals in 1990. From all the ups and downs of facing the Pistons, I had finally set myself up to be a complete NBA player.. The 1995-96 Bulls were 72-10 with a domination virtually unheard of in pro sports. Jordan had 31 points in 45 minutes in Game 7, but the rest of his teammates struggled. the official stats partner of the NBA, NHL and MLB. Finals MVP: Isiah Thomas(27.6/5.2/7.0), Every Sports Reference Social Media Account, Site Last Updated: Saturday, March 4, 6:46PM. Explore more crossword clues and answers by clicking on the results or quizzes. 1990 eastern conference finals The Detroit Pistonswon in the 1990 Eastern Conference Finals against the Chicago Bulls, 4 games to 3. NBA.com is part of Warner Media, LLCs Turner Sports & Entertainment Digital Network, Bulls celebrate 20th anniversary of first NBA title. In less than three minutes, Detroit had tightened the game to 9289. The Bulls went to Detroit for Game 3, got their score over 100 points and the Pistons were done. >> Bulls celebrate 20th anniversary of first NBA title. The Pistons quickly passed the ball to Edwards, who tried a shot from the left of the paint, but rookie Clifford Robinson blocked it at the last second. It has long been argued that one call perhaps prevented the greatest ever followup to a franchise personnel departure. The Bulls then took out an overmatched Cavs team in six and Jordan opened the Finals with his famous shrug making six three pointers. Though Thomas was injured and didn't play, the players felt it was a turning point to win in Auburn Hills. But, when Clyde Drexler fouled out, Portland could not score the rest of the way and "The Microwave" heated up again. For the series, he had averaged 27.6 points, 8.0 assists, and 5.2 rebounds, a performance that caused him to unleash his full smile afterward. Pippen, though he didnt say it publically at the time, agreed. However, after getting beaten up by the Pistons three years in a row, he finally started working out more and adding muscle to his frame. Statistics courtesy of Basketball Reference and Stathead. The New York Times also became breathless and hysterical, reporting Jordan had gone to Atlantic City to gamble between Games 1 and 2, suggesting it cost the Bulls Game 2. It was testament to how many different ways the Bulls could win. We have tools and resources that can help you use sports data. They won virtually every major award after a 41-3 start and even more so with Rodman's antics, changing hair colors and his band of misfits along for the ride that created one of the most unusual cultural oddities ever in sports. After a first round series win over Charlotte, the Bulls fell in six to Orlando. Sponsored. I felt that the game had come full circle and I was physically and mentally ready for any challenge. This was the first playoff meeting between the Pistons and the Trail Blazers. Isiah Thomas was named NBA Finals MVP . The 1990 Eastern Conference included a slew of legendary players. Jordan didnt weight train often to start his career. Our reasoning for presenting offensive logos. In the case of a tie in regular-season records involving only two teams, the following criteria will be utilized in the following order: (1) Better winning percentage in games . Jordans 15-year career spanned 13 seasons with the Chicago Bulls and, following a three-year retirement, two more with the Washington Wizards. Head Coach: Regular Season Record: 1990-1991 Bulls Roster & Stats; Michael Jordan's Regular Season Stats; Playoffs. They just wanted to get the ball out of Michaels hands. The Bulls had a new coach in Tim Floyd. I put it in just to get myself physically strong enough to go against Detroit, Jordan said. The Evil Empire would be no more. For years, Pippen's sit-down, coupled with him begging out of Game 7 of the 1990 Eastern Conference finals with a migraine, saddled him with the unfortunate nickname "Sitting Bull." But over. Clyde Drexler made both free throws to give Portland the lead, 107106, with 31.8 seconds left. The Pistons went on to win, 10599. But if you give it some thought, it ranks as perhaps the second greatest era in NBA history behind the Boston Celtics nine titles in 11 seasons. Your login session has expired. Stockton and Brown would occasionally be paired together on TBS and TNT until 2002, when Brown was hired to coach the Memphis Grizzlies. On Dec. 4 at the Chicago Stadium, the Bulls, who averaged 110 points per game that season, put 155 on the board in a win over the Phoenix Suns. Through this partnership, the Detroit Pistons will have access to equitable and comprehensive family building care that its . The Bad Boys beat His Airness three times and mentally and physically intimidated him. For the game, he successfully converted six three-pointers, tying a Finals record set by the Lakers' Michael Cooper in 1987. The decade of good feelings was done. The following two postseasons, Chicago was the No. Once again the Detroit Pistons defeated Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls, this time in seven. We felt like we had come together and that we were on a course to greatness.. Or write about sports? Dumars' wife then used a courtside phone to inform Joe of his father's death. The SPORTS REFERENCE and STATHEAD trademarks are owned exclusively by Sports Reference LLC. Very seldom do you see that with a layup. On the ensuing play, James Edwards got the ball downcourt to a wide-open Gerald Henderson for an easy layup and a 112109 lead. This was the 13th playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Celtics winning seven of the first 12 meetings. Two things were stacked against the Pistons. Jordan was furious and engaged in a media boycott as the Knicks committed the ultimate mistake. It was a pivotal moment for the team, said Pippen of the victory. It could have been an end, but it was a beginning even with the desperate loss to the eventual champion Pistons. We had guys who wanted to play defense and wanted to win. Subscribe to Stathead Basketball: Get your first month FREEYour All-Access Ticket to the Basketball Reference Database. Scottie Pippen had a migraine and was woeful all game, shooting 1-of-10 from the field. Drexler made both foul shots to give the Blazers the 106105 lead. As Pippen mentioned, in part, that future was bright because Jordan had come to trust his teammates, something that took years to develop. The talk was if they didn't make it this season it was time to start again, perhaps make those trades Jordan was suggesting of Pippen and Grant. 1990 NBA Eastern Finals (Game 4): Pistons vs. Bulls (CBS Sports wraparounds) SchfiftyThree Sports 1.52K subscribers Subscribe 4K views 4 years ago CBS Sports' pre-game, halftime, and. Maybe I wasnt as prepared physically, as well as mentally, to face that obstacle. Jackson had originally assigned Jordan to guard Johnson, but Jordan had gotten in early foul trouble and a switch was made. The Detroit Pistons were one of his biggest foes and the Chicago Bulls just couldn't get past them. While the 1980s had been the years of the Celtics, Lakers and Pistons, the 1990s would belong to Chicago. [1], This was the first playoff meeting between the Cavaliers and the 76ers.[2]. The Knicks would go on to get to the Finals after defeating an Indiana team against whom the Bulls were 4-1 that season. We present them here for purely educational purposes. Instead of scattering for the summer, as usual, almost every player was back in the Multiplex training facility within days working toward the 1990-91 season. Within a few seasons, the Pistons dynasty broke up, with key players, including Thomas, retiring or moving on as free agents to other teams. They repeated in 1992 and made it three consecutive championships in 1993. But, over the next eight minutes, the Blazers suddenly remembered the pressure defense and running game that had gotten them to the NBA Finals. The 1990 NBA playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 198990 season. QUIZ. Making matters worse, in the decisive Game 7, Pippen suffered from a severe migraine headache that kept him out of the action. Mark Aguirre then fouled Porter with 6.5 seconds left, and he made both, drawing Portland to 110109. If you didnt defend, it was very difficult to win basketball games. In 1990, he was crying after losing to the Pistons. Question, Comment, Feedback, or Correction? He needed to be humble. That trails only Allen Iverson (45.1), Elvin Hayes (42.1), and Larry Bird (42.0). Jordan did retire, though we know briefly again for a lamentable return in Washington. Detroit Pistons 4-0 The Knicks won the first two, Starks punctuating the Game 2 win with a dunk over Jordan. But Thomas responded by sinking a 22-footer that returned the edge to Detroit 108107. a. Five seconds later, Clyde Drexler, who would finish with 33 points, made a free throw. In Game 1, the Bulls had a lead at halftime, which was not the case in the second game of the series. The Trail Blazers won the Pacific Division title by winning a franchise-record 63 games in 1991, acquiring the league's best record. Do you have a sports website? What they did at the end of that series in 1991 by walking off the court, as players, we expected it. The wicked witch was dead. He also skipped his age-35 through age-37 seasons before his Wizards cameo. The 1998-99 season would not begin until February after a labor dispute and the Bulls would not be back in the playoffs for seven years. The Bulls upset both the third-seeded Cavaliers and the No. The Blazers were down, three games to one. Reserve Bobby Hansen made the shot of his life to get the Bulls going on a run, pressure burst the fragile Blazers' ballhandlers and the Bulls pulled away for the back to back title. Go Orange. The rivalry between Chicago and Detroit became more heated when the Pistons walked off the court before Game 4 ended and didnt shake hands with the Bulls. This was the fourth playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Pistons winning two of the first three meetings. $7.99. Scottie Pippen has reportedly joined a growing chorus of former Chicago Bulls to take issue with Michael Jordan's outsized influence on The Last Dance, the wildly popular ESPN/Netflix docuseries on. The aggressive Bad Boys, as Detroit became known, were the . The tournament concluded with the Eastern Conference champion Detroit Pistons defeating the Western Conference champion Portland Trail Blazers 4 games to 1 in the NBA Finals. You can disagree tho. His Airness opted to take nearly two seasons off during his prime to play baseball. The Bulls had a huge setback in December, losing badly in Detroit. Jordan was fuming afterward, telling every player never again; never again would they lose like this, and lose to the Pistons. The Pistons became just the third franchise in NBA history to win back-to-back championships, after the Lakers and Celtics. He also added seven rebounds, five assists and three steals, but it wasn't enough to get away with a victory. Join us for a March Madness Webinar on Tuesday, March 7 at 8pm ET. With 23 seconds left, Isiah Thomas missed a potential game-clinching layup. As the narrative went, Jordan shot too much to lead a team to a championship. The Chicago Bulls guard scored 20 points in Game 2, but he shot only 5-for-16 from the floor. He wasnt quite the point guard; he was sort of a shooting guard who didnt get a lot of shots that he should have gotten.. Riley had built a team of borderline thugs with John Starks, Anthony Mason and Xavier McDaniel to beat them up if you didn't have the talent to beat them. He came full circle as a player and appreciated his teammates and the offense that we were in. Dealing with an injured Isiah Thomas for 34 games, they went 5032, but a matured and stronger Chicago Bulls team swept them in four games of the Eastern Conference Finals. As he walked onto the bus for the trip to the airport and back to Phoenix, smoking a cigar he famously greeted his teammates, "Hello, World Champions.". Im sure for him to see us mature and develop as his career moved forward was a relief, as it was for us as well. Chicago beat the New York Knicks in the first round of the 1991 playoffs and the Philadelphia 76ers in the second round, setting up the much-anticipated matchup with the Pistons in the conference finals. The Bulls won 57 games, three behind the Knicks, setting up the much anticipated hostilities. This was the first NBA Finals since 1979 not to involve either the Los Angeles Lakers or the Boston Celtics, and one of two NBA championships of the 1990s won by a team other than the Chicago Bulls or the Houston Rockets (the other was won by the San Antonio Spurs in 1999). Chicago Bulls icon Michael Jordan faced the Detroit Pistons four years in a row in the playoffs from 1988 to 1991. They would not return to the Finals until 2004. 1990 Eastern Conference All-Star Starting Team Was Stacked - Fadeaway World Here's Why Michael Jordan Played 1 Memorable Game on Valentine's Day 1990 1990 NBA Finals: The end of an era, and a bridge to a new era: - The Grueling Truth Michael Jordan averaged 32.1 points, 7.1 rebounds and 6.3 assists in 7 games versus the Pistons in the 1990 Eastern Conference Finals. The addition of Williams cost Portland once-promising center Sam Bowie, whose career had been curtailed by a series of leg injuries after being drafted second overall in the 1984 NBA draft. Armstrong making big shots down the stretch. Detroit won, 121106. Philadelphia Sixers Playoff History. The two teams met in the playoffs for the first time in the 1974 Western Conference Semifinals which the Bulls won in seven games. Jordan pulled out Game 3, the pivotal game many Bulls felt they needed to win to get the series, by going full court in the last seconds to tie the game with a jumper. Andrew D. Bernstein/Getty Images. The Bulls would sweep the Knicks to open the 1991 playoffs, creating the opening for Pat Riley to become coach. Little discussed about that Bulls season was they simply got tired of dominating the regular season. Buck Williams hit a jumper to make the score 9489, but then Thomas scored seven straight points on two free throws, a three-point shot, and an 18-footer to give the Pistons their first lead. . The Bulls were at least 10 games ahead of everyone in the league. We felt like we had made huge progress in terms of closing the gap. The series pitted the defending NBA champion and Eastern Conference champion Detroit Pistons against the Western Conference champion Portland Trail Blazers. The Pistons shot poorly starting out, missing seven of their first 11 shots, but still led 2622 after one quarter. Use without license or authorization is expressly prohibited. Though Isiah Thomas was out injured, the key game of that season was just before the All-Star break in Auburn Hills. Do you have a blog? The Bulls won the first two in Phoenix, lost a ridiculous triple overtime in Chicago, then made it 3-1. 1990 NHL Playoffs Overview Leaders Four seconds later, in a scramble under the Pistons' basket, Bill Laimbeer drew his sixth foul, disqualifying him for the remainder of the game. From there, Jordan and the Bulls made a steady climb through the playoff bracket. We knew that they were following their leader.. Hes the only player in NBA history to average more than 30 points a game in his playoff career. Being a player who relies on getting open and making shots, it was sort of his time, said Pippen of Paxson. In 1991, he was leading the Bulls to their first title while putting an end to Detroits dynasty. Jordan scored 47 and 42 points in Game 3 and 4 respectively, tying the series, which eventually went to Game 7. The Bulls earned the No. Eleven days later, the Bulls showed they could dominate on the other side of the ball too when they hosted the Cleveland Cavaliers and opened the game with a 36-5 first quarter. 45 after Nick Anderson chided that 45 wasn't as good as 23. Join us for a March Madness Webinar on Tuesday, March 7 at 8pm ET. Shooting Stars: Campbell Conference Champs! But we finally got it, and it became one of the best tools in basketball.. Our strength and conditioning coaches, Al Vermeil and Erik Helland, really put us to work throughout the summer and we spent a lot of time in Chicago during the offseason. The only team . Joe Dumars' father, Joe Dumars II, died of congestive heart failure .mw-parser-output .frac{white-space:nowrap}.mw-parser-output .frac .num,.mw-parser-output .frac .den{font-size:80%;line-height:0;vertical-align:super}.mw-parser-output .frac .den{vertical-align:sub}.mw-parser-output .sr-only{border:0;clip:rect(0,0,0,0);height:1px;margin:-1px;overflow:hidden;padding:0;position:absolute;width:1px}1+12 hours before the tipoff of Game 3. Last edited on 10 February 2023, at 02:31, Learn how and when to remove this template message, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=1990_NBA_Finals&oldid=1138513017, This page was last edited on 10 February 2023, at 02:31. It came to an end perhaps with some head scratching. During that stretch, Pippen recorded a career-high 43 points on Feb. 23 in a win over the Charlotte Hornets. Isiah Thomas of the Detroit Pistons drives to the basket against the Chicago Bulls during an NBA Eastern Conference Finals at The Palace circa 1990. However, long before Jordan became the champion, he struggled to get past the first round. Unfortunately, the team came up short in the fourth quarter, losing the game 102-93 and going down 0-2 in the series. Our reasoning for presenting offensive logos. In 1988, Jordan led Chicago to a Game 5 victory at home over the Cleveland Cavaliers. The Eastern Conference Finals is the championship of the Eastern Conference (NBA). They did their famous walk off with about seven seconds left, essentially validating Jordan's view. The maturity factor, the familiarity, and getting Michael to the point where he believed in his teammates were all obstacles that we had to overcome.. Prior to this, the Celtics had beaten the Knicks 26 straight at the Boston Garden. They started out 12-0 and this time were 42-5 as the race was pretty much over by then. Jordan would enhance the bombshell by further deciding to take up professional baseball and play for the Chicago White Sox double A minor league team in Alabama. New York Knicks 3-0; 1991 Eastern Conference Semis: Bulls def. It was the Bulls time and they knew it. Join our linker program. 1988-1989: Detroit Pistons over Chicago Bulls 1989-1990: Detroit Pistons over Chicago Bulls 1990-1991: Chicago Bulls over Detroit Pistons 1991-1992: Chicago Bulls over Cleveland Cavaliers 1992-1993: Chicago Bulls over New . Waiting in the wings for Chicago was Magic Johnson and the Los Angeles Lakers. [Detroit] was an obstacle that we hadnt been able to get over in terms of beating them in their own building. The unofficial formula for ultimate success in the NBA was get to the Finals, losethus learn like the Pistons did, the 76ersand now it was the Trailblazers turn. It really paid off for us.. James led the Cavaliers to the conference championship in 2015, and again in 2016. Copyright 2023 Endgame360 Inc. All Rights Reserved. They got through the 50-game season with 13 wins and several holdovers, headlined by Toni Kukoc, soon to be cashed in for yet more draft picks and free agent Brent Barry here and gone. There was my "Jordan Rules" book and cries it was the end. The Bulls got destroyed in Game 7 of the 1990 Eastern Conference Finals. For much of Game 5 it appeared Portland would at least send the series back to Detroit. 23 from No. It was redemption for Jordan, who had missed a potential game-winner in Game 1, as the Bulls dominated the extra session for a 104-96 win and 2-1 series lead. When the 1990-91 season began, Pippen and the Bulls took the court with a specific goal in mindwin more games than the Pistons in the regular season and achieve home court advantage in the postseason. Following the game, Jordan claimed that the Bulls would win out in spite of the loss. Please logout and login again. This would be the last series to be played on a TuesdayThursdaySunday rotation until the 2004 series. Explore Along the way, Portland built a core that would turn the team into title contenders, adding Clyde Drexler, Terry Porter and Jerome Kersey through the draft while signing or trading for players such as Buck Williams and Kevin Duckworth. You didnt see any players on our team trying to acknowledge them as they walked by. I wont say scoring was easy, but teams were scoring a lot of points back in those days. Unfortunately for them, they couldn't get the job done as the Pistons ended up defending their home court. Terry Porter had a last chance to force a Game 6, but his three clanked off the rim. Things looked bright for the new millennium with the lottery balls coming up for the Bulls and the No. The NBA on CBS ended a 17-year run, as the league was moving to NBC after the 1990 NBA Finals. Isiah Thomas was named the Finals MVP. We just didnt respond, Jordan said. That Game 7 would be Pistons 93-74. 1990 NBA Playoffs Standings Schedule and Results Leaders Player Stats Totals Per Game Per 36 Minutes Per 100 Possessions Advanced East Conf 1st Round Milwaukee Bucks vs. Chicago Bulls Indiana Pacers vs. Detroit Pistons New York Knicks vs. Boston Celtics Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Philadelphia 76ers West Conf 1st Round Michael Jordan retired from professional basketball with six championship rings. Defense is something that you have to want to do. In terms of averages, Jordan is the all-time leader at 33.5 points per game. We knew the importance of playing defense, said Pippen. But the rivalry really started in the 1988 Eastern Conference Semifinals after the Pistons and Bulls beat the Bullets and Cavs in the first round 3-2. In Episode 4 of ESPNs The Last Dance docuseries, Jordan talked about crying on the bus after Game 7 and his father sitting next to him. This was the third playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Rockets winning the first two meetings. When the Pistons walked off the court before time expired in Chicagos Game 4 series clinching victory without congratulating or acknowledging the Bulls, it only backed up his words. hide this ad PLAY QUIZ Score 0/284 Timer 15:00 Recently Published Grammy Nominees in Animated Movies Movies 2.5m Logos by Face III Miscellaneous 2m Jordan generally displayed some acceptance after previous Bulls playoff disappointments. The Bulls had reached a point where they knew they could compete and potentially beat Detroit, but the Pistons held home court advantage.