The Total Point Leaders In The NBA Finals From 1991 To 2000: Michael Jordan Led All The Scorers 6 Times In 6 Finals

It is widely known that NBA superstars have the most pressure to perform, and their performances will dictate how the season ends for their teams. Superstars often show up and put forth fantastic performances to spearhead their squads to victory. We crown an NBA champion every year, and getting through each playoff series is the most essential part of being in the playoffs. Of course, the highlight of every playoff is the NBA Finals, where the best of the best is eventually crowned.

The NBA Finals is where the best NBA players are judged because performing on the brightest stage usurps what is done in the regular season and also the previous stages of the postseason. In almost all situations, the best player on a playoff team must score a ton of points to lead his team to victory. That will not change, and it will probably be even more pronounced in the modern NBA, where offensive sets are being prioritized more than ever. But the idea has not changed throughout time: scoring the most points in a Finals series is the key to winning it all.

Here are the players with the most total NBA Finals points scored between the 1991 and 2000 seasons, where we might get a very interesting perspective on the careers of some of the greatest players ever.

1991 NBA Finals

Top 5 Point Leaders:

1. Michael Jordan – 156 Points

2. Scottie Pippen – 104 Points

3. Magic Johnson – 93 Points

4. Vlade Divac – 91 Points

5. Sam Perkins – 83 Points

Michael Jordan’s 1991 NBA Finals performances might be the most significant portion of his career because the legendary Bulls guard accomplished everything in the NBA that year, from the scoring title to his first NBA title at the end of the year. The first title for Jordan was the most critical one because it finally gave MJ the juice to get over the hump and go out to dominate the NBA year after year. Jordan dropped 31.2 PPG in the Finals series against the Los Angeles Lakers, an exciting matchup for the ages.

We finally got to see Michael Jordan take on Magic Johnson in the Finals, although it ended completely in the Bulls’ favor. By far the most dominant scorer, Jordan took over his first successful Finals series. He led all players in total points scored with 156, while his running mate and newly-arrived superstar teammate Scottie Pippen was second with 104 points. Together, the Lakers had no chance at stopping the two best offensive players in the series because Magic no longer had the all-time great Kareem Abdul-Jabbar by his side. Instead, Magic had to rely on the likes of Vlade Divac and Sam Perkins, two strong scorers but nowhere near the level of Kareem.

As a result, the Chicago Bulls won the series thanks to a “gentleman’s sweep” in a 5-game beatdown of the Lakers. Other than Game 1, where the Lakers won 93-91, no other game was particularly close as the Bulls definitively dominated the court thanks to Michael Jordan’s elite offensive ability and Scottie Pippen’s arrival as a true star in the league.

1992 NBA Finals

Top 5 Point Leaders:

1. Michael Jordan – 215 Points

2. Clyde Drexler – 149 Points

3. Scottie Pippen – 125 Points

4. Terry Porter – 97 Points

5. Jerome Kersey – 89 Points

For the second-straight year, Michael Jordan won the MVP award with the Chicago Bulls during the regular season and also ended the season with a Finals MVP award and 2nd straight NBA title. The superstar shooting guard averaged 35.8 PPG in the series, once again taking over the series by outscoring the likes of Clyde Drexler with the Portland Trail Blazers. Of course, Jordan led all players in the series in total points, scoring 65 more points than Clyde, who finished second with 149 total points scored.

Averaging 35.8 PPG on 52.6% shooting and chipping in 6.5 APG, no player was as dominant as the legendary Bulls guard in the Finals series against Portland. It was obvious that Michael Jordan took the series personally because, for years, Clyde Drexler was considered to be Michael Jordan’s main “rival” and even his equal. But the Bulls superstar took that to heart and completely owned his matchup en route to his second-straight championship. It wasn’t easy, though, as it took 6 games before it was done.

But Jordan and the Bulls got there eventually, and it was truly astonishing to watch. Scottie Pippen was a solid contributor in the Finals series, finishing 3rd in total points and once again proving he is a star in the league alongside Jordan. Terry Porter and Jerome Kersey contributed nicely, but they could not overcome what Jordan did in the Finals, and it was truly that simple.

1993 NBA Finals

Top 5 Point Leaders:

1. Michael Jordan – 246 Points

2. Charles Barkley – 164 Points

3. Scottie Pippen – 127 Points

4. Kevin Johnson – 103 Points

5. Dan Majerle – 103 Points

Michael Jordan seemed to be getting better each Finals series because the wins would keep piling up as the Bulls guard continued his scoring dominance on the court. Jordan dropped 41.0 PPG on 50.8% shooting, sublime numbers for a perimeter scorer that takes the bulk of the shots. Against a dominant Phoenix Suns squad in the Finals, Jordan had every answer that this opposition threw at him and once again led the Finals in total points scored with 246. That was almost 100 more points than second-best Charles Barkley.

Speaking of which, even the great Charles Barkley could not keep up, as Jordan outscored everyone in the Finals yet again. Completing his third-straight season of championships and Finals MVPs already made MJ the greatest of all time, but the shooting guard would not be done just yet, as he would return to dominance after a brief retirement phase. Nonetheless, there would be a pattern going because after Jordan finished first, Scottie would finish 3rd in scoring.

As great as Kevin Johnson and Dan Majerle were, it was obvious that Scottie Pippen was by far the third-best player in the Finals series. It must have helped Jordan on the court knowing he had the third-best player in the series, and in many instances, it was Jordan and Pippen making the difference. Barkley had a great series with 27.3 PPG and a total of 164 points scored, but Jordan was once again above everyone else, and the numbers prove it.

1994 NBA Finals

Top 5 Point Leaders:

1. Hakeem Olajuwon – 188 Points

2. Patrick Ewing – 132 Points

3. John Starks – 124 Points

4. Derek Harper – 115 Points

5. Vernon Maxwell – 94 Points

Hakeem Olajuwon owned the 1994 season, the same year when Michael Jordan retired for the first time to go play baseball and take a hiatus from basketball. The best big man and all-around player in the league during Michael Jordan’s retirement, The Dream won MVP by leading the Houston Rockets to the 2nd seed in the West, and the star ranked 3rd in scoring. Of course, Hakeem’s true impact came during an incredible Finals performance for his team against Patrick Ewing and the New York Knicks.

Thanks to his unstoppable post-game and incredible basketball IQ, Hakeem dominated the Finals against the Knicks. Thanks to The Dream’s scoring, which led all players in the series at 26.9 PPG, there was no answer for him and, as a result, the Houston Rockets. Hakeem dropped a series-high 188 points, 56 more points than the second-placed Patrick Ewing. The Knicks owned the other two spots, as Hakeem had Vernon Maxwell score 94 points.

Clearly, Olajuwon outplayed Patrick Ewing, and it never surprised anybody at that time. Hakeem was a better and more talented player than Patrick, as he was naturally skilled with some of the best offensive moves we have ever seen. Ewing was more of a tough center who scored through will and presence, and he held his own with 132 total points scored. But he wasn’t Hakeem, which is why the Rockets won the 1994 NBA championship.

1995 NBA Finals

Top 5 Point Leaders:

1. Hakeem Olajuwon – 131 Points

2. Shaquille O’Neal – 112 Points

3. Penny Hardaway – 102 Points

4. Clyde Drexler – 86 Points

5. Robert Horry – 71 Points

The legendary Houston Rockets legend captured the Finals MVP award in 1995 again, posting monster two-way statistics while leading his team to a convincing sweep of the Orlando Magic in the Finals. The story of the series was Hakeem Olajuwon vs. Shaquille O’Neal, two of the premier centers in the game. Of course, we got a center showdown a year prior when Hakeem handled Patrick Ewing, so we had an idea of what to expect in 1995. And as expected, Hakeem was the man.

Shaq was the bigger and stronger player by far, but how would he fare against a skilled Olajuwon? We all got the answer because Olajuwon outscored Shaq (32.8 PPG vs. 28.0 PPG) and carried the Rockets to another convincing Finals win at the expense of O’Neal and the Magic. Olajuwon was quicker than Shaq, more skilled, and simply smarter at getting buckets without exhausting himself. Olajuwon posted a Finals high of 131 points vs. Shaquille O’Neal’s Finals stats of 112 points.

This was truly a wake-up moment for Shaquille O’Neal because skill and experience would mean far more than pure physicality. But Olajuwon was better in the post, fooling Shaq with pump-fakes and also using his quickness to get easy buckets. O’Neal was not a slouch because he posted 112 points and also had Penny Hardaway contribute with 102 total points scored, but Hakeem was the man, and it was evident yet again.

1996 NBA Finals

Top 5 Point Leaders:

1. Michael Jordan – 164 Points

2. Shawn Kemp – 140 Points

3. Gary Payton – 108 Points

4. Detlef Schrempf – 98 Points

5. Scottie Pippen – 94 Points

The GOAT is back. In the 1996 season, Michael Jordan averaged 30.4 PPG on 49.5% shooting from the field in his first full season following his retirement. But MJ continued that into the playoffs, once again leading the Chicago Bulls into the Finals against the Seattle SuperSonics led by “The Glove”, Gary Payton, and monster paint enforcer Shawn Kemp. We did not expect MJ to have this kind of performance after so long out of the game, but remember, Jordan is the most talented player of all time.

Gary Payton and company did a great job at preventing Jordan from shooting his usual 50% from the field, although the shooting guard still averaged 27.3 PPG on 41.5% shooting. While MJ will categorically deny that Payton’s defense affected Jordan’s numbers and efficiency, it might hold true, considering he was terrorizing defenses with over 50% shooting throughout his career. But MJ still got the job done, winning Finals MVP by being the leading scorer by 24 total points ahead of Shawn Kemp.

The Supersonics were certainly a great team when looking at their talent from top to bottom, and they had plenty of guys chip in with scoring, including Detlef Schrempf (98 points), who helped Payton and Kemp on that end of the floor. Scottie Pippen finished 5th with only 94 points, meaning Jordan was the main reason the Bulls ended up winning their 4th championship in 6 years. Of course, MJ and the Bulls would not be done just yet, as the 1997 Finals was more of the same against a very different opponent.

1997 NBA Finals

Top 5 Point Leaders:

1. Michael Jordan – 194 Points

2. Karl Malone – 143 Points

3. Scottie Pippen – 120 Points

4. John Stockton – 90 Points

5. Jeff Hornacek – 72 Points

After a full season under his belt in 1996, Michael Jordan was truly at his best in 1997, clearly getting back to his elite level in terms of efficiency and numbers. Jordan and the Bulls found themselves in the Finals in a matchup against the Utah Jazz, a team led by superstars Karl Malone and John Stockton. As expected, the offense would come from the main source from every team: Michael Jordan with the Bulls and Karl Malone with the Jazz.

Jordan led all scorers again by posting 32.3 PPG on 45.6% shooting from the field, once again proving there was no answer for him when he was at his best. The shooting guard posted 194 points in the series, clearly ahead of Karl Malone, who posted 143 points. Scottie Pippen returned to his best form as well, finishing 3rd in the series with 120 points ahead of Utah’s star backcourt of John Stockton and Jeff Hornacek.

MJ was not only the most athletic player in the league but the single most dominant star in the NBA. With 5 championships and 5 Finals MVPs under his belt, MJ would complete his second 3-peat the following year. It was just great to see Jordan return to his solid efficiency and his numbers were evidence that the shooting guard was back at his best.

1998 NBA Finals

Top 5 Point Leaders:

1. Michael Jordan – 201 Points

2. Karl Malone – 150 Points

3. Scottie Pippen – 94 Points

4. Toni Kukoc – 91 Points

5. Jeff Hornacek – 64 Points

It was all but written in stone that Jordan and the Bulls would capture their 6th championship in 8 seasons. In a Finals rematch, Jordan and the Chicago Bulls took on the Utah Jazz in a 6-game series. Despite the best efforts of Karl Malone (25.0 PPG and 10.5 RPG) and John Stockton (9.7 PPG and 8.7 APG), the Jazz could not force Jordan and the Bulls to play in a Game 7. But Jordan never played in a Game 7, and it would not happen in 1998 at all.

The GOAT averaged 33.5 PPG, 42.7% shooting over the 6 games, leading all scorers with 201 total scored ahead of Karl Malone (150 points) and his teammate Scottie Pippen (94 points). It was always going to be written that MJ would capture his 6th NBA title and 6th Finals MVP award because his era of dominance would soon end as players such as Tim Duncan and Shaquille O’Neal would soon take the reigns.

But it was amazing to see how one player could lead all scorers in the Finals during 6 appearances, especially considering the record finished 6-0. With 6 Finals MVPs to his name and a resume that is truly one of a kind, the Jordan era would come to an end because the shooting guard would retire for the second time before returning as somewhat of a shell of himself with the Washington Wizards.

1999 NBA Finals

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mmk0HUlgQBE

Top 5 Point Leaders:

1. Tim Duncan – 137 Points

2. Latrell Sprewell – 130 Points

3. Allan Houston – 108 Points

4. David Robinson – 83 Points

5. Mario Elie – 58 Points

With Michael Jordan retired for the second time, it was Tim Duncan’s time to impose his talent and dominance in the league. The Big Fundamental managed to usurp the great David Robinson as the best player on the Spurs, and he was given the keys to dominating in the playoffs and eventually the NBA Finals. Duncan led all scorers in the 1999 NBA Finals by posting 137 points, which ended up being a slight lead over Latrell Sprewell (130 points).

Tim Duncan dominated the Finals, posting a ridiculous double-double (27.4 PPG, 14.0 RPG) and being the greatest enforcer on the court as well (2.2 BPG). The Spurs finished the New York Knicks in 5 games, with Duncan finishing as the leading scorer in two games during the series and the leading rebounder in 3 different games. But over the 5 games, Duncan led all scorers, which showed his true consistency.

The power forward would go on to win a total of 5 rings, but the first came in 1999 at the expense of Sprewell, Allan Houston, and the Knicks. New York had some great talent, but they did not have the raw superstar power of Tim Duncan and even the 33-year-old David Robinson, who scored 83 points over 5 games and had a Finals average of 16.6 PPG and 11.8 RPG.

2000 NBA Finals

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=te9VQbONNUY

Top 5 Point Leaders:

1. Shaquille O’Neal – 228 Points

2. Reggie Miller – 146 Points

3. Jalen Rose – 138 Points

4. Austin Croshere – 91 Points

5. Kobe Bryant – 78 Points

After the year of Tim Duncan was over, it was time for The Diesel to exert his dominance on the court. And what a year it was for O’Neal because he accomplished almost everything there was to achieve during the year, from start to finish. Shaquille O’Neal won his first and only MVP award during the 2000 season, the same year the big man won his first NBA championship at the expense of the Indiana Pacers.

There is no doubt that Shaq was the best player in the league during the year because he led the Los Angeles Lakers to a league-best 67-15 record alongside Kobe Bryant and completely owned the NBA Finals by averaging 38.0 PPG, 16.7 RPG, and 2.7 BPG against the likes of Austin Croshere and Rik Smits. There was no answer for Shaq because he was simply stronger and more explosive than anybody else, and the Lakers won in 6 games, thanks to a 116-111 victory in the closeout game.

Based on O’Neal’s scoring numbers, it was obvious the big man terrorized the opposing defense game after game because he finished as the leading scorer 5 times across 6 games and led all scorers at the end of the series with 228 total points. His teammate, Kobe Bryant, finished 5th with 78 points as he was outscored by superstar Reggie Miller, Jalen Rose, and Austin Croshere. It was obvious that O’Neal was just starting his dominance, as he would go on to win two more championships and Finals MVPs. 

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