The NBA has had its fair share of stars. The most popular stars usually seem to be shooting guards. Two of the biggest in the 1990s were Michael Jordan and Reggie Miller.
- “Never Talk To Black Jesus Like That”
- The Fax That Said, “I’m Back” And The Renewed Rivalry
- The 1998 Eastern Conference Finals Game 1
- The 1998 Eastern Conference Finals Game 2
- The 1998 Eastern Conference Finals Game 3
- The 1998 Eastern Conference Finals Game 4
- The 1998 Eastern Conference Finals Game 5
- The 1998 Eastern Conference Finals Game 6
- The 1998 Eastern Conference Finals Game 7
- Next
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- Ray Allen: The Story Of One Of The Greatest Shooters In NBA History
- NBA All-Time Playoff Leaders: LeBron James Leads In 4 Categories, Including The Most Points And The Most Wins
- Kevin Durant’s NBA Playoffs Resume: Two Championships With A Superteam Are Still Not Enough
- Young NBA Superteam vs. Old NBA Superteam: Who Would Win A 7-Game Series?
The Chicago Bulls and the Indiana Pacers have always had a rivalry against each other. This could be because of their locations, as Chicago is only about a three-hour car ride away from Indianapolis.
But the main reason the two teams had a rivalry is because of their two-star players, and it started in 1987.
“Never Talk To Black Jesus Like That”
By the time the 1987-88 NBA season arrived, Michael Jordan was already a household name.
He already set the playoff scoring record of 63, and he averaged an incredible 37.1 points per game in the 1986-87 season.
Reggie Miller, on the other hand, was a rookie, and a rookie Pacers fans did not want.
The fans in Indiana wanted Steve Alford, the star player of the Indiana Hoosiers, who led the Hoosiers to win the national championship in 1987.
As the years passed by, Pacers fans would soon realize Miller was the right choice for their team, and Miller would become the top guard in the league when Jordan would retire to play basketball.
But before all that would happen, Miller would play Jordan for the first time during the preseason of 1987 and this set up what would eventually be the rivalry fans adored during the 1990s.
Miller was known for his trash-talking, and he made the mistake once trash-talking to Jordan during this preseason game in 1987:
“My rookie year we were playing the Chicago Bulls, and this is Michael Jordan’s third or fourth year in. And we were playing an exhibition game. Most veterans do not like to play in exhibition games, they want to get to the real thing. I’m a wide-eyed, energetic rookie and Michael’s going through the motions. And Chuck Person—who’s on my team—who is a trash-talker as well, is like, ‘Can you believe Michael Jordan, the guy everyone’s talking about, who’s supposed to be able to walk on water? You’re out here killing him, Reg! You should be talking to him!’ And I was like, ‘You know what, you’re right!’ ‘Michael, who do you think you are? The great Michael Jordan? That’s right, there’s a new kid on town!’ He kind of looks at me and starts shaking his head. So at half I have 10, and he has four points. End of the game, the second half, he ended up with 44 and I ended up with 12. So he outscored me 40-2. And as he’s walking off, he’s like, ‘Be sure, and be careful, you never talk to Black Jesus like that.’”
This situation put a bad taste in Jordan’s mouth that would carry over throughout his career, hitting its plateau in 1993.
During a regular-season game this time, the Bulls were in Indiana playing the Pacers.
Early in the first quarter, after tipping in a shot, Miller ran out of bounds where Jordan stood, and he pushed Jordan hard.
Jordan did not like it, and he reacted by slamming into Miller and wrapping himself around Miller’s body.
There, the two started scratching and punches were thrown before teammates broke it up.
The craziest thing about the Jordan and Miller fight was the fact Miller was thrown out of the game and Jordan wasn’t.
Jordan would be suspended for the next game, but for this game against the Pacers, Jordan would play, and play well. He scored 40 as the Bulls won 115-104.
The Fax That Said, “I’m Back” And The Renewed Rivalry
Michael Jordan retired after winning his third championship in 1993, and it gave way for Reggie Miller to step into the role as the best shooting guard in the league.
Miller gave a great performance in the 1994 playoffs, scoring 25 points in the fourth quarter of Game 5 vs the New York Knicks in the Eastern Conference Finals.
This dominant guard stature for Miller would be short-lived, as Michael Jordan sent the now-famous fax that said, “I’m Back.” on March 18, 1995.
Jordan was back in the league after missing nearly two years, and it was fitting that his first game back would be played against Miller and the Pacers.
Jordan showed his rust from being retired as he scored 19 points on 7-28 shooting. Miller, on the other hand, had a good game, scoring 28 on 8-18 shooting and 4-12 from three-point distance.
The Pacers won the game in overtime by a score of 103-96, but a side story of the game ended up being the collision between Jordan and Miller in the fourth quarter.
The two shooting guards have connected once again in the NBA, building the storm that would strike down with all its power in 1998, during the playoffs.
The 1998 Eastern Conference Finals Game 1
The Chicago Bulls finished the season with a 62-20 record and the Indiana Pacers finished with a 58-24 record.
These teams had the top two records in the East, and it was fitting they’d meet in the Eastern Conference Finals.
The rivalry was at its height during the 1998 playoffs and Jordan made it known in an interview with ESPN how he felt about Miller’s defense:
“I don’t really dislike anybody in the league, but playing Reggie Miller drives me nuts. It’s like chicken-fighting with a woman. His game is all this flopping-type thing. He weighs only 185 pounds, so you have to be careful, don’t touch him, or it’s a foul. On offense, I use all my 215 pounds and just move him out. But he has his hands on you all the time, like a woman holding your waist. I just want to beat his hands off because it’s illegal. It irritates me.”
As Game 1 in Chicago was getting ready to start, hardcore NBA fans of the 90s finally got their wish to watch Jordan battle Miller in a playoff series.
The Pacers jumped out the gates looking like the hungrier team, and Miller looked like the sharper shooting guard.
Miller scored 7 points on an efficient 3-5 shooting while Jordan scored 6, but he shot only 1-7. The Pacers held a 22-16 lead after one quarter.
The Bulls would respond better as a team in the second quarter, outscoring the Pacers by three. The Pacers held on to a 40-37 halftime lead.
Miller had another good quarter in the third, as he scored 7 more while shooting 2-5 from the field and 2-4 from downtown.
The problem was that Miller didn’t get as much help in the third, and Jordan finally woke up. Jordan scored 10 in the third quarter while finding his rhythm, shooting 5-8 from the field.
The fourth quarter belonged to Jordan and Jordan only as he scored 15 while Miller was held to 2. The most important outcome was the Bulls’ 85-79 Game 1 victory.
The 1998 Eastern Conference Finals Game 2
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=te7xgmU4XIo
The NBA awarded Michael Jordan with the MVP trophy before the start of Game 2. This was an obvious sign of whose game it was going to be.
It became Jordan’s game as he scored 17 in the first half, yet, the Pacers held a 52-45 halftime lead.
The remainder of the Bulls players struggled, especially Scottie Pippen, who shot only 3-11 in the first half.
Miller struggled in the first half with 3 points on 1-6 shooting, but his teammates stepped up. This includes Chris Mullin with 11 and Antonio Davis with 10 points.
On this night, the MVP wouldn’t be denied. Jordan would continue his assault on the Pacers, scoring 24 more points in the second half, finishing with 41.
The defending champion Chicago Bulls successfully defended their home court, but will their great play transfer over on the road, to Indiana?
The 1998 Eastern Conference Finals Game 3
The Indiana Pacers had some of the loudest fans in the NBA during the 1990s, and these fans were ready to cheer their Pacers on in Game 3.
The Bulls and Pacers traded blows throughout the first half. Jordan scored 15 while his rival, Miller, scored 13.
In the third quarter, Pacers fans got the scare of their lives. With about six minutes left in the third, Miller injured his ankle and he was limping badly.
If Miller can’t play, the Pacers wouldn’t have a shot at beating the Bulls, right?
That’s probably correct, but we wouldn’t find out as Miller did continue to play, and he came up big in the fourth quarter.
As the Bulls were trying to pull away from the Pacers, Miller, despite a severely sprained ankle, took over the game.
Miller scored 13 of his 28 points in the final 4 and a half minutes, helping the Pacers secure the 107-105 victory.
The 1998 Eastern Conference Finals Game 4
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K0_h0pEEwOs
The Pacers were so close to going down 3-0 in the series, a deficit that has never been overcome by any team in league history.
Thanks to the heroics of the injured Reggie Miller, the Pacers were still alive, but if they wanted to make this a real series, they’d have to defend home court again in Game 4.
Miller’s ankle tightened up in the two days since Game 3, and you could tell he wasn’t right.
Jordan, on the other hand, also didn’t look like his normal self early on, until Rik Smits of the Pacers inadvertently smacked him on the face, making him bleed above his eye in the second quarter.
Jordan left the game briefly with 5:01 remaining in the first quarter. He’d go in the back and get tape over his right eye.
Jordan returned to the game at the end of the first quarter, and everyone in the building knew Jordan was about to take over.
There’s been a history of Jordan being hurt and responding with vengeance, and this would happen in the second quarter.
Jordan would have a stretch, hitting five shots in a row en route to 13-second quarter points, helping the Bulls build a 54-48 halftime lead.
The big story in Game 4 came at the end of the game. It has gone down as one of the greatest shots in NBA playoff history.
"REGGIE! REGGIE! REGGIE!"
On this day in 1998, @ReggieMillerTNT knocked down one of the most memorable shots in franchise history over MJ and the Bulls to win in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Finals.
Relive the final seconds 🎥 pic.twitter.com/faPLMANp1r
— Indiana Pacers (@Pacers) May 25, 2021
The Pacers turned the ball over and fouled Scottie Pippen with 4.7 seconds remaining in the game.
After the foul, Reggie Miller and Ron Harper got into a shoving match at the Chicago bench.
The players had to be separated, and after the smoke cleared, Pippen found himself at the free throw line.
This would end up being a disaster as Pippen missed both free throws and the ball would be knocked out of bounds, in possession of the Pacers.
The game clock showed 2.9 seconds remaining, and that’s all Miller and the Pacers needed in this game.
Miller found himself wide open after he bulldozed through Jordan’s chest, and he swished the three-point shot.
The entire crowd roared with excitement. Miller was dancing around on his injured ankle and Pacers coach, Larry Bird, stood watching with a stoic expression.
Bird wasn’t excited because he knew the Bulls had one last shot, with .7 seconds remaining.
Bird understood that Michael Jordan played for the Chicago Bulls and with Jordan, you’re never out of a game. Jordan would get a good look for three, after double-clutching, and the ball would go halfway down the rim before spinning out, giving the Pacers the 96-94 victory.
The 1998 Eastern Conference Finals Game 5
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WK13F7aNa4E
After four games, the series saw the home team win each game. This would remain the same in Game 5.
The first four games of the series were also all close, but Game 5 would be the only blowout of the series, as the Bulls jumped all over the Pacers from the opening tip.
The Bulls won Game 5 106-87 behind Jordan’s 29 points and Pippen’s 20. Miller scored 14 on 5-10 shooting, but if the Pacers want a chance to win the series, Miller’s going to need some help.
The 1998 Eastern Conference Finals Game 6
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6fYeyLIfCxY
Reggie Miller would get help in Game 6, which was a good thing since he scored only 8 points on 2-13 shooting and 1-7 from three.
Rik Smits, on the other hand, had his breakout game of the series. He shot 11-12 from the field en route to scoring 25 points.
But Smits wasn’t the only Pacers player to step up, Dale Davis had 19 on 7-9 shooting and Mark Jackson added 13.
For the Bulls, Jordan was his normal self, scoring 35 on 12-23 shooting and Pippen added 19 points. However, the Bulls wouldn’t get enough help.
There was one remaining Pacers player who stepped up when it was needed the most. This was backup point guard, Travis Best.
Best only scored 6 points, but his runner over Steve Kerr with 33.3 seconds remaining in the game was big, as it gave the Pacers an 89-87 lead.
After two free throws from Jordan and two for Best, the Pacers held their two-point lead (91-89) with 8.5 seconds left.
The entire arena knew the ball would wind up in Jordan’s hands, and it did. Jordan attacked his defender, Derrick McKey, looking to score or get fouled.
Instead, Jordan fell to the floor after it looked like McKey shoved him, yet, there was no foul call. The Pacers would get fouled and score one more free throw, winning the game 92-89.
The series was now tied at 3-3 and, for the first time in Jordan’s Bulls championship run, they’d head to a Game 7 as late as the East Conference Finals (the Knicks pushed the Bulls to Game 7 in the Semifinals in 1992).
The 1998 Eastern Conference Finals Game 7
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=662IZRkIAy4
All eyes were on the Chicago Bulls as they were the defending champions. They had the home-court advantage.
There was no pressure on the Pacers, and they knew it. The Pacers as a team started the game shooting 8-8 from the field while holding a 20-8 lead.
This wouldn’t hold. The Bulls would storm back into the game after Dennis Rodman subbed into the game.
The game would stay close throughout the remainder of the first half, as the Bulls held on to a 48-45 lead.
Both stars, Jordan and Miller, had 15 at the break, setting up for a fantastic second half.
The Bulls would get an unexpected boost in the third quarter by Toni Kukoc. As fans, you expect Jordan or Pippen to take over, but it was Kukoc who set the Bulls up for victory.
After the offense became a little stagnant early in the third, Kukoc took over, scoring 14 on perfect shooting. Kukoc shot 5-5 from the field and 3-3 from three.
The Bulls won the third quarter, but only by one. The Bulls scored 21 and the Pacers 20. If it wasn’t for Kukoc, the Bulls may have lost the series.
The fourth quarter saw how important experience is, as the Bulls made all the correct plays and the Pacers did not.
Miller came up short, going scoreless while attempting one shot in the fourth. Jordan only shot 2-7 in the fourth, but his 9 points in the quarter helped give the Bulls the 88-83 victory.
The Bulls won the game thanks to Jordan’s 28 points, but more importantly, they gelled as a team, playing incredible defense.
The Pacers were led by Miller’s 22, but the pressure or lack of experience hurt them down the stretch.
The Bulls would move on to beat the Utah Jazz in the classic game 6 Jordan winner.
This ended the storybook Chicago career of Michael Jordan, but it should be known that the Pacers pushed the Bulls to the limit.
