The Bulls of that era, led by Jerry Sloan, Bob Love, Norm Van Lier, Chet Walker, and Tom Boerwinkle, struggled to advance deep in the playoffs as they regularly lost to powerhouse teams like the Jerry West-led Los Angeles Lakers and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's Milwaukee Bucks.

The Knicks, on the other hand, made three finals and won two championships featuring players such as Willis Reed, Walt Frazier, Bill Bradley, Dave DeBusschere, Jerry Lucas, Earl Monroe, and future Bulls coach Phil Jackson.

This time, the rivalry was much more pronounced, as the Knicks had just won their first Atlantic Division title since 1971 with a 52–30 record and clinched the 2nd seed in the East.

Meanwhile, 6th-seeded Chicago won just 47 games, but was led by reigning NBA MVP and Defensive Player of the Year Michael Jordan.

Shortly afterwards, there was a moment of peace in the rivalry, with Ewing, Jordan, and Pippen winning gold medals as members of the "Dream Team" at the 1992 Summer Olympics.

Ewing, Jordan, and Chris Mullin are the only basketball players to win gold medals as amateurs and professionals, having won at the 1984 Summer Olympics.

The game was notable as Knicks forward Charles Smith was stopped 4 straight times by a series of blocks and strips in the final seconds while trying to score.

Scottie Pippen famously refused to take the floor after Phil Jackson drew the final play for Kukoc, who hit a buzzer-beater to win the game.

The departures of Jordan, Pippen and Ewing led to the decline of both the Bulls and Knicks, and neither team was able to recapture the same success they enjoyed in the 1990s.

On January 18, 2005, Ben Gordon scored a game-winning layup to lead the Bulls past the Knicks at Madison Square Garden.

Finally, on October 31, 2013, Derrick Rose banked in a game-winning field goal to beat the Knicks at the United Center.

On November 13, 2024, Coby White made game-winning free throws following a shooting foul committed by Josh Hart to lead the Bulls past the Knicks at Madison Square Garden.

The matchup between Jordan and Starks brought some drama as they were both intense players who showcased a number of highlight dunks on the opposing team.

Despite the Knicks not winning an NBA title or beating the Bulls in a postseason series while Jordan was in the league, this rivalry was considered the most contentious of the 1990s.