Game 6 of the 1998 NBA Finals was a professional basketball game that was played on June 14, 1998, between the visiting Chicago Bulls and the Utah Jazz at the Delta Center, in Salt Lake City, Utah.
The game is widely cited as one of the most intense and iconic games in NBA history, and it is best known for Bulls superstar Michael Jordan executing a quick cross-over on Jazz forward Bryon Russell, and then hitting a jumpshot from behind the free throw line with 5.2 seconds remaining in the 4th quarter to put the Bulls up 87–86.
[1] Both the Utah Jazz and the Chicago Bulls finished the regular season tied for the best record in the NBA at 62–20.
The Jazz swept the regular season series against the Bulls 2–0, giving them the tiebreaker for home-court advantage.
Scottie Pippen scored the opening basket on a slam dunk that aggravated a back injury, causing him pain and difficulty moving throughout the game.
[7] Calling the game for NBC, Bob Costas narrated a replay of Eisley's shot: "See if the ball isn't out of his hand.
"[4] Jazz head coach Jerry Sloan opted not to argue the call because it may risk a second technical foul which could lead to ejection.
"[10] Although the Jazz held a 49–45 lead at halftime and a 66–61 at the end of the 3rd quarter, they let them slip away in the fourth.
[11] John Stockton hit a 3-pointer with 41.9 seconds left to give the Jazz an 86–83 lead.
With 18.9 seconds left and the Jazz in possession, Jordan stole the ball from Karl Malone in the low post and dribbled down the court.
That may have been, who knows what will unfold over the next several months, but that may have been the last shot Michael Jordan will ever take in the NBA.Utah called timeout to set up the final play of the game.
John Stockton took the inbound pass, and missed a game-winning 3-pointer that would've sent the series to a Game 7, and the Bulls celebrated.
[17] The previous record was a 21.2 rating and 37 share for Game 7 of the 1988 NBA Finals between the Los Angeles Lakers and Detroit Pistons.
[18] Michael Jordan's game-winner to put the Bulls up 87–86 with 5.2 seconds left is remembered as one of the greatest plays in NBA history.
In 2010, John Hollinger of ESPN ranked Jordan's last shot as a Bulls player fourth among 50 best single-game performances.
In 2008, Tim Buckley of the Deseret News (a daily newspaper published in Salt Lake City) wrote in a profile of Jazz coach Jerry Sloan that the calls involving Howard Eisley and Ron Harper "to this day continue to be discussed and debated by disgruntled Jazz faithful.
[25] Such a match-up has not yet taken place, though the Utah Flash of the NBA Development League did stage a halftime game between Russell and a Jordan look-alike.