The turning point in the Eastern Conference finals?
Let’s see . . . the first time Scottie Pippen harassed Indiana point guard Mark Jackson into a turnover? Pippen’s suffocating defense set the tone in the first two games. No, the turning point was in Game 4, when Reggie Miller heaved in the game-winning bomb in the final second.
No, it was when the Bulls adjusted and blew out the Pacers in Game 5. No, it was when the Pacers readjusted and pushed the series to the limit.
Seen in the broader perspective, this entire riveting, exhilarating series was a turning point for the Bulls. Until they met up with the Pacers, they had appeared bored, tired, old, cranky–pick an adjective, as long as it is uncomplimentary–during this postseason.
The Pacers brought out the best in the defending champs. Indiana was not, as Michael Jordan contended early in the series, a “speed bump” on the road to a sixth NBA title. Jordan might be the best athlete in the history of team sports. But he wasn’t much of a prognosticator.
The Pacers were nothing less than the most capable opponent the Bulls faced in their second three-peat. The Pacers did what Utah, Seattle, New York, Miami, Charlotte, Washington and New Jersey couldn’t do: They got the Bulls’ attention. They got under their skin, in fact, prompting a series of uncharacteristically petty complaints about officiating.
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They made the Bulls work harder than ever to stay on top. For most of their reign, the Bulls’ toughest opponent has been themselves. This time they met a team that was almost as talented, almost as willful, almost as deserving. Almost.
And the Bulls responded with some of their best basketball in years. Not their prettiest; the high-flying days had been over for a long time. No, this series woke the Bulls up and made them confront their own mortality.
Shocked by what they saw, they charged into the NBA Finals with a new purpose.