Image via Complex Original
When the Knicks and the Bulls tip off at the United Center in Chicago today, there will be very little at stake. Yes, the Bulls need to win to continue to hold steady in the Eastern Conference playoff race. And yes, the Knicks need to win because, believe it or not, they still have an outside chance of making the postseason. But their game today won't be anything like one of the old Knicks/Bulls matchups.
After it initially took shape back in the late 1980s and then came to fruition in the early 1990s and extended through the end of the decade, the rivalry between the Knicks and Bulls was arguably the greatest rivalry in the NBA at one time. The Knicks had guys like Patrick Ewing, John Starks, and Charles Oakley on their roster, which made them a threat to win the East each and every year. And the Bulls had guys like Scottie Pippen, Toni Kukoc, and, of course, Michael Jordan suiting up during that time period, which eventually allowed them to win six NBA titles during the '90s much to the chagrin of Knicks fans. Their epic battles on the court weren't always pretty, but the intense competition between the two teams made every single matchup must-see TV.
As we mentioned, we don't expect to see any of that same intensity on the court today. But with the Knicks celebrating the 20th anniversary of their one and only playoff series victory over the Bulls this year, we thought now would be the perfect time to look back at some of the best moments from this classic NBA rivalry. Join us in Revisiting When the Knicks and Bulls Had the Greatest Rivalry in the NBA.
Written by Chris Yuscavage (@ChrisYuscavage)
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Patrick Ewing Makes a Christmas Day Miracle
Date: 12/25/1986
Game: 1986 NBA Christmas Day Game
Player(s) involved: Patrick Ewing
In one of the first Knicks/Bulls games that featured Ewing and Michael Jordan squaring off, both superstars stuffed the stat sheet. Ewing recorded 28 points, 17 rebounds, and two blocks, while Jordan accumulated 30 points, three rebounds, five assists, six steals, and two blocks. But the Knicks center got a Christmas gift on the game's final play when a rebound bounced right to him and allowed him to hit a buzzer-beater to give the Knicks a one-point win. At that moment, it was clear that a rivalry between these two teams was inevitable.
Michael Jordan Does It All
Date: 5/19/1989
Game: Game 6 of the 1989 Eastern Conference Semifinals
Player(s) involved: Michael Jordan
In this series, M.J. averaged 35.7 points, 9.5 rebounds, 8.3 assists, 2.5 steals, and 1.3 blocks to help the sixth-seeded Bulls beat the second-seeded Knicks. He was so good that, after the series, then-Knicks head coach Rick Pitino called him "the best player to ever put on a uniform." But Jordan was at his best in Game 6. He took over the game after Scottie Pippen got ejected in the third quarter, finished the contest with 40 points, and sunk two free-throws with four seconds left to ice the game.
M.J. had torched the Knicks in the past (he infamously scored 50 points on them at Madison Square Garden in November 1986) but he took things to a whole new level in this series.
The Bulls Finish the Clean Sweep
Date: 4/30/1991
Game: Game 3 of the 1991 Eastern Conference First Round
Player(s) involved: Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen
Just two years after the Bulls upset the Knicks in the 1989 Eastern Conference Semifinals, they met up with them again in the first round of the playoffs. This series wasn't nearly as close as the one in 1989, though, as the Bulls swept the Knicks 3-0 and won the three games by an average of 20 points. Pippen also delivered his second most famous facial on Patrick Ewing in Game 3 of the series (more on the first most famous one later!) while Michael Jordan finished Game 3 with 33 points. The Bulls went on to win their first NBA championship in franchise history.
Michael Jordan Dunks on Patrick Ewing
Date: 4/30/1991
Game: Game 3 of the 1991 Eastern Conference First Round
Player(s) involved: Michael Jordan and Patrick Ewing
You didn't think we were going to forget about this dunk from the '91 playoffs, did you? You may have noticed that it was featured at the tail end of the last clip. But it really deserves to be delivered to you front and center so that you can watch it over and over again.
Last year, M.J. called this his favorite dunk of his career. "Every time I see [Ewing], that's the first thing I remind him of," he said.
We don't blame him one bit for doing it.
The Knicks Start Bullying the Bulls
Date: 5/9/1992
Game: Game 3 of the 1992 Eastern Conference Semifinals
Player(s) involved: Charles Oakley, Anthony Mason, Xavier McDaniel, and more
Before the 1991-92 NBA season, the Knicks hired Pat Riley to be their new head coach. And he brought a very physical brand of basketball to the Big Apple. As you'll hear Ahmad Rashad mention at the beginning of the clip above, Michael Jordan was hesitant to drive to the hole against the Knicks' forwards and centers during the playoffs in 1992. And as you'll also see within the first two minutes of the clip, the Knicks were all about banging on the block, which worked well for them against the Bulls.
As a bonus, fast-forward to the 2:15 mark of the video to hear Rashad talk to Spike Lee about his beloved Knicks. Although he was close friends with M.J. by this point, he didn't want him to have any success against his team. "Knicks all the way," he said. "All the way."
Michael Jordan Saves His Best Game for Last
Date: 5/17/1992
Game: Game 7 of the 1992 Eastern Conference Semifinals
Player(s) involved: Michael Jordan
Bullying the Bulls worked well for the Knicks. In the 1992 NBA Playoffs, they were able to force seven games. But in that seventh game, they ran into a problem that they had become all too familiar with: They had no answer for Jordan. They tried everything to get into his head. Just watch Xavier McDaniel talking trash to him here. But Jordan scored 42 points in 42 minutes to lead the Bulls to an easy 110-81 win. Even still, this series is widely regarded as one of the best, most physical series in NBA history. The Bulls would later go on to win their second straight NBA title.
John Starks Dunks All Over the Bulls
Date: 4/25/1993
Game: Game 2 of the 1993 Eastern Conference Finals
Player(s) involved: John Starks, Horace Grant, and Michael Jordan
After earning home-court advantage in the 1993 NBA Playoffs, the Knicks started the Eastern Conference Finals against the Bulls by winning their first two games at home. And John Starks punctuated the Knicks' Game 2 victory with the most memorable dunk of his career with less than a minute left to give the Knicks the game.
Charles Smith Blows Four Layups
Date: 6/2/1993
Game: Game 5 of the 1993 Eastern Conference Finals
Player(s) involved: Charles Smith
The infamous "Charles Smith game" may be the most painful Knicks/Bulls game in the history of this rivalry for Knicks fan to watch. With the Knicks and Bulls Eastern Conference Finals series tied 2-2, Smith had four chances at the end of Game 5 to make a layup with the Knicks trailing by just one. But Grant, Jordan, and Pippen thwarted all of his attempts, which led to the Bulls winning the game 97-94. And that led to…
The Bulls Beat the Knicks (Again!)
Date: 6/4/1993
Game: Game 6 of the 1993 Eastern Conference Finals
Player(s) involved: Scottie Pippen and Michael Jordan
Although M.J. "only" scored 25 points in Game 6, the Bulls were able to knock the Knicks out of the playoffs for the fourth time in five years thanks to 24 points, six rebounds, and seven assists from Pippen in the sixth game of the 1993 Eastern Conference Finals. The Bulls advanced to the NBA Finals and won their third consecutive NBA title.
A Real Fight Breaks Out
Date: 4/13/1994
Game: Game 3 of the 1994 Eastern Conference Semifinals
Player(s) involved: Jo Jo English and Derek Harper
On quite a few occasions over the years, Bulls and Knicks players almost got into all-out brawls. There were lots of close calls. But during the 1994 NBA Playoffs, one actually took place in the middle of a game. English and Harper squared off on the court and eventually ended up in the stands. NBA Commissioner David Stern was in attendance at the game and saw the entire thing take place.
Game 3 of the 1994 Knicks/Bulls series was also memorable because it was the game that featured Scottie Pippen refusing to take part in a play at the end of the game after Phil Jackson drew up something up for Toni Kukoc instead.
Scottie Pippen Disrespects Patrick Ewing
Date: 5/20/1994
Game: Game 6 of the 1994 Eastern Conference Semifinals
Player(s) involved: Scottie Pippen and Patrick Ewing
We could watch this dunk over and over and over and over and over and…SOOOOOOO DISRESPECTFUL.
The Knicks (Finally!) Get a Victory
Date: 5/22/1994
Game: Game 7 of the 1994 Eastern Conference Semifinals
Player(s) involved: The entire Knicks team
Worth noting: 1994 was the year that Michael Jordan retired from the NBA to play baseball. But even so, the Knicks finally earned a playoff victory over the Bulls. They eventually cruised to the 1994 NBA Finals, where they lost to the Houston Rockets in seven.
Jordan Drops a "Double Nickel" at Madison Square Garden
Date: 3/28/1995
Game: Michael Jordan's first game at MSG after his return from retirement
Player(s) involved: Michael Jordan
After returning from his premature retirement in 1995, Jordan wasted no time in getting back to torturing Knicks fans. In just his fifth game after his return, he dropped 55 points on them en route to a 113-111 Bulls victory. His performance put the league on notice that he was back.
The Knicks Beat Up on the Bulls
Date: 3/10/1996
Game: A regular season matchup during the Bulls' record-setting 1995-96 NBA season
Player(s) involved: Patrick Ewing and Derek Harper
The Bulls finished the 1995-96 regular season with an astounding 72-10 record. But in March, they suffered their worst defeat of the year when they went to Madison Square Garden and lost 102-74. Ewing had 25 points in the win, while Derek Harper chipped in with 23. This was Jeff Van Gundy's second game as the Knicks head coach.
Michael Jordan Waves Goodbye to the Knicks
Date: 5/14/1996
Game: Game 5 of the 1996 Eastern Conference Semifinals
Player(s) involved: Michael Jordan
Towards the end of Game 5 of their 1996 playoff series, Chicago was leading comfortably and well on their way to a 4-1 series win. So after sinking a three-pointer, MJ turned to Spike Lee and waved goodbye. After the game, Jordan said, "He can have a safe flight home," when Craig Sager asked him about Spike. It was the last time Jordan would square off against the Knicks in the playoffs. The two franchises haven't met in the playoffs since.
Jeff Van Gundy Dooms His Team
Date: 1/21/1997
Game: The Jeff Van Gundy "Con" Game
Player(s) involved: Michael Jordan
Prior to this game, Van Gundy did an interview and mentioned that he believed Jordan often tried to "con" his opponents by befriending them off the court and then destroying them on it. Jordan responded to that accusation by dropping 51 points against the Knicks—and yelling at Van Gundy after he scored his 51st point. He later made a reference to Van Gundy and the game in his Hall of Fame induction speech.
Michael Jordan Owns Madison Square Garden One Last Time
Date: 3/8/1998
Game: Michael Jordan's final game at MSG as a member of the Bulls
Player(s) involved: Michael Jordan
For the final time, Mike went into the Garden and dropped 42 points on the Knicks as the Bulls rolled to a 102-89 win. And he did it in a pair of original Air Jordan 1s that he wore for the occasion. Ever since then, the rivalry between the Bulls and the Knicks just hasn't been the same.