The series’ progression was exactly the same: a 2-0 lead, then tied 2-2, winning the pivotal game, losing the sixth game, and going into game seven.
Before the Eastern Conference Finals began, Phil Jackson did not anticipate facing the Pacers would be so brutal, being pushed to the brink.
In the first two games, the Bulls won quite easily, with Jackson following the advice of Harper and Pippen to change the defensive matchups.
Pippen was assigned to guard Mark Jackson, while Harper pursued Reggie Miller, and Jordan defended the Pacers’ small forward.
This allowed Pippen to best suppress the Pacers’ organizational core while also preventing Jordan from being exhausted by Miller’s constant movement.
The Bulls comfortably took a 2-0 series lead.
But in Indiana, the Bulls always fell just short of victory by a hair’s breadth.
Losing both games was very unfortunate, and Jackson knew it was a sign of the team’s overall decline.
In crucial details, the Bulls no longer dominated quite like they had in the previous two seasons.
Moreover, referee issues troubled the Bulls, with two crucial calls affecting the outcomes.
Jackson understood it wasn’t the League targeting the Bulls, but rather the Bulls’ margin for error had become very slim, where any small mistake would lead to defeat.
In the first six games of the series, the Bulls scored a total of 24 more points than the Pacers, averaging 4 more points per game, yet the overall score was tied at 3-3.
No matter how much one game was won by, it still only counted as one victory, and even the narrowest defeat still meant losing a match.
Game seven didn’t look optimistic for the Bulls either; Jackson could faintly sense the atmosphere of decay rising as failure seemed increasingly likely.
Before the seventh game began, neither Jerry Krause nor Reinsdorf were seen in the locker room; perhaps they were eager for Jordan to lose so they could press the rebuild button.
Jackson mentioned the possibility of losing this game in his locker room speech, saying, "We can lose the game, but we must approach it with the right attitude and not be overwhelmed by the fear of losing."
But Michael Jordan, speaking clearly, said, "We will not lose this game, the Finals are waiting for us."
His eyes were cold and determined; no matter how strong the Trail Blazers and Gan Guoyang were, no matter how weak the Bulls or he himself seemed, Jordan had to break into the Finals to face Gan decisively.
However, game seven was not so easy; in the NBA, sheer willpower alone wasn’t enough.
The Bulls started off poorly, and Jordan’s performance was quite terrible, frequently missing shots; he was indeed tired.
While the Pacers made all 8 of their attempted shots in the beginning, leading the Bulls by 13 points at the end of the first quarter, the situation looked bleak for the Bulls.
In the second quarter, bench player Steve-Kerr became a key player, scoring 8 points in a single quarter, helping the Bulls stay close on the score going into halftime.
If the Bulls had fallen too far behind in the first half, this game might have really slipped away from them.
During halftime, Jordan gave another speech to his teammates, saying, "We absolutely will not lose this game; there’s no chance of defeat."
Then in the third quarter, Jordan began missing shots again, allowing the Pacers to regain a substantial lead.
At that point, Toni Kukoc stepped up. No one on the Pacers could completely match up defensively with this Croatian genius.
He was too tall and yet a perimeter player; Kukoc was in excellent form in the third quarter, scoring 14 points, with the entire Bulls team only scoring 21.
Thus, relying on the explosive performances of Kerr and Kukoc in the second and third quarters, the Bulls dragged the game into a fourth-quarter showdown.
Bulls fans thought they could anticipate Jordan’s moment of awakening in the showdown, but unfortunately, Jordan’s condition remained off all night.
One layup failed, and as he contested a rebound with Schmitz, a jump ball was called by the referee.
This perhaps was the most critical jump ball of the match, with the Pacers leading by three points with six minutes remaining.
Facing the tall Schmitz, Jordan used his outstanding leap and superhuman burst to be the first to touch the ball, redirecting it to a teammate.
The ball eventually found its way to Steve Kerr, who shot a three-pointer — it was in, tying the game!
At this moment, the momentum finally shifted, as the scales of victory slowly tilted towards the home-playing Chicago Bulls.
Adelman made a significant error in the fourth quarter by substituting Jalen Rose, who was in great shooting form, for Mario Ely.
Adelman’s reason for the substitution was the duration of Jalen-Rose’s playing time was up.
A key postseason game is no time for time-based substitutions; substituting a player on a hot streak could make it hard for him to regain that form later.
In contrast, Phil Jackson used more of Kerr in the second quarter and Kukoc in the third; both were bench players, both in great condition, slowly reversing the situation with their individual outstanding performances.
The Pacers were very well-prepared before the game, the team morale was high, and they were confident in winning one game in Chicago.
But they lacked execution on details; one failed jump ball could lead to an eventual collapse.
With Pippen hitting a crucial shot, the Bulls took the lead.
And the Pacers became increasingly fatigued, losing their offensive touch under Chicago’s strong defense.
Ultimately, the score settled at 89:83, with the Bulls winning by 6 points, defeating the Pacers at home to claim the Eastern Conference title, reaching the Finals for the third consecutive year to vie for the championship.
Reggie Miller and the Pacers returned to the locker room with endless regret; they had played brilliantly this season, but were still a step away from the biggest stage.
In the locker room, Adelman told the players they’d make a comeback next year, but who knows about next year’s prospects?
In the Bulls’ home locker room, Jordan let out a deep breath; tonight he hit just 9 of 27 shots, with a shooting percentage of only thirty-three percent. His performance was truly poor.
Fortunately, other Bulls players stepped up, with significant contributions from bench players Kerr and Kukoc.
Kerr scored 11 points, including a game-tying three-pointer.
Kukoc was 11 of 7, putting up 21 points; he was the key player in the Bulls’ victory.
Wearing a black Eastern Conference Championship cap, the exhausted Jordan, speaking to reporters in the locker room, said, "The most important thing is determination; I think you could see a lot of determination and courage on the court. It was a remarkable effort, this is a true championship team, we always find a way to win and put it into action."
Despite 27 attempts with 9 hits, Jordan still scored a game-high 28 points, contributing crucial scores and stepping up when the team needed him to attack the hoop the most.
Jordan’s words might sound a bit like a pep talk—determination, effort, as if anyone with enough determination could win a championship. Didn’t the Pacers have determination?
But Jordan’s remarks were definitely heartfelt, as he was truly exhausted at that moment.
He could clearly feel his jumping ability decline during the game, resulting in many shooting rhythms being off.
Knee inflammation plagued him, year after year, game after game of intense competition slowly corroding his body.
Of course, there was also the mental exhaustion, fighting Jerry Krause throughout the season, without any effective team reinforcements, morale wavering among the entire team, sustained by mere resolve.
Now, with just their determined resolve, they had overcome the Pacers.
But what next? Then they would head to Portland.
They had only two days of rest, with the Finals opening on June 3rd at the Rose Garden Arena.
Portland again, and Gan Guoyang again.
A flame of irrepressible fire rose within Jordan’s heart.
His body was so exhausted, yet his nerves were so excited.
Six years, six full years, and finally, the two teams would meet again in the Finals.
In Portland, at Gan Guoyang’s home, after the game broadcast ended, Gan Guoyang turned off the TV.
He also let out a long breath, thinking about finally meeting Michael again in the Finals.
Excited, he leapt a little and, even late at night, took his basketball to the backyard pyramid basketball court alone.
With a fierce two-handed dunk, the hoop was torn from the tempered glass backboard by Gan Guoyang, glass shards falling to the ground like snowflakes.
He didn’t call Quentin over to deal with the damaged backboard; instead, he took out his phone and sent a text message to Jordan.
By 1998, mobile SMS services had become popular, allowing people to communicate using text.
"A sincere reminder and advice: Michael, unless you aim to score 50 points in each game of the Finals, there’s no chance of you winning a single game. Relying on teammates as you did tonight won’t work — Love, Ah Gan."
After sending the message, Gan Guoyang called Quentin to come clean up the court, it was time for a new hoop.