The only time a Chicago team beat a Phoenix team in playoffs
In short: In 1993, the Chicago Bulls secured a historic three-peat by defeating the Phoenix Suns. This victory remains a statistical anomaly: it is the only instance across the four major North American professional sports where a Chicago franchise defeated a Phoenix franchise in a playoff series.
The 1993 NBA Finals pitted the two-time defending champion Chicago Bulls against a rising Phoenix Suns team led by regular season MVP Charles Barkley. The Bulls were seeking an elusive "three-peat," a feat not achieved since the Boston Celtics won eight consecutive titles from 1959 to 1966. Despite entering the season with little rest after winning gold at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics, Michael Jordan led the Bulls to a 57–25 record and eventually clinched the title in Game 6 with John Paxson's game-winning three-pointer. The series was defined by high-stakes drama and unique coaching maneuvers. After dropping home-court status during both opening matches of a Finals, Phoenix fought back to reach a triple-overtime Game 3; this marked just two instances where Suns manager Paul Westphal witnessed such games (he also participated in one during 1976).
In a pivotal tactical move, Westphal instructed Kevin Johnson to guard Jordan personally, a strategy that revitalized Johnson's performance for the remainder of the series. The climax occurred in Game 6 at Chicago Stadium. With the Bulls trailing 98–94 in the final minute, Phil Jackson called a play named "Blind Pig." The Suns failed to double-team any Bulls players, allowing Horace Grant to find an open John Paxson from 25 feet away. Paxson's shot gave Chicago a 99–98 lead with 3.9 seconds left, which was sealed by a last-second block on Kevin Johnson. This victory marked the only Finals appearance of Charles Barkley’s Hall of Fame career.
The legacy of this series is underscored by its rarity and the personal stakes involved. For Phoenix, it remained their only Finals appearance until 2021. For Chicago, it was a peak of dominance; Jordan became the first player to win three consecutive NBA Finals MVP awards (starting in 1969). However, the triumph was soon overshadowed by tragedy: just one month later, Jordan's father was murdered, leading to his retirement from basketball shortly before the next season began.
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- Summary by Intellect · source: 1993 NBA Finals
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