Remembering The Questionable Five-Point Swing In Game 6 Of Michael Jordan's Sixth NBA Title

Shandel Richardson | Jul 1, 2024

June 14, 1998; Salt Lake City, UT, USA; Chicago Bulls guard Michael Jordan holds the MVP trophy and coach Phil Jackson holds the championship trophy after the Bulls beat the Utah Jazz to win their 6th NBA title. Mandatory Credit: Robert Hanashiro-USA TODAY / Robert Hanashiro-USA TODAY via Imagn

The lasting image from Game 6 of the NBA Finals is Chicago Bulls legend Michael Jordan hitting a jumper over Bryon Russell of the Utah Jazz.

It was a perfect way for Jordan to leave his legacy on the game forever but most forget about two plays from the night that could have changed history. The Bulls benefitted from two questionable officiating calls that created a five-point swing.

The final score was: Bulls 87, Jazz 86.

The first play occurred in the second quarter when Jazz guard Howard Eisley appeared to beat the shot-clock on a 3-pointer. Instead, the basket wasn't allowed.

Could the Jazz have won Game 6, and ultimately the title that year if Howard’s shot was ruled otherwise?

Posted by Jazz Nation on Wednesday, September 4, 2019

"And they waived it off although it appeared to me as if he had beaten it," NBC announcer Bob Costas said during the broadcast. "... It's on the way and they missed the call."

The next question mark happened with 3 minutes, 44 seconds left in the game. With the Bulls trailing 79-77, Ron Harper hit a running jumper as the shot clock expired. The basket counted but replays showed differently.

"You watch Harper as he takes this shot, does he get it off in time," said Isiah Thomas, who was announcing for NBC at the time. "I don't know. That's a tough call."

What happened after became part of NBA history. Jordan hit the shot over Russell to win his sixth championship. His 6-0 record in the Finals is often used to separate him from LeBron James and others in the G.O.A.T debate. Karl Malone and John Stockton ended their careers without rings.

Just imagine if the five-point swing never happens. The Bulls would have needed to win a Game 7 in Utah to finish their second three-peat.

“If they missed that call, it’s a five-point swing in missed calls on shot-clock situations," Costas on the broadcast. "They took a Howard Eisley three away, wrongly, in the first half. This one was even closer but it appeared that Harper may have been just a fraction of a second behind the shot clock.”

Shandel Richardson is the publisher of Back In The Day NBA. He can be reached at shandelrich@gmail.com

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