A Larry Bird-Led Team Was Last To Force Michael Jordan Into A Game 7

Shandel Richardson | Mar 15, 2025

May 31, 1998; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Bulls guard Michael Jordan (23), right, is guarded by Indiana Pacers player Reggie Miller (31) in the second half at the United Center. Mandatory Credit: Anne Ryan-USA TODAY / Anne Ryan-USA TODAY via Imagn Content Services, LLC

Many fans use the Game 7 factor in the Michael Jordan vs. LeBron James G.O.A.T debate.

In the NBA Finals, Jordan never faced a Game 7. James needed a Game 7 to lead the Miami Heat past the San Antonio Spurs and Cleveland Cavaliers to victory against the Golden State Warriors.

But that's not to say Jordan never experienced a Game 7. In fact, he did it three times. The last was when his Chicago Bulls played the Indiana Pacers in the 1998 Eastern Conference finals.

The Bulls were on the brink of elimination against a Pacers group that included Reggie Miller, Mark Jackson, Jalen Rose and Chris Mullin. The team was coached by legend Larry Bird.

Starting forward Antonio Davis said Miller had the team thinking they were going to end the Jordan dynasty.

"He tip-toed that line like, `we going to win this game,"' Davis told Back In The Day Hoops On SI. "The whole time before this game you could just see him walking around shaking head, like `we gonna win this game.' But I think from him to Mark Jackson to Derrick McKey to every guy in that locker room, there was this kind of aura to us that you were going to have to beat us. We weren't going to beat ourselves ... You were gonna have to come with it."

The Pacers forced Game 7 after Miller hit a winning 3-pointer in the closing seconds the previous game. The NBA recently named it one of the 60 greatest moments in playoff history. The shot was why the Pacers had so much confidence in upsetting the Bulls, who had the last two titles.

Instead, the Pacers blew an impressive start in Game 7 before losing 88-83. The Bulls went on to defeat the Utah Jazz for a third straight championship.

"So many times you want to go back and I've watched that game a couple times as crazy as that may sound," Davis said. "I just believed that on that day it was going to be about who showed up and who made the less mistakes. At the end of the day, they made less mistakes than we did. But I knew it was going to be tough going to Chicago and beating in a game 7. We didn't think it was impossible. We knew we had an opportunity to do something special."

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

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