After finishing the regular season with their second-best record since being introduced as an NBA expansion team, the Charlotte Hornets were brimming with confidence heading into the Eastern semis against the Chicago Bulls in the 1998 playoffs.
The Hornets were able to tie the series in Game 2, which resulted in some added boost to the team's competitive spirit. However, the defending champs quickly regained control and beat Charlotte with blowout victories in the next three games to close the series out.
In a post-game interview after Game 4, Bulls power forward Dennis Rodman discussed how this had always been the case with many younger teams.
"I think some of these young teams get very excited in the beginning of the game and say, 'We got 'em, we got 'em, we got em!' And if we get to play the rest of the three quarters, I think that's where experience comes in, and relaxation and knowing the game of basketball," Rodman, who had eight points and 18 rebounds in the game, told Ahmad Rashad.
The vets always get the last laugh
Rodman played tremendously well in the said series. Dennis played 42 minutes per game to become the most active Bulls player in the series and also averaged a series-high 17.6 rebounds per game.
However, it was still Michael Jordan who spearheaded the Bulls to yet again another dominant playoff series victory, registering a series-high 29.6 points per outing. Like Rodman, MJ also concluded that the Hornets were able to match them up early in the game, especially in their homecourt, but they always ended up getting the better of them as the game progressed.
"When we're on the road... the first thing you're gonna do is to come out with a lot of energy, a lot of motivation. All we had to do is sustain that, keep our poise and get ourselves back into the game... We kept putting pressure on 'em, they never really respond," Jordan said after the Bulls secured a 3-1 lead over the Hornets.
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An emphatic final NBA title run
That year, the Bulls advanced to the Finals once again after surviving a seven-game duel with the Indiana Pacers. In the Finals, Chicago found themselves in an epic rematch with the Utah Jazz. However, the outcome was no different than last year.
The Jazz had a slight advantage, having been able to rest appropriately after sweeping the Los Angeles Lakers. Nevertheless, Jordan and the Bulls still outmatched them and closed the series out in six games.
It was the final time Chi-Town won an NBA championship, and it's also worth noting that it was the last championship run of the mighty Bulls dynasty of the '90s, now known as "The Last Dance."
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