"They don't seem to like to be pressured when they handle the ball" - Penny on MJ and Pippen's weakness

“They don’t seem to like to be pressured when they handle the ball” – Penny on MJ and Pippen’s weakness originally appeared on Basketball Network.

Penny Hardaway and the Orlando Magic were locked and loaded ahead of their duel with the Michael Jordan-led Chicago Bulls in the 1996 Eastern Conference Finals. They were confident they could beat them again. In their previous matchup, Hardaway and company discovered some key weaknesses of the basketball squad.

Pressure

Since they operated a very team-oriented offense, Hardaway observed that Jordan and Scottie Pippen seemed to succumb to individual ball pressure easily. Penny fondly recalls his teammate Nick Anderson stealing the ball away from MJ in Game 1 of the 1995 Eastern Conference Semifinals. The point guard was confident his team would step up defensively again.

“He’s their all-around guy, defense, rebounding, handling the ball, getting them into their offense,” said Hardaway of Pippen, via the Chicago Tribune. “As great a defensive team as Chicago is, they don’t like pressure on them. Jordan, as great as he is, and Pippen, as great as he is, they don’t seem to like to be pressured when they handle the ball.”

The game is a two-way street — Hardaway also had concrete plans on the offensive end. Penny knew that his 6’7″ frame, elite footwork, and good touch around the hoop were his assets. He intended to make things difficult for both Pip and MJ by pounding them in the most.

“I’m going to post up as much as possible,” said Hardaway. “Make Scottie and Michael uncomfortable. They don’t like guards posting them up, so I’ll do it.”

Gentleman’s sweep

Hardaway exploded for 38 points in Game 1 of the 1996 Eastern Conference Finals, but it was nowhere near enough to defeat the Bulls. Props to the Magic for their decent job on Jordan and Pippen, who had 21 and 18 points, respectively. However, Orlando failed to contain the likes of Dennis Rodman, Ron Harper, Steve Kerr, Toni Kukoc, and Luc Longley, who filled in the gaps.

Penny was probably hellbent on replicating his performance, but he should’ve remained calm under pressure. In Game 2, he scored 18 points, shot just 40 percent from the field, and was 1-of-5 from downtown. Meanwhile, Michael got his groove back and scored a cool 35 points, including 15-of-16 from the free-throw line. His performance put the Bulls up 2-0.

The Bulls dominated the Magic in Game 3, 86-67. Penny struggled horribly and shot 8-of-24 from the field and 2-of-9 from downtown. MJ had a bad game and shot 5-of-14 from the field, but he didn’t need to carry Chicago that night. Pippen led the way with 27 points on a stellar 11-of-14.

Penny, desperate to get his team on the board, scored 28 points in Game 4. Shaquille O’Neal added 28 points and three blocks. The Bulls were well aware of the stakes, especially MJ. He didn’t underestimate the young Magic, knowing that a win could give them all the momentum they desperately needed.

As such, Mike exploded for 45 points on 69.6 percent shooting. He entered one of those zones that no defense could contain. Hardaway, who promised to make MJ uncomfortable, could not do anything in his power to stop the surging Bull from scoring over and over and over again.

This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Aug 14, 2025, where it first appeared.

“They don’t seem to like to be pressured when they handle the ball” – Penny on MJ and Pippen’s weakness

Tags: