After consecutive championship runs, it looked like fatigue had finally caught up with Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls. They were on the verge of losing Game 6 of the 1993 NBA finals to the Phoenix Suns as their offense dried up in the final period like a well in summer.
“We were struggling, totally out of sync, no rhythm,” Jordan said of the Bulls’ fourth-quarter struggles. “But as bad as we played, we were within distance.”
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The Bulls were actually up by 11 at one point and led by eight going into the final 12 minutes. Then suddenly, they couldn’t buy a bucket, missing their first eight shots from the field, and went scoreless after six minutes. They committed three shot-clock violations at that juncture, a microcosm of how their offense completely went awry.
Going into the game’s last 40 seconds, Chicago was staring at a four-point deficit and a possible Game 7. Phil Jackson‘s team did not have much left in the tank; all they had was experience and guts.
“I told the guys, ‘We’ll find a way to win. If we just come up with one defensive stop, we’ll find a way to win,'” the Zen Master recalled.
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Pulling a win out of thin air
The Bulls lost some games en route to their first two titles, but this one was different. The Suns had all the momentum after overcoming a double-digit deficit and the home crowd was behind them all the way. They only had to hold on, defend for one possession, and take their chances at a winner-take-all Game 7 right in their backyard.
However, like clockwork, MJ happened.
After a miss by Frank Johnson that would have pushed the Suns’ lead to six, Jordan grabbed the rebound and galloped the length of the court for a layup. The Bulls then pulled off a defensive stop on the other end, setting up a high-IQ offensive possession that started with His Airness’ willingness to trust his teammates with the ball and decision-making.
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Receiving a pass in the backcourt, the Suns forced MJ to give up the rock to Scottie Pippen at the top of the key. Pippen slipped a pass to Horace Grant inside, who quickly swung it to a wide-open John Paxson on the left wing for the potential game-winner. Paxson calmly hit the three-pointer for the go-ahead bucket and the improbable win.
“He’s a consummate pro who knows his limitations and has always knocked down the big shots,” Jordan said of Paxson, admitting that he felt his sharp-shooting teammate would make the bucket immediately after letting the ball fly.
Even though Phoenix had a chance to win the game in the ensuing possession, Grant’s block on Kevin Johnson’s free-throw line floater shut the door for any type of payback.
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Jordan was the ultimate trump card
The final play, which ended with a Paxson triple to win the game, was the epitome of team basketball that Jackson always preached. However, before that massive clutch three-pointer, it was Jordan who made everything happen.
After the Bulls’ offense completely gave out, Jordan took the initiative and scored the team’s first points on the charity stripe. He then put up seven more to keep Chicago afloat, before Paxson chipped in the team’s final three points.
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“With Michael Jordan, you’re a step ahead of everybody else,” Jackson declared after winning his third coaching ring, upping his collection to five in total.
It wasn’t an easy win, but MJ and the Bulls thrived in moments when the margin for error was razor-thin. Even though nothing was going for them, as Jordan pointed out, only a sliver of daylight was all they needed.
This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Sep 22, 2025, where it first appeared in the Old School section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.