The 1993 NBA Finals marked the only time the Chicago Bulls went into the championship series against an opponent with a better regular-season record. While they finished 57-25, the Phoenix Suns led the league with a 62-20 record, largely thanks to MVP Charles Barkley .
The Suns looked poised to prevent Chicago from completing the three-peat, but they lost gas later in the series and couldn't overcome the Bulls' offensive weapons. Twenty-eight years after the Finals loss, Barkley implied Phoenix could have clinched the title if only former Bulls point guard John Paxson didn't make a highlight clutch shot.
"We played good against the Bulls," Chuck said of the Suns' 1993 playoff run. "I mean Pax just made a couple shots."
A stiff challenge from Phoenix
Michael Jordan and the Bulls faced various Hall of Famers during their two three-peats, including Magic Johnson, James Worthy, Clyde Drexler, Barkley, Gary Payton, Karl Malone, and John Stockton. All of them proved to be worthy opponents. Yet, it is "Sir Charles" who arguably gave Chicago its toughest test.
In their Finals series, the Suns managed to match the Bulls' average points. In addition, Jordan and his crew were unable to blow out Phoenix in any of their four wins, with their largest margin of victory being eight points in Game 1.
Barkley was a beast, recording 27.3 points, 13.0 rebounds, and 5.5 assists per contest. "The Mound Round of Rebound" also had plenty of help from his teammates, with Kevin Johnson, Dan Majerle, and Richard Dumas each averaging 15.8 points per game.
On the other hand, Jordan needed to go ham to give the Bulls a shot at their third title. He put up 41.0 points, 8.5 rebounds, and 6.3 assists per meeting. Fortunately, he also had reinforcement from Scottie Pippen and the rest of the supporting cast.
Related: Shaun Livingston says Stephen Curry had difficulties adjusting to Kevin Durant: "He need a little more rhythm"
Pax broke Chuck's heart
Perhaps things would have turned out differently for Barkley and PHX had Paxson not sunk the biggest shot of his career in the waning seconds of Game 6. Before the game, the 11-time All-Star prophesied that God wanted them to claim the championship. A win that evening would have given them a huge chance at fulfilling that because the seventh contest would have been played at America West Arena (now Footprint Center).
Chicago was trailing 98-96 with a handful of seconds left in the contest when the ball found its way to the 6'2" guard. Despite instructions from coach Paul Westphal to implement single coverage, Danny Ainge sagged off Paxson to provide help defense. The result is one of the greatest clutch shots by a non-star in NBA Finals history.
Barkley could only watch Pax sink the 3-pointer before Horace Grant blocked Johnson's potential game-winner on the next possession, bringing the Suns' effort and fine play to naught.
Related: "Shut the hell up"- Charles Barkley goes off on Kendrick Perkins for his take about Team USA
Local Chicago, IL
Most Popular
Comments / 0