When the buzzer sounded at the Bradley Center in Milwaukee on April 16, 1996, it marked a significant milestone in the NBA's history. The Chicago Bulls pulled off an 86-80 road win over the Bucks, marking their 70th regular-season victory, surpassing the previous record held by the Lakers in the 1971-72 season.
While the record-breaking victory was significant, it was also notably rough. The Bulls shot only 38.8 percent from the field, with Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen combining for a mere 16-for-46. The team managed just 12 points in the second quarter, missing 16 of 21 shots, including a missed dunk by Pippen.
Throughout most of the game, they trailed a Bucks team that was 30 games below .500. But they managed to seal the victory and earn that 70th win. However, Jordan didn't let that get into his head and put his focus on the next challenge.
"I think it's a successful comeback for myself and for the organization," the Chicago star said post-game. "Last year, we went through some disappointments at the end of the season, and we vowed to get back and get ourselves back to the top. Yeah, I'm glad. Now we can focus on the playoffs, which is the most important thing right now."
Unrivaled milestone
The Bulls were the championship favorites heading into the 1995-96 season. They had a highly motivated Jordan, who was entering his first full season after his first retirement, an NBA All-Defensive first team and steals leader in Pippen, and a rebound king in Dennis Rodman . Naturally, they had a relentless squad, and it transpired on the court as they began their season with a 37-0 home record.
Chicago's 33 road wins were the most in NBA history until the 2015–16 Golden State Warriors won 34. They achieved the best start in NBA history at 41–3 and eventually became the first NBA team to win 70 regular season games, a record that stood for 20 years until the Warriors broke it in 2016.
"To win 70 games, I think we started out to win a championship, and that's still our motivation," MJ told the media after the game. "It just so happens that we had success and dominance very early, and here we are at 70 games."
Related: Michael Jordan on playing point guard for the Dream Team: "I told the players before the game I'm not Magic Johnson"
Dominance throughout
The victory over Milwaukee brought the Bulls to 70-9. They won their next game but then lost to the Pacers at home—one of only two losses at the United Center that season, both by one point. A subsequent road victory over the Bullets concluded their historic 72-10 season.
In the playoffs, the Bulls continued their dominance as they lost just one game—in overtime to the Knicks in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference semifinals—before defeating the SuperSonics 4-2 in the NBA Finals. This championship marked the first in their second three-peat during their run of six titles in eight years. And more significantly, they remain the only 70-win team to clinch a championship after the Warriors' iconic collapse to Cleveland in 2016.
Related: MJ blamed his shoe for 1985 foot injury and almost left Nike: "Phil Knight was pretty well convinced that Michael was gonna leave Nike"
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