VIDEO: Lakers Fall Short Against Chicago Bulls In 1991 NBA Finals

magic-and-jordan1

The Lakers had dominated the 1980’s, but it was time for a change in the NBA. After appearing in eight NBA Finals and winning five, the Lakers were looking to add one more title and prevent Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls from winning their first championship in franchise history.

The second best record belonged to the Bulls, which earned them the first seed in the Eastern Conference. After losing three straight years to the “Bad Boys” Detroit Pistons, they finally beat them in convincing fashion and swept them in the Eastern Conference Finals.

The 1990-91 Lakers team was not the “Showtime” Lakers everyone had grown accustomed to, but they still managed to win 58 games and beat the Portland Trailblazers 4-2 in the Western Conference Finals.

The NBA Finals opened up in Chicago and the Lakers were able to steal Game 1 93-91, but that would be the only win the Lakers would get all series. Michael Jordan dominated the series, scoring 31.2 points, dishing out 11.4 assists, and 6.6 rebounds. The Lakers would send Game 3 to double overtime, but could not get the job done. James Worthy and Byron Scott were sidelined for Game 5 and the Bulls would clinch the title at the Great Western Forum.

Johnson averaged 18.6 points and 12.4 assists in his last NBA Finals appearance. The Lakers would not reach the NBA Finals again until 2000 and Johnson passed the torch to Michael Jordan, who would go on to win five more NBA titles.

Here are highlights from Game 1 of the 1991 NBA Finals:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ejG1nG929wo
________________________________________________________________________
Nick Young Jokes About Drawing Fouls, Kissing His Biceps, And Xavier Henry

You May Also Like

Lakers News: LeBron James Considers Relationship With Kyrie Irving ‘In A Good Place’ After Phone Call

Six weeks after the Cleveland Cavaliers fell to the Golden State Warriors in five games in the 2017 NBA Finals, Kyrie Irving surprisingly requested a trade as he sought…

Lakers News: With Help From Former L.A. Assistant, Kyrie Irving Modeled Game After Kobe Bryant

Throughout the history of the NBA, many generational greats have come and gone, contributing to the overall landscape of what the NBA has become…

John Wall Believes Lakers-Clippers Rivalry Has Been One-Sided Recently But Can Become ‘Great Battle’ Again

The Los Angeles Lakers and the L.A. Clippers were supposed to fight for the highest honors in the so-called…

Kobe Bryant Says Early Retirement ‘Crossed My Mind’ This Season

The 2014-15 NBA season has been rough for the Los Angeles Lakers…