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| Dates: | June 9–20 | |||||||||
| MVP: | Michael Jordan (Chicago Bulls) | |||||||||
| Hall of Famers | Bulls: Michael Jordan (2009) Scottie Pippen (2010) Suns: Charles Barkley (2006) Coaches: Phil Jackson (2007) Paul Westphal (2019, player) Officials: Dick Bavetta (2015) Darell Garretson (2016) Hugh Evans (2022) | |||||||||
| Eastern Finals: | Bulls defeated Knicks, 4–2 | |||||||||
| Western Finals: | Suns defeated SuperSonics, 4–3 | |||||||||
| NBA Finals | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ← 1992 | ||||||||||
| 1994 → | ||||||||||
The 1993 NBA Finals was the championship round of the 1992–93 NBA season, and the conclusion of the season's playoffs.
It featured the defending two-time NBA champion and Eastern Conference champion Chicago Bulls, led by Michael Jordan, and the Western Conference champion Phoenix Suns, winners of 62 games and led by regular season MVP Charles Barkley. The Bulls became the first team since the legendary Boston Celtics of the 1960s to win three consecutive championship titles, clinching the "three-peat" with John Paxson's game-winning 3-pointer that gave them a 99–98 victory in Game 6.
The Suns would not return to the NBA Finals until 2021 where they lost to the Milwaukee Bucks in six games.
1993 NBA Playoffs[ ]
| Phoenix Suns (Western Conference Champion) | Chicago Bulls (Eastern Conference Champion) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 62–20 (.756)
1st Pacific, 1st West, 1st Overall |
Regular season | 57–25 (.695)
1st Central, 2nd East, 3rd Overall | ||
| Defeated the (8) Los Angeles Lakers, 3–2 | First Round | Defeated the (7) Atlanta Hawks, 3–0 | ||
| Defeated the (5) San Antonio Spurs, 4–2 | Conference Semifinals | Defeated the (3) Cleveland Cavaliers, 4–0 | ||
| Defeated the (3) Seattle SuperSonics, 4–3 | Conference Finals | Defeated the (1) New York Knicks, 4–2 | ||
Series Summary[ ]
| Game | Date | Home Team | Result | Road Team |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Game 1 | June 9 | Phoenix | 100–92 | Chicago |
| Game 2 | June 11 | Phoenix | 111–108 | Chicago |
| Game 3 | June 13 | Chicago | 121–129 (3OT) | Phoenix |
| Game 4 | June 16 | Chicago | 111–105 | Phoenix |
| Game 5 | June 18 | Chicago | 98–108 | Phoenix |
| Game 6 | June 20 | Phoenix | 98-99 | Chicago |
Bulls win series 4-2
Games 1-3[ ]
The Bulls had 100-92 and 111-108 wins in Games 1 and 2, heading home up 2-0. But the Suns responded with a dramatic 129-121 triple overtime victory in Game 3. The triple overtime game was the first since Game 5 of the 1976 NBA Finals, also involving the Suns.
Game 4[ ]
In Game 4, Michael Jordan was unstoppable, scoring 55 points at Chicago Stadium and making a tough driving layup late in the game while getting fouled. The Bulls won 111-105.
Game 5[ ]
The Suns never trailed in a 108–98 Game 5 win on the road to head home for Game 6 down 3–2.
Game 6[ ]
The Bulls got off to a good start in Game 6, but struggled in the fourth quarter, wasting a double-digit lead to trail 98–94. Michael Jordan made a layup to cut the margin to 2 points, and the Suns missed a shot on their next possession. Trailing 98–96 and facing a Game 7 on the road if they lost that day, John Paxson took a pass from Horace Grant and buried a three pointer with 3.9 seconds left, giving the Bulls a 99–98 lead. The victory was secured by a last–second block from Horace Grant.
Trivia[ ]
- Michael Jordan, who averaged a Finals-record 41.0 PPG during the six game series, became the first player in NBA history to win three straight NBA Finals Most Valuable Player Awards. He joined Magic Johnson as the only other player to win the award three times. The NBA started awarding the Finals MVP in 1969.
- This series aired on NBC. Marv Albert and Mike Fratello called the action.
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| List of NBA champions | Larry O'Brien Trophy | Most Valuable Player Award | WNBA Finals | Broadcasters | |||||||||
| Preceded by 1992 |
NBA Finals 1993 |
Succeeded by 1994 |