1996 NBA Finals Game 5

[kamiy]

This is a re-up for kickers' request.



Here is some info about the game and the series:

'The 1996 NBA Finals' was the championship round of the 1995-1996 NBA season of the National Basketball Association. The Seattle SuperSonics (64-18) of the Western Conference took on the Chicago Bulls (72-10) of the Eastern Conference, with the Bulls holding home court advantage. The series was played under a best-of-seven format.

Chicago won the series 4 games to 2, a fitting conclusion after a record breaking 72-10 standing during the regular season. Michael Jordan was named Finals MVP.


Background

In the playoffs, the Bulls lost only three games in four series, defeating the Gary Payton, Shawn Kemp, head coach George Karl and their Seattle SuperSonics in the NBA Finals to win the World Championship. The Bulls shot out to a 3-0 lead, but the Sonics rallied back to win the next two at home. But the more experienced Bulls proved to be too much as the Bulls captured their fourth title (after a two year hiatus). For his performance in the series against Seattle, Michael Jordan was named the Finals MVP (the elusive triple-crown).

Chicago Bulls

Michael Jordan decided to return to basketball in 1995, after a short stint as a baseball player. Although he failed to lead the Bulls to the Finals in that year, he returned to pre-retirement form the next year and led the Chicago Bulls to one of the most memorable seasons ever. Freshly motivated by the playoff defeat against the Orlando Magic, trained aggressively in preparation for the 1995-96 season.

In the offseason, the Bulls lost B.J. Armstrong in the expansion draft, but Bulls general manager Jerry Krause pulled off a masterful deal by trading Will Perdue to the San Antonio Spurs for ballistic rebounder Dennis Rodman, who had won the past four rebounding titles.

That year, strengthened by the addition of Dennis Rodman, the Bulls dominated the league. With a lineup of Ron Harper, Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen, Dennis Rodman and Luc Longley, and perhaps the league's best bench in Steve Kerr, Toni Kuko?, Bill Wennington and guard Randy Brown, the Bulls posted one of the best single-season improvements in league history and the best single-season record. They moved from 47-35 to 72-10, which remains the best record in the league for an 82-game season. Jordan won his eighth scoring title, and Rodman his fifth straight rebounding title, while Kerr led the league in three-point shooting. Michael Jordan won the league's regular season and All-Star Game MVP awards.

Jerry Krause won the executive of the year award, Phil Jackson won the coach of the year award, and Toni Kukoc was the sixth man of the year. Both Scottie Pippen and Michael Jordan made the all-NBA first team, and Jordan, Pippen, and Dennis Rodman made the all-defensive first team.

The Chicago Bulls had no problems during the playoffs. After demolishing Miami by over 15 points per game in the first round, they would go 4-1 against the Knicks in the semifinals to get revenge and sweep the Magic in the Eastern Conference Finals.

Seattle SuperSonics

The Seattle SuperSonics were a talented, yet fragile bunch. In the 1994 playoffs, the first seeded Seattle (63-19) lost 3 games to 2 to the eighth seeded Nuggets (42-40). Seattle would once again be upset in the 1995 playoffs against the L.A. Lakers. After two first round defeats, Seattle would make a major come back in the 1996 season that would give them the name Sonic Boom.

Led by Gary Payton and Shawn Kemp, the SuperSonics went 64-18, the best in Seattle history and the best in the Western Division of the league. Despite this, the Sonics still had problems in the playoffs. Seattle blew through Sacramento in the first round; 3 games to 1. It also had no problems with Houston, sweeping them as well. Utah however, took Seattle to 7 games in what was one of the most exciting series of the 1996 playoffs. Seattle would finally go to its first NBA Final game since 1979.



Game 5
Friday, June 14, at the KeyArena

Seattle would once again deny the Bulls the championship, stretching the series to six games. Payton had this to say: "We feel great. We knew we could play with this team. It just took too long. We should have come with this a little earlier."

more info about the game:http://www.nba.com/history/finals/19951996.html

There are 8 files in the attchment. There are rapidshare, sendspace, megaupload, gigasize links for faster downloads.

[mr.81]

Do you mean this is Game 6............or 5?

[kamiy]

this is game 5
.....................................

[mr.81]

Oh ok :P just checking haha
.......

[kickers]

THX kamiy. I've watched this game only once and I don't remember anything except Kemp tendering slam early in the game!

[kingar72]

Great job with the post. Upload appreciated, but watching the Bulls lose is not high on my download priorities. Keep up the good work!!

[kamiy]

Originally Posted by kingar72

Great job with the post. Upload appreciated, but watching the Bulls lose is not high on my download priorities. Keep up the good work!!

Thank you, but this game is for Sonics fans! :Bang:

[curious]

Anyone can put the video FREE instead of an attachment for the benefit of newbies here?