Bulls-Knicks rivalry
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In 1992, the Chicago Bulls led by Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen were on their way to their second straight title when they met up with the physical play of the New York Knicks led by Patrick Ewing in the second round of the Eastern Conference playoffs. The series went to a decisive seven games where the Bulls eventually were able to overcome them and advance. This series started the intense rivalry between the Bulls and Knicks in the 1990s. It also made the Knicks into an Eastern Conference powerhouse, replacing the Detroit Pistons and Boston Celtics. This series was the first of two times the Bulls faced a seventh game in the six seasons they won a championship, the other being a seven game series with the Indiana Pacers in the 1998 Eastern Conference Finals. Also, some see the series as a transition to a more defensive-minded NBA.[citation needed]
The following season, the Knicks were able to finish ahead of the Bulls in the regular season and had home court advantage against the Bulls in the Eastern Conference Finals. However, despite losing the first two games, the Bulls made a remarkable comeback by winning the next four and advancing to the NBA Finals where they beat the Phoenix Suns for their first three-peat.
With Michael Jordan's absence during the 1993-94 NBA season, the Knicks now had the upper hand against the Bulls and they proved that by winning the best record in the East in the regular season. The Bulls now led by Pippen and newcomer Toni Kukoc met the Knicks in the second round of the playoff where the series went to seven games. In one of the most infamous blown calls in NBA history a phantom foul was called by Hue Hollins in the closing seconds of Game 5 against Scottie Pippen which gave the Knicks Hubert Davis three free throws to turn a 2 point defecit into a 1 point victory for the Knicks. After a blowout Bulls win in game six, the Knicks were able to advance past the Bulls but would eventually lose to the Houston Rockets in the NBA Finals. This was the only time the Knicks were able to beat the Bulls in the playoffs during this rivalry.
In the 1994-95 NBA season, Jordan returned in the latter half of the postseason. In his return to Madison Square Garden, Jordan scored 55 points and picked up the victory for the Bulls. This game lifted Jordan's confidence after a mediocre performance in his "comeback game" against the Indiana Pacers. The two teams didn't meet in the playoffs that season but the animosity between the two teams still grew.
During the Bulls' second three-peat run, the Bulls only met the Knicks once in the playoffs; specifically in 1996 when the Bulls once again defeated the Knicks. It was also during this period that other teams in the East grew to be contenders, such as the Indiana Pacers, Orlando Magic, and the Miami Heat. All of these teams had their own heated battles with either the Bulls or Knicks in the playoffs. The rivalry died out after the second departure of Michael Jordan in which the Bulls fell out of prominence. The Knicks themselves started to rebuild when veterans such as Patrick Ewing, John Starks, and Derek Harper were all traded.
Many felt that the significance of the rivalry was due to the bragging rights of the two biggest cities in the East: the Big Apple vs. the Windy City. Many also believed that the rivalry started when the Bulls traded Charles Oakley to New York for Bill Cartwright. While others felt that the rivalry was between Jordan and Ewing, since they were rivals since their college days. It was also the hardnose physical play of the two teams that made the rivalry intense especially when both teams were battling it out in the playoffs. The match up between Jordan and Knicks shooting guard John Starks also brought the rivalry a bit of drama as the two were often in each others face, while both players also showcased a number of highlight dunks on the opposing team. Despite the Knicks not winning an NBA title or beating the Bulls in a series while Jordan was in the league, this rivalry was still considered the most contentious of the mid-1990s.
Prior to the 2005 season, the Knicks traded first-round draft choices in 2006 and 2007 to the Bulls for center Eddy Curry, who missed the Bulls' 2005 playoff run with a congenital heart defect. When the Knicks finished the 2005-06 season at 23-59, the Bulls' good fortune turned into a gold mine, as the 2006 pick became the second overall choice following the draft lottery. The Bulls used the selection on LSU forward Tyrus Thomas after engineering a trade with the Portland Trail Blazers. However, it seems this trade may not have harmed the Knicks too much, as Curry is enjoying a breakout season while Thomas is struggling to get minutes off the bench for the Bulls.
