Bulls-Pistons rivalry

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The Bulls-Pistons rivalry originated in the 1970's and was most intense in the late 1980s - early 1990's, a period when the Bulls' superstar, Michael Jordan, was evolving into one of the league's best players and when the Detroit Pistons were becoming a major playoff contender. This rivalry was one of the fiercest during its early period, mostly due to the dynamics between Michael Jordan and the "Bad Boy" Pistons, led mostly by Isiah Thomas and Bill Laimbeer.

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[edit] The Bad Boys and their Jordan Rules

The rivalry started in the 1988 Eastern Conference Semifinals. The aggressive Bad Boy Pistons were a team on the rise. Michael Jordan was the league MVP and Defensive Player of the Year and the ultimate challenge for Detroit's rugged, top-notch defense. In a nationally televised game at the Silverdome on Easter Sunday, Jordan torched the Pistons for 59 points in a 112-110 Bulls triumph (He also scored 61 in Detroit the previous season). This infuriated Pistons coach Chuck Daly, who vowed never to permit Jordan to explode on the Pistons again. Despite Jordan's individual talents the Bulls lacked the talent and physical and mental toughness to beat the Pistons who ravaged the Bulls in only five games. The Pistons would go on to upset the Boston Celtics and win their first conference title since they moved from Fort Wayne.

In 1989, the Pistons were stronger than ever, posting the league's best record of 63-19. The sixth seeded Bulls (47-35) had surprising success in the playoffs by beating the superior Cleveland Cavaliers (57-25 won-loss record) 3-2 with "The Shot." The Bulls upset the Atlantic Division Champs, the New York Knicks, coached by Rick Pitino, 4-2. The Bulls then squared off to meet the team that was to become their greatest rival, the Detroit Pistons, in the Eastern Conference Finals. The Bulls miraculous success seemed to continue as they took an early 2-1 lead over the Pistons. But the Pistons clamped down and employed the supposed "Jordan Rules" (which consisted of solely targeting Jordan) which worked so well for them the year prior. While the Pistons would remain mum about the so-called "Jordan Rules" when asked by the media, many of the Pistons today say that the "Jordan Rules" were made up and only another psychological ploy they used to try and throw the Bulls off their game. According to Pistons forward Rick Mahorn,

“ We were just throwing stuff out there for (the media). It was just a joke. Chuck (Daly, Pistons coach) throws it out there that we had some secret plan to stop Jordan, and everybody just jumped on it. Everybody was writing stories about this strategy. When we kept reading about it, Isiah told us that we had gotten in their heads, and that's how we had them beat.[1] ”

The Pistons took a stand and won three straight and would go on to win their first NBA title in the next round.

For the following 1989-90 season under new coach Phil Jackson the Bulls sought to subvert the "Jordan Rules" by focusing on the triangle offense or triple post offense refined by assistant coach Tex Winter. By sharing responsibility rather than shouldering it, Jordan led the Bulls to the second best record in the East at 55-27...behind the ever-tough defending champion Pistons who finished 59-23. In a pre-destined Eastern Conference Finals rematch, the Bulls pushed the Pistons like never before by forcing the series to seven games. But the Pistons showed their dominance by winning a brutal Game Seven at home by a score of 93-74. It was in this pivotal Game Seven that Scottie Pippen would suffer a migraine headache, leading many to speculate that with a healthy Pippen the Bulls may have been ready to supplant the Pistons as the best team in the East. The Pistons would go on to win their second consecutive NBA title the following round against the Portland Trail Blazers.

[edit] The Bulls Break Through

These growing pains resulted in a stronger than ever Bulls the following season in 1990-91. With a greater concentration on teamwork, the Bulls posted the best record in the Eastern Conference with a 61-21 win-loss record and Jordan regained the MVP award after years of being accused of being a selfish player. At the same time the Piston's armor was starting to crack by old age and injury. After their upset of the Atlantic Division champ Boston Celtics 4-2 in the Conference semifinals, it was now the Pistons with something to prove as they met a title poised Chicago. Still, some doubted the Bulls and maintained that the Pistons psychological edge and bench strength would loom over the series. But three years of aches and bruises allotted the Bulls a drive that not only inspired the greatness necessary to defeat the Pistons, but the greatness necessary to conquer a decade. Proving their growth, the Bulls swept the Pistons 4-0 and ended the rivalry on a triumphant note. Isiah Thomas, Bill Laimbeer and Mark Aguirre of the Pistons, in their last show of defiance, walked off the court with :04 left on the clock so as not to congratulate the new Eastern Conference Champions. In the next round the Bulls defeated Magic Johnson and the Lakers to capture their first NBA crown.[2]

[edit] Dormancy

After the 1991 Eastern Conference Finals, the Pistons franchise went through a lengthy transitional period, as key players either retired (Laimbeer in 1993 and Thomas in 1994) or were traded (Edwards, Johnson, Salley, and Rodman among others). The team quickly declined, bottoming out in the 1993-94 season when they finished 20-62. While the Pistons would acquire new stars during this period, such as Grant Hill and Jerry Stackhouse, they would never become serious title contenders until Joe Dumars, a member of the championship Pistons of the late 1980s/early 1990s and 1989 NBA Finals MVP, was hired as President of Basketball Operations. Dumars would eventually form a team very similar to his own: a group of players who played a hard-nosed, defensively strong, fundamentally-sound, team-oriented style of play.

Meanwhile, the Bulls would proceed to win six championships in eight years, including two three-peats, with an early retirement and return of Michael Jordan in between. After the sixth championship, the Bulls were dramatically dismantled: Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen, Dennis Rodman (who was acquired from San Antonio during the 1995 offseason), and coach Phil Jackson all left the team. The franchise would endure five difficult years of futility and frustration and would not yield a competitive squad until former Bull John Paxson (who was a member of the first three championship teams and hit the title-winning shot against the Phoenix Suns in the 1993 NBA Finals) became the general manager and acquired players to form a team with efficient perimeter offense and strong interior defense.

[edit] The Rivalry Returns

The rivalry was restored in the 2006 offseason when free agent Ben Wallace, the cornerstone of the Pistons' defense, stunned the league when he signed with the Pistons' rivals of old, the Chicago Bulls. The impact of the addition of Wallace was immediately felt when the Bulls won the first regular season game in a blowout against the defending champion Miami Heat, the team that defeated the Pistons in the 2006 Eastern Conference Finals.

The move of Ben Wallace stymied the Pistons early on in the season, as the team sought to look for consistency without their All-Star center. Joe Dumars took the initiative and signed former University of Michigan star Chris Webber, who was just released from the Philadelphia 76ers. Soon, the Pistons were able to regain their edge, proving that their vaunted defense that took them to the Eastern Conference Finals for four straight seasons was not dependent on Ben Wallace alone.

The two teams met in the Eastern Conference Semifinals, both having swept their first round opponents. The Pistons took the early series lead, stifiling the Bulls' guards to sub-40% shooting to win not only the first two games at home, but also the first game at Chicago. The Bulls fought back, shutting down the Pistons' offense in the next two games to win Game 4 in Chicago and Game 5 at The Palace of Auburn Hills. However, the Pistons regrouped and won Game 6 at Chicago.

[edit] Notes

[edit] References

  1. ^ The best of Pistons-Bulls rivalry. Detroit Free Press, December 25, 2007
  2. ^ PISTONS: Reliving the Pistons-Bulls rivalry