1996 NBA playoffs

Postseason tournament August 2023 NBA playoffs 1996NBAPlayoffs.png 1996 1995–96 April 25 – June 16, 1996 16 Chicago Bulls 4 Seattle SuperSonics Orlando Magic Utah Jazz Scoring leader(s) Michael Jordan (Bulls) 30.4 PPG MVP Michael Jordan (Bulls) 1995 1997 The 1996 NBA playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 1995–96 season. The tournament concluded with the Eastern Conference champion Chicago Bulls defeating the Western Conference champion Seattle SuperSonics 4 games to 2. Michael Jordan was named NBA Finals MVP for a then record fourth time. Overview The Chicago Bulls entered the NBA playoffs with a record of 72–10 (the best regular season record until the 2016 Golden State Warriors went 73–9), eclipsing the 1972 Los Angeles Lakers record of 69–13, helped by Michael Jordan's first full season back from his mid-1990's retirement and the addition of another future Hall of Famer to the Bulls, Dennis Rodman. The SuperSonics were only the tenth team in NBA history to win 64 games during the regular season, but their feat went largely unnoticed due to Chicago's record 72 wins. This was the Sacramento Kings' first playoff appearance since 1986, but would be Mitch Richmond's only one as a King (he previously appeared twice in the playoffs for the Golden State Warriors in 1989 and 1991). The Kings did not make it back until 1999, which began their eight-year string of playoff appearances. Richmond would be traded to the Wizards in 1998 and would later win his first and only championship with the Lakers in 2002 (he would retire shortly thereafter). Game 4 of the Lakers-Rockets series was Magic Johnson's final NBA game. He would retire for good after a brief in-season comeback following the loss. As for the two-time defending NBA champion Houston Rockets, their quest for a 3-peat was thwarted by the Seattle SuperSonics, who swept the Rockets 4–0 in the Western Conference Semifinals. The SuperSonics were also the last team to defeat the Rockets in the playoffs before their two–year title run, in the 1993 Western Conference Semifinals (Seattle won 4–3). Also noted during their two-year title run, the Rockets never faced the SuperSonics in the playoffs as they were eliminated in the first round by both the Denver Nuggets and the Los Angeles Lakers, respectively. The 1996 Eastern Conference Finals between the Chicago Bulls and Orlando Magic were redemption for Michael Jordan after his first return to the playoffs in 1995 and the Bulls' disappointing second-round loss to the 1995 Orlando Magic, a team that would be swept in last year's finals. With Jordan leading the way, the Bulls swept the defending Eastern Conference champion Magic, winning all four games by an average of 17 points. As for the Magic, it ended a three-year run of dominance for the team, as Shaquille O'Neal went on to sign with the Lakers the following season. The Magic did not have another 50-win season, division title and first round playoff series victory until 2008, followed the season afterward by an Eastern Conference championship and the franchise's second NBA Finals appearance in 2009 to which they lost to the Lakers. With their Western Conference Finals victory over the Utah Jazz, the Seattle SuperSonics made the NBA Finals for the first time since 1979. They wouldn't return ever again because the franchise was sold after drafting future Pro Basketball Hall of Famer, Kevin Durant. With the win, the SuperSonics vindicated themselves as well after their stunning first-round loss to the Denver Nuggets in 1994, when they had become the first top seeded team to lose to an eighth-seed in the NBA playoffs. Despite the Jazz losing in seven games to the SuperSonics in the Western Conference Finals (their third appearance in 5 years), in retrospect it kickstarted their own Finals run, which they ultimately accomplished in 1997 and 1998, but lost both times to the Bulls. By winning their fourth title in six years, the Bulls capped what many consider to be the greatest season in NBA history, finishing with a combined 87–13 record, including 72–10 in the regular season and 15–3 in the postseason. In addition, they remain the first and only team to win 70+ games in the regular season and win the NBA championship. Bracket First Round Conference Semifinals Conference Finals NBA Finals Eastern Conference Western Conference E1 Chicago* 3 E8 Miami 0 E4 Cleveland 0 E5 New York 3 E3 Indiana 2 E6 Atlanta 3 E2 Orlando* 3 E7 Detroit 0 W1 Seattle* 3 W8 Sacramento 1 W4 LA Lakers 1 W5 Houston 3 W3 Utah 3 W6 Portland 2 W2 San Antonio* 3 W7 Phoenix 1 E1 Chicago* 4 E5 New York 1 E6 Atlanta 1 E2 Orlando* 4 W1 Seattle* 4 W5 Houston 0 W3 Utah 4 W2 San Antonio* 2 E1 Chicago* 4 E2 Orlando* 0 W1 Seattle* 4 W3 Utah 3 E1 Chicago* 4 W1 Seattle* 2* Division winner Bold Series winner Italic Team with home-court advantage Playoff qualifying Western Conference Best record in conference The Seattle SuperSonics clinched the best record in the Western Conference, and had home court advantage throughout the Western Conference playoffs. Clinched a playoff berth The following teams clinched a playoff berth in the West:https://www.basketball-reference.com/leagues/NBA_1996.html 1995-96 NBA Season Summary Seattle SuperSonics (64–18, clinched Pacific division) San Antonio Spurs (59–23, clinched Midwest division) Utah Jazz (55–27) Los Angeles Lakers (53–29) Houston Rockets (48–34) Portland Trail Blazers (44–38) Phoenix Suns (41–41) Sacramento Kings (39–43) Eastern Conference Best record in NBA The Chicago Bulls clinched the best record in the NBA, and earned home court advantage throughout the entire playoffs. Clinched a playoff berth The following teams clinched a playoff berth in the East: Chicago Bulls (72–10, clinched Central Division) Orlando Magic (60–22, clinched Atlantic division) Indiana Pacers (52–30) Cleveland Cavaliers (47–35) New York Knicks (47–35) Atlanta Hawks (46–36) Detroit Pistons (46–36) Miami Heat (42–40) Notes For the fourth straight postseason, both #5 seeds beat their #4 seeded opponent in the first round. First round Eastern Conference first round (1) Chicago Bulls vs. (8) Miami Heat #eee April 26 9:30 PM Boxscore Miami Heat 85 Chicago Bulls 102 22–29 32–25 13–25 18–23 Tim Hardaway 30 Chris Gatling 9 Tim Hardaway 7 Michael Jordan 35 Dennis Rodman 10 three players 3 each United Center, Chicago, Illinois 24,104 Joe Forte, Luis Grillo, Steve Javie TBS Chicago leads series, 1–0 April 28 5:30 PM Boxscore Miami Heat 75 Chicago Bulls 106 19–28 19–35 19–24 18–19 Sasha Danilovic 15 Chris Gatling 11 Tim Hardaway 4 Michael Jordan 29 Scottie Pippen 8 Scottie Pippen 8 United Center, Chicago, Illinois 24,202 Mike Mathis, Paul Mihalak, Bill Oakes NBC Chicago leads series, 2–0 #eee May 1 8:00 PM Boxscore Chicago Bulls 112 Miami Heat 91 37–23 25–21 27–22 23–25 Michael Jordan 26 Scottie Pippen 18 Scottie Pippen 10 Alonzo Mourning 30 Mourning, Thomas 8 each Tim Hardaway 6 Miami Arena, Miami, Florida 15,200 Dick Bavetta, Ron Olesiak, Bennett Salvatore TNT Chicago wins series, 3–0 +Regular-season seriesChicago won 3–1 in the regular-season series#fff January 26, 1996 1996 01260 CHI Miami Heat 80 Chicago Bulls 102 United Center, Chicago, Illinois February 23, 1996 1996 02230 MIA Chicago Bulls 104 Miami Heat 113 Miami Arena, Miami #fff April 2, 1996 1996 04020 MIA Chicago Bulls 110 Miami Heat 92 Miami Arena, Miami April 4, 1996 1996 04040 CHI Miami Heat 92 Chicago Bulls 100 United Center, Chicago, Illinois This was the second playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Bulls winning the first meeting. +Previous playoff serieshttps://www.basketball-reference.com/play-index/rivals.cgi?request=1&team_id=CHI&opp_id=MIA&is_playoffs=Y Team Rivalry Finder — Chicago Bulls versus Miami Heat (Playoffs) basketball-reference.com June 3, 2015Chicago leads 1–0 in all-time playoff series#fff 1992 Chicago Bulls 3 Miami Heat 0 1992 Eastern Conference First Round (2) Orlando Magic vs. (7) Detroit Pistons #eee April 26 7:00 PM Boxscore Detroit Pistons 92 Orlando Magic 112 18–24 29–23 17–33 28–32 Grant Hill 21 Grant Hill 11 three players 4 each Dennis Scott 23 Horace Grant 13 Brian Shaw 11 Orlando Arena, Orlando, Florida 17,248 Mike Mathis, Paul Mihalak, Bill Oakes TBS Orlando leads series, 1–0 April 28 12:30 PM Boxscore Detroit Pistons 77 Orlando Magic 92 19–25 19–16 19–24 20–27 Allan Houston 23 Otis Thorpe 16 Otis Thorpe 3 Shaquille O'Neal 29 Horace Grant 10 Penny Hardaway 8 Orlando Arena, Orlando, Florida 17,248 Joe Forte, Steve Javie, Ron Olesiak NBC Orlando leads series, 2–0 #eee April 30 8:00 PM Boxscore Orlando Magic 101 Detroit Pistons 98 27–18 24–30 30–22 20–28 Penny Hardaway 24 Horace Grant 16 Penny Hardaway 5 Allan Houston 33 Otis Thorpe 13 Joe Dumars 7 The Palace of Auburn Hills, Auburn Hills, Michigan 20,386 Nolan Fine, Hue Hollins, Ed Middleton TNT Orlando wins series, 3–0 +Regular-season seriesOrlando won 3–1 in the regular-season series#fff November 27, 1995 1995 11270 ORL Detroit Pistons 95 Orlando Magic 96 Orlando Arena, Orlando, Florida December 23, 1995 1995 12230 DET Orlando Magic 94 Detroit Pistons 79 The Palace of Auburn Hills, Auburn Hills, Michigan #fff February 7, 1996 1996 02070 DET Orlando Magic 83 Detroit Pistons 97 The Palace of Auburn Hills, Auburn Hills, Michigan March 19, 1996 1996 03190 ORL Detroit Pistons 91 Orlando Magic 113 Orlando Arena, Orlando, Florida This was the first playoff meeting between the Pistons and the Magic.https://www.basketball-reference.com/play-index/rivals.cgi?request=1&team_id=DET&opp_id=ORL&is_playoffs=Y Team Rivalry Finder — Detroit Pistons versus Orlando Magic (Playoffs) basketball-reference.com June 3, 2015 (3) Indiana Pacers vs. (6) Atlanta Hawks #eee April 25 8:00 PM Boxscore Atlanta Hawks 92 Indiana Pacers 80 21–27 28–13 19–28 24–12 Steve Smith 27 Grant Long 14 Mookie Blaylock 9 Rik Smits 19 Dale Davis 12 Ricky Pierce 5 Market Square Arena, Indianapolis, Indiana 16,438 Dan Crawford, David Jones, Bennett Salvatore TNT Atlanta leads series, 1–0 April 27 8:00 PM Boxscore Atlanta Hawks 94 Indiana Pacers 102 15–29 27–24 19–19 26–15 7–15 Steve Smith 25 Christian Laettner 9 Mookie Blaylock 7 Rik Smits 29 Dale Davis 12 Mark Jackson 9 Market Square Arena, Indianapolis, Indiana 16,709 Joe DeRosa, Ron Garretson, Ed T. Rush TNT Series tied, 1–1 #eee April 29 8:00 PM Boxscore Indiana Pacers 83 Atlanta Hawks 90 20–21 20–19 25–29 18–21 McKey, Smits 13 each Dale Davis 10 Mark Jackson 6 Steve Smith 26 Christian Laettner 8 Mookie Blaylock 7 Omni Coliseum, Atlanta, Georgia 11,290 Jim Clark, Hugh Evans, Jack Nies TNT Atlanta leads series, 2–1 May 2 7:00 PM Boxscore Indiana Pacers 83 Atlanta Hawks 75 25–22 25–19 18–23 15–11 Rik Smits 17 D. Davis, Smits 9 each Mark Jackson 5 Steve Smith 19 Grant Long 12 Mookie Blaylock 5 Omni Coliseum, Atlanta, Georgia 15,482 Hue Hollins, Bill Oakes, Don Vaden TNT Series tied, 2–2 #eee May 5 12:30 PM Boxscore Atlanta Hawks 89 Indiana Pacers 87 22–25 30–22 15–16 22–24 Mookie Blaylock 23 Christian Laettner 11 three players 3 each Reggie Miller 29 Dale Davis 13 Mark Jackson 8 Market Square Arena, Indianapolis, Indiana 16,731 Dick Bavetta, Bob Delaney, Jess Kersey NBC Atlanta wins series, 3–2 +Regular-season seriesIndiana won 3–1 in the regular-season series#fff November 3, 1995 1995 11030 ATL Indiana Pacers 111 Atlanta Hawks 106 The Omni, Atlanta January 17, 1996 1996 01170 ATL Indiana Pacers 93 Atlanta Hawks 102 The Omni, Atlanta #fff January 30, 1996 1996 01300 IND Atlanta Hawks 90 Indiana Pacers 107 Market Square Arena, Indianapolis April 8, 1996 1996 04080 IND Atlanta Hawks 95 Indiana Pacers 97 Market Square Arena, Indianapolis This was the fourth playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Pacers winning two of the first three meetings. +Previous playoff serieshttps://www.basketball-reference.com/play-index/rivals.cgi?request=1&team_id=ATL&opp_id=IND&is_playoffs=Y Team Rivalry Finder — Atlanta Hawks versus Indiana Pacers (Playoffs) basketball-reference.com June 3, 2015Indiana leads 2–1 in all-time playoff series#fff 1987 Atlanta Hawks 3 Indiana Pacers 1 1987 Eastern Conference First Round #fff 1994 Atlanta Hawks 2 Indiana Pacers 4 1994 Eastern Conference Semifinals #fff 1995 Atlanta Hawks 0 Indiana Pacers 3 1995 Eastern Conference First Round (4) Cleveland Cavaliers vs. (5) New York Knicks #eee April 25 7:00 PM Boxscore New York Knicks 106 Cleveland Cavaliers 83 22–17 18–23 29–27 37–16 Patrick Ewing 23 three players 7 each three players 7 each Terrell Brandon 18 Michael Cage 8 Brandon, Majerle 5 each Gund Arena, Cleveland, Ohio 16,419 Joe DeRosa, Ron Garretson, Ed T. Rush TBS New York leads series, 1–0 April 27 1:00 PM Boxscore New York Knicks 84 Cleveland Cavaliers 80 17–21 27–20 18–18 22–21 Anthony Mason 23 Mason, Ewing 12 each John Starks 7 Terrell Brandon 21 Michael Cage 8 Terrell Brandon 12 Gund Arena, Cleveland, Ohio 17,232 Dan Crawford, David Jones, Bennett Salvatore NBC New York leads series, 2–0 #eee May 1 7:00 PM Boxscore Cleveland Cavaliers 76 New York Knicks 81 16–24 16–26 23–16 21–15 Terrell Brandon 19 Michael Cage 12 Terrell Brandon 7 John Starks 22 Patrick Ewing 10 three players 4 each Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York 19,763 Mike Mathis, Jack Nies, Tommy Nunez Sr. TBS New York wins series, 3–0 +Regular-season seriesCleveland won 3–1 in the regular-season series#fff November 22, 1995 1995 11220 CLE New York Knicks 94 Cleveland Cavaliers 84 Gund Arena, Cleveland, Ohio December 28, 1995 1995 12280 NYK Cleveland Cavaliers 86 New York Knicks 76 Madison Square Garden, New York City #fff April 11, 1996 1996 04110 NYK Cleveland Cavaliers 101 New York Knicks 97 Madison Square Garden, New York City April 18, 1996 1996 04180 CLE New York Knicks 77 Cleveland Cavaliers 92 Gund Arena, Cleveland, Ohio This was the third playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Knicks winning the first two meetings. +Previous playoff serieshttps://www.basketball-reference.com/play-index/rivals.cgi?request=1&team_id=CLE&opp_id=NYK&is_playoffs=Y Team Rivalry Finder — Cleveland Cavaliers versus New York Knicks (Playoffs) basketball-reference.com June 3, 2015New York leads 2–0 in all-time playoff series#fff 1978 Cleveland Cavaliers 0 New York Knicks 2 1978 Eastern Conference First Round #fff 1995 Cleveland Cavaliers 1 New York Knicks 3 1995 Eastern Conference First Round This is the most recent playoff series between the Knicks & Cavaliers until 2023. Western Conference first round (1) Seattle SuperSonics vs. (8) Sacramento Kings #eee April 26 10:30 PM Boxscore Sacramento Kings 85 Seattle SuperSonics 97 13–24 25–27 26–24 21–22 Mitch Richmond 18 Olden Polynice 9 Mitch Richmond 4 Gary Payton 29 Ervin Johnson 10 Gary Payton 9 KeyArena, Seattle, Washington 17,072 Hue Hollins, Jack Nies, Tommy Nunez Sr. TNT Seattle leads series, 1–0 April 28 9:00 PM Boxscore Sacramento Kings 90 Seattle SuperSonics 81 22–23 21–26 22–18 25–14 Mitch Richmond 37 Olden Polynice 16 Owens, Marciulionis 5 each Shawn Kemp 21 Shawn Kemp 8 Gary Payton 7 KeyArena, Seattle, Washington 17,072 Bob Delaney, Jess Kersey, Derrick Stafford TNT Series tied, 1–1 #eee April 30 10:30 PM Boxscore Seattle SuperSonics 96 Sacramento Kings 89 26–28 22–22 16–23 32–16 Sam Perkins 17 Shawn Kemp 9 Gary Payton 7 Mitch Richmond 24 Olden Polynice 14 Billy Owens 6 ARCO Arena, Sacramento, California 17,317 Dan Crawford, Joe Forte, Greg Willard TNT Seattle leads series, 2–1 May 2 10:30 PM Boxscore Seattle SuperSonics 101 Sacramento Kings 87 25–22 25–26 27–21 24–18 Gary Payton 29 Detlef Schrempf 10 Detlef Schrempf 9 Lionel Simmons 24 Polynice, Smith 9 each Lionel Simmons 3 ARCO Arena, Sacramento, California 17,317 Ron Garretson, Steve Javie, Eddie F. Rush TBS Seattle wins series, 3–1 +Regular-season seriesSeattle won 4–0 in the regular-season series#fff December 8, 1995 1995 12080 SAC Seattle SuperSonics 120 Sacramento Kings 103 ARCO Arena, Sacramento, California February 24, 1996 1996 02240 SEA Sacramento Kings 91 Seattle SuperSonics 104 KeyArena, Seattle #fff March 24, 1996 1996 03240 SAC Seattle SuperSonics 112 Sacramento Kings 110 ARCO Arena, Sacramento, California April 10, 1996 1996 04100 SEA Sacramento Kings 89 Seattle SuperSonics 108 KeyArena, Seattle This was the first playoff meeting between the Kings and the SuperSonics.https://www.basketball-reference.com/play-index/rivals.cgi?request=1&team_id=OKC&opp_id=SAC&is_playoffs=Y Team Rivalry Finder — Oklahoma City Thunder versus Sacramento Kings (Playoffs) basketball-reference.com June 3, 2015 (2) San Antonio Spurs vs. (7) Phoenix Suns #eee April 26 8:00 PM Boxscore Phoenix Suns 98 San Antonio Spurs 120 26–28 18–30 29–37 25–25 Charles Barkley 26 Charles Barkley 12 Kevin Johnson 11 Vinny Del Negro 29 Will Perdue 9 Avery Johnson 18 Alamodome, San Antonio, Texas 16,545 Nolan Fine, Jess Kersey, Eddie F. Rush TNT San Antonio leads series, 1–0 April 28 3:00 PM Boxscore Phoenix Suns 105 San Antonio Spurs 110 25–23 34–36 25–26 21–25 Charles Barkley 30 Charles Barkley 20 Kevin Johnson 16 David Robinson 40 David Robinson 21 Avery Johnson 15 Alamodome, San Antonio, Texas 19,507 Hue Hollins, Ed Middleton, Don Vaden NBC San Antonio leads series, 2–0 #eee May 1 10:30 PM Boxscore San Antonio Spurs 93 Phoenix Suns 94 26–23 28–29 17–24 22–18 David Robinson 22 Will Perdue 9 Vinny Del Negro 8 Charles Barkley 25 Charles Barkley 13 Kevin Johnson 8 America West Arena, Phoenix, Arizona 19,023 Bob Delaney, Ed T. Rush, Greg Willard TNT San Antonio leads series, 2–1 May 3 9:00 PM Boxscore San Antonio Spurs 116 Phoenix Suns 98 28–26 24–25 33–18 31–29 David Robinson 30 David Robinson 13 Avery Johnson 13 Charles Barkley 21 Charles Barkley 9 Kevin Johnson 8 America West Arena, Phoenix, Arizona 19,023 Hugh Evans, Bernie Fryer, Bennett Salvatore TNT San Antonio wins series, 3–1 +Regular-season seriesSan Antonio won 3–1 in the regular-season series#fff December 2, 1995 1995 12020 SAS Phoenix Suns 93 San Antonio Spurs 101 Alamodome, San Antonio December 25, 1995 1995 12250 PHO San Antonio Spurs 105 Phoenix Suns 100 America West Arena, Phoenix, Arizona #fff March 31, 1996 1996 03310 SAS Phoenix Suns 83 San Antonio Spurs 97 Alamodome, San Antonio April 2, 1996 1996 04020 PHO San Antonio Spurs 104 Phoenix Suns 111 America West Arena, Phoenix, Arizona This was the third playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Suns winning the first two meetings. +Previous playoff serieshttps://www.basketball-reference.com/play-index/rivals.cgi?request=1&team_id=PHO&opp_id=SAS&is_playoffs=Y Team Rivalry Finder — Phoenix Suns versus San Antonio Spurs (Playoffs) basketball-reference.com June 3, 2015 Phoenix leads 2–0 in all-time playoff series#fff 1992 Phoenix Suns 3 San Antonio Spurs 0 1992 Western Conference First Round #fff 1993 Phoenix Suns 4 San Antonio Spurs 2 1993 Western Conference Semifinals (3) Utah Jazz vs. (6) Portland Trail Blazers #eee April 25 9:30 PM Boxscore Portland Trail Blazers 102 Utah Jazz 110 26–30 30–14 25–29 21–37 Rod Strickland 27 Chris Dudley 10 Rod Strickland 12 Karl Malone 33 Karl Malone 9 John Stockton 23 Delta Center, Salt Lake City, Utah 19,614 Terry Durham, Hugh Evans, Bernie Fryer TBS Utah leads series, 1–0 April 27 10:30 PM Boxscore Portland Trail Blazers 90 Utah Jazz 105 27–30 23–20 28–27 12–28 Arvydas Sabonis 26 Arvydas Sabonis 12 Rod Strickland 7 Karl Malone 30 Karl Malone 14 John Stockton 16 Delta Center, Salt Lake City, Utah 19,911 Dick Bavetta, Ken Mauer, Ronnie Nunn TNT Utah leads series, 2–0 #eee April 29 10:30 PM Boxscore Utah Jazz 91 Portland Trail Blazers 94 17–11 14–26 28–26 24–20 8–11 Karl Malone 35 David Benoit 11 John Stockton 11 Arvydas Sabonis 27 Arvydas Sabonis 12 Rod Strickland 8 Rose Garden, Portland, Oregon 21,401 Bob Delaney, Jess Kersey, Derrick Stafford TNT Utah leads series, 2–1 May 1 9:30 PM Boxscore Utah Jazz 90 Portland Trail Blazers 98 17–27 23–27 24–20 26–24 Jeff Hornacek 30 Malone, Morris 6 each John Stockton 11 Rod Strickland 27 Arvydas Sabonis 13 Rod Strickland 7 Rose Garden, Portland, Oregon 21,401 Dan Crawford, Joe DeRosa, Joe Forte TNT Series tied, 2–2 #eee May 5 3:00 PM Boxscore Portland Trail Blazers 64 Utah Jazz 102 12–18 12–28 14–24 26–32 Arvydas Sabonis 14 Arvydas Sabonis 8 Rod Strickland 8 Karl Malone 25 Karl Malone 10 John Stockton 11 Delta Center, Salt Lake City, Utah 19,682 Ron Garretson, Steve Javie, Ed T. Rush NBC Utah wins series, 3–2 +Regular-season seriesUtah won 3–1 in the regular-season series#fff November 5, 1995 1995 11050 POR Utah Jazz 105 Portland Trail Blazers 109 Rose Garden Arena, Portland, Oregon December 26, 1995 1995 12260 UTA Portland Trail Blazers 104 Utah Jazz 114 Delta Center, Salt Lake City #fff January 23, 1996 1996 01230 UTA Portland Trail Blazers 72 Utah Jazz 96 Delta Center, Salt Lake City January 31, 1996 1996 01310 POR Utah Jazz 98 Portland Trail Blazers 94 Rose Garden Arena, Portland, Oregon This was the fourth playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Trail Blazers winning two of the first three meetings. +Previous playoff serieshttps://www.basketball-reference.com/play-index/rivals.cgi?request=1&team_id=POR&opp_id=UTA&is_playoffs=Y Team Rivalry Finder — Portland Trail Blazers versus Utah Jazz (Playoffs) basketball-reference.com June 3, 2015Portland leads 2–1 in all-time playoff series#fff 1988 Portland Trail Blazers 1 Utah Jazz 3 1988 Western Conference First Round #fff 1991 Portland Trail Blazers 4 Utah Jazz 1 1991 Western Conference Semifinals #fff 1992 Portland Trail Blazers 4 Utah Jazz 2 1992 Western Conference Finals (4) Los Angeles Lakers vs. (5) Houston Rockets #eee April 25 10:30 PM Boxscore Houston Rockets 87 Los Angeles Lakers 83 21–22 19–17 25–27 22–17 Hakeem Olajuwon 33 Olajuwon, Horry 8 each Drexler, Smith 4 each Cedric Ceballos 22 Cedric Ceballos 12 Nick Van Exel 8 Great Western Forum, Inglewood, California 17,505 Dick Bavetta, Ken Mauer, Ronnie Nunn TNT Houston leads series, 1–0 April 27 3:30 PM Boxscore Houston Rockets 94 Los Angeles Lakers 104 11–24 31–25 27–25 25–30 Sam Cassell 22 Horry, Olajuwon 7 each Sam Cassell 8 Magic Johnson 26 Vlade Divac 12 Magic Johnson 5 Great Western Forum, Inglewood, California 17,505 Terry Durham, Hugh Evans, Bernie Fryer NBC Series tied, 1–1 #eee April 30 9:00 PM Boxscore Los Angeles Lakers 98 Houston Rockets 104 28–34 27–22 20–24 23–24 Elden Campbell 18 Elden Campbell 10 Magic Johnson 13 Hakeem Olajuwon 30 Robert Horry 10 Clyde Drexler 11 The Summit, Houston, Texas 16,285 Steve Javie, Eddie F. Rush, Don Vaden TBS Houston leads series, 2–1 May 2 9:30 PM Boxscore Los Angeles Lakers 94 Houston Rockets 102 29–35 22–23 25–25 18–19 Cedric Ceballos 25 Cedric Ceballos 12 Nick Van Exel 11 Hakeem Olajuwon 25 Hakeem Olajuwon 11 Olajuwon, Drexler 7 each The Summit, Houston, Texas 16,285 Jim Clark, Jess Kersey, Ed Middleton TNT Houston wins series, 3–1 Game 4 is Magic Johnson's final NBA game. +Regular-season seriesHouston won 3–1 in the regular-season series#fff December 6, 1995 1995 12060 HOU Los Angeles Lakers 99 Houston Rockets 112 The Summit, Houston January 12, 1996 1996 01120 LAL Houston Rockets 100 Los Angeles Lakers 101 Great Western Forum, Inglewood, California #fff February 24, 1996 1996 02240 HOU Los Angeles Lakers 94 Houston Rockets 96 The Summit, Houston March 3, 1996 1996 03030 LAL Houston Rockets 111 Los Angeles Lakers 107 Great Western Forum, Inglewood, California This was the fifth playoff meeting between these two teams, with each team winning two series apiece. +Previous playoff serieshttps://www.basketball-reference.com/play-index/rivals.cgi?request=1&team_id=HOU&opp_id=LAL&is_playoffs=Y Team Rivalry Finder — Houston Rockets versus Los Angeles Lakers (Playoffs) basketball-reference.com June 3, 2015Tied 2–2 in all-time playoff series#fff 1981 Houston Rockets 2 Los Angeles Lakers 1 1981 Western Conference First Round #fff 1986 Houston Rockets 4 Los Angeles Lakers 1 1986 Western Conference Finals #fff 1990 Houston Rockets 1 Los Angeles Lakers 3 1990 Western Conference First Round #fff 1991 Houston Rockets 0 Los Angeles Lakers 3 1991 Western Conference First Round Conference semifinals Eastern Conference semifinals (1) Chicago Bulls vs. (5) New York Knicks #eee May 5 5:30 PM Boxscore New York Knicks 84 Chicago Bulls 91 17–25 30–29 22–19 15–18 Patrick Ewing 21 Patrick Ewing 16 Derek Harper 5 Michael Jordan 44 Dennis Rodman 12 Scottie Pippen 7 United Center, Chicago, Illinois 24,394 Joe Crawford, Eddie F. Rush, Don Vaden NBC Chicago leads series, 1–0 May 7 9:30 PM Boxscore New York Knicks 80 Chicago Bulls 91 19–22 22–20 18–19 21–30 Patrick Ewing 23 Charles Oakley 11 Derek Harper 5 Michael Jordan 28 Dennis Rodman 19 Scottie Pippen 6 United Center, Chicago, Illinois 24,328 Bernie Fryer, Jess Kersey, Jack Nies TNT Chicago leads series, 2–0 #eee May 11 1:00 PM Boxscore Chicago Bulls 99 New York Knicks 102 17–25 21–18 20–19 30–26 11–14 Michael Jordan 46 Dennis Rodman 16 Scottie Pippen 6 John Starks 30 Oakley, Ewing 13 each John Starks 6 Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York 19,763 Joe DeRosa, Hue Hollins, Ed T. Rush NBC Chicago leads series, 2–1 Down by 8 late in the 4th quarter, Michael Jordan leads the Bulls on a personal 8–0 run including hitting the game-tying 3 with 19.4 seconds left to force OT May 12 5:30 PM Boxscore Chicago Bulls 94 New York Knicks 91 24–28 27–22 26–18 17–23 Michael Jordan 27 Dennis Rodman 19 Michael Jordan 8 Patrick Ewing 29 Patrick Ewing 10 Derek Harper 5 Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York 19,763 Mike Mathis, Ed Middleton, Bill Oakes NBC Chicago leads series, 3–1 Bill Wennington hits the game-winner with 36.9 seconds left. #eee May 14 9:30 PM Boxscore New York Knicks 81 Chicago Bulls 94 18–18 18–24 23–26 22–26 Patrick Ewing 22 Charles Oakley 13 Derek Harper 6 Michael Jordan 35 Dennis Rodman 12 Jordan, R. Harper 5 each United Center, Chicago, Illinois 24,396 Dick Bavetta, Steve Javie, Ronnie Nunn TNT Chicago wins series, 4–1 +Regular-season seriesChicago won 3–1 in the regular-season series#fff December 6, 1995 1995 12060 CHI New York Knicks 94 Chicago Bulls 101 United Center, Chicago, Illinois January 23, 1996 1996 01230 NYK Chicago Bulls 99 New York Knicks 79 Madison Square Garden, New York City #fff March 10, 1996 1996 03100 NYK Chicago Bulls 72 New York Knicks 104 Madison Square Garden, New York City March 21, 1996 1996 03210 CHI New York Knicks 86 Chicago Bulls 107 United Center, Chicago, Illinois This was the seventh playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Bulls winning five of the first six meetings. +Previous playoff serieshttps://www.basketball-reference.com/play-index/rivals.cgi?request=1&team_id=CHI&opp_id=NYK&is_playoffs=Y Team Rivalry Finder — Chicago Bulls versus New York Knicks (Playoffs) basketball-reference.com June 3, 2015Chicago leads 5–1 in all-time playoff series#fff 1981 Chicago Bulls 2 New York Knicks 0 1981 Eastern Conference First Round #fff 1989 Chicago Bulls 4 New York Knicks 2 1989 Eastern Conference Semifinals #fff 1991 Chicago Bulls 3 New York Knicks 0 1991 Eastern Conference First Round #fff 1992 Chicago Bulls 4 New York Knicks 3 1992 Eastern Conference Semifinals #fff 1993 Chicago Bulls 4 New York Knicks 2 1993 Eastern Conference Finals #fff 1994 Chicago Bulls 3 New York Knicks 4 1994 Eastern Conference Semifinals (2) Orlando Magic vs. (6) Atlanta Hawks #eee May 8 8:00 PM Boxscore Atlanta Hawks 105 Orlando Magic 117 24–29 32–33 24–30 25–25 Stacey Augmon 23 Alan Henderson 8 Steve Smith 9 Shaquille O'Neal 41 Shaquille O'Neal 13 O'Neal, Hardaway 6 each Orlando Arena, Orlando, Florida 17,248 Joe Crawford, Ronnie Nunn, Bennett Salvatore TNT Orlando leads series, 1–0 May 10 7:00 PM Boxscore Atlanta Hawks 94 Orlando Magic 120 19–36 27–31 20–22 28–31 Mookie Blaylock 25 Christian Laettner 6 Steve Smith 5 Shaquille O'Neal 28 Horace Grant 11 Penny Hardaway 7 Orlando Arena, Orlando, Florida 17,248 Hugh Evans, Joe Forte, Don Vaden TNT Orlando leads series, 2–0 #eee May 12 12:30 PM Boxscore Orlando Magic 103 Atlanta Hawks 96 31–30 23–21 28–31 21–14 Shaquille O'Neal 24 Shaquille O'Neal 12 Penny Hardaway 6 Christian Laettner 26 Grant Long 13 Mookie Blaylock 8 Omni Coliseum, Atlanta, Georgia 15,476 Dick Bavetta, Steve Javie, Jack Nies NBC Orlando leads series, 3–0 May 13 8:00 PM Boxscore Orlando Magic 99 Atlanta Hawks 104 29–44 18–23 36–15 16–22 Grant, Hardaway 29 each Horace Grant 20 Penny Hardaway 11 Steve Smith 35 Grant Long 7 Mookie Blaylock 11 Omni Coliseum, Atlanta, Georgia 12,645 Dan Crawford, Joe DeRosa, Ed T. Rush TNT Orlando leads series, 3–1 #eee May 15 8:00 PM Boxscore Atlanta Hawks 88 Orlando Magic 96 20–22 27–30 26–25 15–19 Grant Long 24 Grant Long 13 Mookie Blaylock 7 Shaquille O'Neal 27 Shaquille O'Neal 15 O'Neal, Scott 4 each Orlando Arena, Orlando, Florida 17,248 Bob Delaney, Hue Hollins, Mike Mathis TNT Orlando wins series, 4–1 +Regular-season seriesTied 2–2 in the regular-season series#fff November 4, 1995 1995 11040 ATL Orlando Magic 91 Atlanta Hawks 124 The Omni, Atlanta January 26, 1996 1996 01260 ATL Orlando Magic 84 Atlanta Hawks 96 The Omni, Atlanta #fff February 2, 1996 1996 02020 ORL Atlanta Hawks 95 Orlando Magic 108 Orlando Arena, Orlando, Florida April 18, 1996 1996 04180 ORL Atlanta Hawks 104 Orlando Magic 119 Orlando Arena, Orlando, Florida This was the first playoff meeting between the Hawks and the Magic.https://www.basketball-reference.com/play-index/rivals.cgi?request=1&team_id=ATL&opp_id=ORL&is_playoffs=Y Team Rivalry Finder — Atlanta Hawks versus Orlando Magic (Playoffs) basketball-reference.com June 3, 2015 Western Conference semifinals (1) Seattle SuperSonics vs. (5) Houston Rockets #eee May 4 3:30 PM Boxscore Houston Rockets 75 Seattle SuperSonics 108 28–29 16–15 15–29 16–35 Robert Horry 18 Clyde Drexler 9 Kenny Smith 5 Gary Payton 28 Shawn Kemp 12 Gary Payton 7 KeyArena, Seattle, Washington 17,072 Terry Durham, Mike Mathis, Ronnie Nunn NBC Seattle leads series, 1–0 May 6 9:00 PM Boxscore Houston Rockets 101 Seattle SuperSonics 105 19–22 32–27 31–31 19–25 Clyde Drexler 19 Hakeem Olajuwon 16 Kenny Smith 7 Detlef Schrempf 21 Schrempf, Kemp 10 each Schrempf, Payton 5 each KeyArena, Seattle, Washington 17,072 Hugh Evans, Paul Mihalak, Bill Oakes TNT Seattle leads series, 2–0 #eee May 10 9:30 PM Boxscore Seattle SuperSonics 115 Houston Rockets 112 28–37 34–29 28–18 25–28 Gary Payton 28 Shawn Kemp 18 Gary Payton 8 Clyde Drexler 28 Hakeem Olajuwon 13 Kenny Smith 11 The Summit, Houston, Texas 16,285 Dick Bavetta, Steve Javie, Eddie F. Rush TNT Seattle leads series, 3–0 May 12 3:00 PM Boxscore Seattle SuperSonics 114 Houston Rockets 107 26–18 31–25 26–23 18–35 13–6 Shawn Kemp 32 Shawn Kemp 15 Gary Payton 11 Hakeem Olajuwon 26 Clyde Drexler 15 Drexler, Cassell 6 each The Summit, Houston, Texas 16,611 Joe Crawford, Bernie Fryer, Ron Garretson NBC Seattle wins series, 4–0 +Regular-season seriesSeattle won 4–0 in the regular-season series#fff February 3, 1996 1996 02030 HOU Seattle SuperSonics 104 Houston Rockets 103 The Summit, Houston February 6, 1996 1996 02060 SEA Houston Rockets 94 Seattle SuperSonics 99 KeyArena, Seattle #fff April 3, 1996 1996 04030 SEA Houston Rockets 103 Seattle SuperSonics 118 KeyArena, Seattle April 15, 1996 1996 04150 HOU Seattle SuperSonics 112 Houston Rockets 106 The Summit, Houston This was the fifth playoff meeting between these two teams, with the SuperSonics winning the first four meetings. The SuperSonics defeated the two-time defending NBA champion Rockets to return to the Western Conference Finals for the second time in four years. +Previous playoff serieshttps://www.basketball-reference.com/play-index/rivals.cgi?request=1&team_id=HOU&opp_id=OKC&is_playoffs=Y Team Rivalry Finder — Houston Rockets versus Oklahoma City Thunder (Playoffs) basketball-reference.com June 3, 2015Seattle leads 4–0 in all-time playoff series#fff 1982 Houston Rockets 1 Seattle SuperSonics 2 1982 Western Conference First Round #fff 1987 Houston Rockets 2 Seattle SuperSonics 4 1987 Western Conference Semifinals #fff 1989 Houston Rockets 0 Seattle SuperSonics 3 1989 Western Conference First Round #fff 1993 Houston Rockets 3 Seattle SuperSonics 4 1993 Western Conference Semifinals (2) San Antonio Spurs vs. (3) Utah Jazz #eee May 7 7:00 PM Boxscore Utah Jazz 95 San Antonio Spurs 75 29–18 17–23 28–20 21–14 Karl Malone 23 Karl Malone 7 John Stockton 19 David Robinson 29 Will Perdue 7 Avery Johnson 5 Alamodome, San Antonio, Texas 15,112 Dick Bavetta, Dan Crawford, Derrick Stafford TNT Utah leads series, 1–0 May 9 8:00 PM Boxscore Utah Jazz 77 San Antonio Spurs 88 9–25 29–11 16–27 23–25 Karl Malone 24 Malone, Ostertag 8 each John Stockton 13 David Robinson 24 David Robinson 12 Avery Johnson 10 Alamodome, San Antonio, Texas 18,635 Hue Hollins, Mike Mathis, Ron Olesiak TNT Series tied, 1–1 #eee May 11 3:30 PM Boxscore San Antonio Spurs 75 Utah Jazz 105 20–32 22–19 16–32 17–22 Sean Elliott 17 David Robinson 9 Avery Johnson 10 Karl Malone 32 Karl Malone 11 John Stockton 7 Delta Center, Salt Lake City, Utah 19,911 Terry Durham, Jess Kersey, Bennett Salvatore NBC Utah leads series, 2–1 May 12 8:30 PM Boxscore San Antonio Spurs 86 Utah Jazz 101 20–24 22–29 32–30 12–18 Sean Elliott 22 Chuck Person 6 Avery Johnson 8 Chris Morris 25 Adam Keefe 7 John Stockton 10 Delta Center, Salt Lake City, Utah 19,911 Bob Delaney, Hugh Evans, Joe Forte TNT Utah leads series, 3–1 #eee May 14 9:00 PM Boxscore Utah Jazz 87 San Antonio Spurs 98 16–26 19–19 18–23 34–30 Karl Malone 24 Karl Malone 12 John Stockton 8 David Robinson 24 David Robinson 15 Sean Elliott 8 Alamodome, San Antonio, Texas 34,215 Joe Crawford, Ron Garretson, Bill Oakes TBS Utah leads series, 3–2 May 16 9:00 PM Boxscore San Antonio Spurs 81 Utah Jazz 108 17–22 21–29 23–27 20–30 Del Negro, Robinson 17 each David Robinson 8 Avery Johnson 8 Karl Malone 25 Karl Malone 13 John Stockton 13 Delta Center, Salt Lake City, Utah 19,911 Steve Javie, Jack Nies, Ed T. Rush TNT Utah wins series, 4–2 +Regular-season seriesSan Antonio won 3–1 in the regular-season series#fff January 3, 1996 1996 01030 SAS Utah Jazz 97 San Antonio Spurs 111 Alamodome, San Antonio January 12, 1996 1996 01120 UTA San Antonio Spurs 101 Utah Jazz 94 Delta Center, Salt Lake City #fff February 13, 1996 1996 02130 SAS Utah Jazz 114 San Antonio Spurs 111 Alamodome, San Antonio April 8, 1996 1996 04080 UTA San Antonio Spurs 92 Utah Jazz 91 Delta Center, Salt Lake City This was the second playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Jazz winning the first meeting. +Previous playoff serieshttps://www.basketball-reference.com/play-index/rivals.cgi?request=1&team_id=SAS&opp_id=UTA&is_playoffs=Y Team Rivalry Finder — San Antonio Spurs versus Utah Jazz (Playoffs) basketball-reference.com June 3, 2015Utah leads 1–0 in all-time playoff series#fff 1994 San Antonio Spurs 1 Utah Jazz 3 1994 Western Conference First Round Conference finals Eastern Conference finals (1) Chicago Bulls vs. (2) Orlando Magic #eee May 19 3:30 PM Boxscore Orlando Magic 83 Chicago Bulls 121 19–32 26–23 14–26 24–40 Penny Hardaway 38 Shaquille O'Neal 6 Shaquille O'Neal 6 Michael Jordan 21 Dennis Rodman 21 Toni Kukoč 10 United Center, Chicago, Illinois 24,411 Hugh Evans, Ron Garretson, Bennett Salvatore NBC Chicago leads series, 1–0 May 21 8:30 PM Boxscore Orlando Magic 88 Chicago Bulls 93 23–20 30–18 16–29 19–26 Shaquille O'Neal 36 Shaquille O'Neal 16 Brian Shaw 6 Michael Jordan 35 Dennis Rodman 12 Scottie Pippen 9 United Center, Chicago, Illinois 24,395 Joe Crawford, Ed Middleton, Bill Oakes TNT Chicago leads series, 2–0 Chicago overcame an 18-point deficit to win (64–46). #eee May 25 3:30 PM Boxscore Chicago Bulls 86 Orlando Magic 67 23–20 25–18 15–19 23–10 Scottie Pippen 27 Dennis Rodman 16 Scottie Pippen 7 Penny Hardaway 18 Shaquille O'Neal 12 O'Neal, Hardaway 3 each Orlando Arena, Orlando, Florida 17,248 Steve Javie, Eddie F. Rush, Ed T. Rush NBC Chicago leads series, 3–0 May 27 3:30 PM Boxscore Chicago Bulls 106 Orlando Magic 101 23–31 24–25 28–18 31–27 Michael Jordan 45 Dennis Rodman 14 Scottie Pippen 8 Hardaway, O'Neal 28 each Shaquille O'Neal 9 Penny Hardaway 8 Orlando Arena, Orlando, Florida 17,248 Dick Bavetta, Dan Crawford, Hue Hollins NBC Chicago wins series, 4–0 +Regular-season seriesChicago won 3–1 in the regular-season series#fff November 14, 1995 1995 11140 ORL Chicago Bulls 88 Orlando Magic 94 Orlando Arena, Orlando, Florida December 13, 1995 1995 12130 CHI Orlando Magic 103 Chicago Bulls 112 United Center, Chicago, Illinois #fff February 25, 1996 1996 02250 CHI Orlando Magic 91 Chicago Bulls 111 United Center, Chicago, Illinois April 7, 1996 1996 04070 ORL Chicago Bulls 90 Orlando Magic 86 Orlando Arena, Orlando, Florida This was the second playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Magic winning the first meeting. +Previous playoff serieshttps://www.basketball-reference.com/play-index/rivals.cgi?request=1&team_id=CHI&opp_id=ORL&is_playoffs=Y Team Rivalry Finder — Chicago Bulls versus Orlando Magic (Playoffs) basketball-reference.com June 3, 2015Orlando leads 1–0 in all-time playoff series#fff 1995 Chicago Bulls 2 Orlando Magic 4 1995 Eastern Conference Semifinals Western Conference finals (1) Seattle SuperSonics vs. (3) Utah Jazz The SuperSonics led the series 3–1 after an 88–86 victory at the Delta Center in Game 4. However, the Jazz shocked the Sonics in Seattle in Game 5 98-95 and would handily win Game 6 118–83, Seattle's worst playoff loss in team history. Game 7 was a close affair and the Sonics pulled away late to win 90-86 and advance to their first NBA Finals since 1979. #eee May 18 3:30 PM Boxscore Utah Jazz 72 Seattle SuperSonics 102 23–24 16–30 21–23 12–25 Karl Malone 21 Karl Malone 8 John Stockton 7 Payton, Kemp 21 each Shawn Kemp 11 Gary Payton 7 KeyArena, Seattle, Washington 17,072 Dick Bavetta, Dan Crawford, Eddie F. Rush NBC Seattle leads series, 1–0 May 20 9:00 PM Boxscore Utah Jazz 87 Seattle SuperSonics 91 22–17 20–25 31–23 14–26 Karl Malone 32 Karl Malone 13 John Stockton 7 Gary Payton 18 Nate McMillan 5 Gary Payton 8 KeyArena, Seattle, Washington 17,072 Joe Forte, Jess Kersey, Ronnie Nunn TNT Seattle leads series, 2–0 #eee May 24 9:00 PM Boxscore Seattle SuperSonics 76 Utah Jazz 96 27–24 20–27 18–21 11–24 Gary Payton 25 Payton, Hawkins 6 each Gary Payton 3 Malone, Hornacek 28 each Karl Malone 18 Jeff Hornacek 8 Delta Center, Salt Lake City, Utah 19,911 Hue Hollins, Mike Mathis, Jack Nies TNT Seattle leads series, 2–1 May 26 3:30 PM Boxscore Seattle SuperSonics 88 Utah Jazz 86 17–21 32–23 24–21 15–21 Gary Payton 19 Shawn Kemp 8 Gary Payton 6 Karl Malone 25 Karl Malone 12 Malone, Stockton 8 each Delta Center, Salt Lake City, Utah 19,911 Hugh Evans, Ron Garretson, Bennett Salvatore NBC Seattle leads series, 3–1 #eee May 28 9:00 PM Boxscore Utah Jazz 98 Seattle SuperSonics 95 17–26 35–23 19–22 19–19 8–5 Karl Malone 29 Karl Malone 15 John Stockton 6 Gary Payton 31 Shawn Kemp 13 Gary Payton 6 KeyArena, Seattle, Washington 17,072 Joe Crawford, Ed Middleton, Bill Oakes NBC Seattle leads series, 3–2 May 30 9:00 PM Boxscore Seattle SuperSonics 83 Utah Jazz 118 22–35 25–24 20–27 16–32 Shawn Kemp 26 Shawn Kemp 14 Gary Payton 7 Karl Malone 32 Karl Malone 10 John Stockton 12 Delta Center, Salt Lake City, Utah 19,911 Steve Javie, Jess Kersey, Ed T. Rush NBC Series tied, 3–3 #eee June 2 7:30 PM Boxscore Utah Jazz 86 Seattle SuperSonics 90 21–21 20–23 26–29 19–17 Malone, Stockton 22 each John Stockton 8 Malone, Stockton 7 each Shawn Kemp 26 Shawn Kemp 14 Gary Payton 5 KeyArena, Seattle, Washington 17,072 Dick Bavetta, Hugh Evans, Mike Mathis NBC Seattle wins series, 4–3 +Regular-season seriesSeattle won 3–1 in the regular-season series#fff November 3, 1995 1995 11030 UTA Seattle SuperSonics 94 Utah Jazz 112 Delta Center, Salt Lake City January 26, 1996 1996 01260 SEA Utah Jazz 93 Seattle SuperSonics 94 KeyArena, Seattle #fff March 30, 1996 1996 03300 SEA Utah Jazz 98 Seattle SuperSonics 100 KeyArena, Seattle April 2, 1996 1996 04020 UTA Seattle SuperSonics 100 Utah Jazz 91 Delta Center, Salt Lake City This was the third playoff meeting between these two teams, with each team winning one series apiece. +Previous playoff serieshttps://www.basketball-reference.com/play-index/rivals.cgi?request=1&team_id=OKC&opp_id=UTA&is_playoffs=Y Team Rivalry Finder — Oklahoma City Thunder versus Utah Jazz (Playoffs) basketball-reference.com June 3, 2015Tied 1–1 in all-time playoff series#fff 1992 Seattle SuperSonics 1 Utah Jazz 4 1992 Western Conference Semifinals #fff 1993 Seattle SuperSonics 3 Utah Jazz 2 1993 Western Conference First Round NBA Finals: (E1) Chicago Bulls vs. (W1) Seattle SuperSonics 1996 NBA Finals Seattle battled to a Game 6 after trailing 3–0 in the series, only the second team in NBA Finals history to do so (1951 New York Knicks forced a Game 7). #eee June 5 9:00 PM Boxscore Seattle SuperSonics 90 Chicago Bulls 107 18–24 30–29 29–26 13–28 Shawn Kemp 32 Gary Payton 10 Gary Payton 6 Michael Jordan 28 Dennis Rodman 13 Ron Harper 7 United Center, Chicago, Illinois 24,544 Dan Crawford, Joe Crawford, Bennett Salvatore NBC Chicago leads series, 1–0 June 7 9:00 PM Boxscore Seattle SuperSonics 88 Chicago Bulls 92 27–23 18–23 20–30 23–16 Shawn Kemp 29 Shawn Kemp 13 Payton, Schrempf 3 each Michael Jordan 29 Dennis Rodman 20 Michael Jordan 8 United Center, Chicago, Illinois 24,544 Hue Hollins, Jess Kersey, Ed T. Rush NBC Chicago leads series, 2–0 #eee June 9 7:30 PM Boxscore Chicago Bulls 108 Seattle SuperSonics 86 34–16 28–22 13–23 33–25 Michael Jordan 36 Dennis Rodman 10 Scottie Pippen 9 Detlef Schrempf 20 Payton, Brickowski 7 each Gary Payton 9 KeyArena, Seattle, Washington 17,072 Dick Bavetta, Hugh Evans, Steve Javie NBC Chicago leads series, 3–0 June 12 9:00 PM Boxscore Chicago Bulls 86 Seattle SuperSonics 107 21–25 11–28 31–31 23–23 Michael Jordan 23 Dennis Rodman 14 Scottie Pippen 8 Shawn Kemp 25 Shawn Kemp 11 Gary Payton 11 KeyArena, Seattle, Washington 17,072 Joe Crawford, Mike Mathis, Bill Oakes NBC Chicago leads series, 3–1 #eee June 14 9:00 PM Boxscore Chicago Bulls 78 Seattle SuperSonics 89 18–18 24–25 18–19 18–27 Michael Jordan 26 Dennis Rodman 12 Scottie Pippen 5 Gary Payton 23 Shawn Kemp 10 Gary Payton 6 KeyArena, Seattle, Washington 17,072 Hue Hollins, Jess Kersey, Ed T. Rush NBC Chicago leads series, 3–2 June 16 7:30 PM Boxscore Seattle SuperSonics 75 Chicago Bulls 87 18–24 20–21 20–22 17–20 Detlef Schrempf 23 Shawn Kemp 14 Gary Payton 7 Michael Jordan 22 Dennis Rodman 19 Michael Jordan 7 United Center, Chicago, Illinois 24,544 Dick Bavetta, Hugh Evans, Steve Javie NBC Chicago wins series, 4–2 +Regular-season seriesTied 1–1 in the regular-season series#fff November 26, 1995 1995 11260 SEA Chicago Bulls 92 Seattle SuperSonics 97 KeyArena, Seattle January 10, 1996 1996 01100 CHI Seattle SuperSonics 87 Chicago Bulls 113 United Center, Chicago, Illinois This was the first playoff meeting between the Bulls and the SuperSonics.https://www.basketball-reference.com/play-index/rivals.cgi?request=1&team_id=CHI&opp_id=OKC&is_playoffs=Y Team Rivalry Finder — Chicago Bulls versus Oklahoma City Thunder (Playoffs) basketball-reference.com June 3, 2015 Statistical leaders Category Game high Average Player Team High Player Team Avg. GP Games played Points Michael Jordan Chicago Bulls 46 Michael Jordan Chicago Bulls 30.7 18 Rebounds Dennis RodmanDavid Robinson Chicago BullsSan Antonio Spurs 21 Dennis Rodman Chicago Bulls 13.7 18 Assists John Stockton Utah Jazz 23 John Stockton Utah Jazz 10.8 18 Steals Mookie Blaylock Atlanta Hawks 8 Clyde DrexlerRobert Horry Houston RocketsHouston Rockets 2.6 8 Blocks David RobinsonGreg OstertagShawn KempPatrick Ewing San Antonio SpursUtah JazzSeattle SuperSonicsNew York Knicks 5 Patrick Ewing New York Knicks 3.1 8 References External links Basketball-Reference.com's 1996 Playoffs section Category:NBA playoffs Playoffs Category:Sports in Portland, Oregon fi:NBA-kausi 1995–1996#Pudotuspelit