'The 1998
NBA Playoffs' was the postseason tournament of the
National Basketball Association's
1997-1998 season. The tournament concluded with the
Eastern Conference champion
Chicago Bulls winning their sixth championship of the decade by defeating the
Western Conference champion
Utah Jazz four games to two for the second straight year. The Bulls had also achieved an unprecedented second threepeat. The 1998 playoffs were the last involving the
Michael Jordan-led
Chicago Bulls (the Bulls would not return to the playoffs until 2005).
The
Indiana Pacers pushed the Bulls to the very limit in the Eastern Conference Finals, becoming one of only two teams to force Chicago to a Game 7 in the Bulls' championship years (the
New York Knicks achieved this in 1992). This Pacers team was later named by Pacers.com as the greatest Pacers team in franchise history, even better than the
2000 team that won the Eastern Conference championship.
Bracket
Playoff qualifying
Western Conference
Home Court Advantage
The
Utah Jazz and
Chicago Bulls tied for the best record in the NBA. However, the Jazz won the season series against the Bulls 2-0, which serves as a tiebreaker, and therefore Utah was awarded home court advantage throughout the entire playoffs.
Clinched a playoff berth
The following teams clinched a playoff berth in the West:
#
Utah Jazz (clinched Midwest division)
#
Seattle SuperSonics (clinched Pacific division)
#
Los Angeles Lakers
#
Phoenix Suns
#
San Antonio Spurs
#
Portland Trail Blazers
#
Minnesota Timberwolves
#
Houston Rockets
Eastern Conference
Best record in conference
The
Chicago Bulls clinched the best record in the Eastern Conference, and earned home court advantage throughout the entire Eastern Conference playoffs.
Clinched a playoff berth
The following teams clinched a playoff berth in the East:
#
Chicago Bulls (clinched Central division)
#
Miami Heat (clinched Atlantic division)
#
Indiana Pacers
#
Charlotte Hornets
#
Atlanta Hawks
#
Cleveland Cavaliers
#
New York Knicks
#
New Jersey Nets
Western Conference
Champion: '
Utah Jazz'
First Round
(1)
Utah Jazz vs. (8)
Houston Rockets
| Game | Date | Visitor | Score | Home | Score | Record(UTAH-HOU) | Venue | Box score | Television |
|---|
| 1 | April 23 | 'Houston' | '103' | Utah | 90 | 0-1 | Delta Center, Salt Lake City, Utah | 1 | TBS 9:30et |
| 2 | April 25 | Houston | 1 | 'Utah' | '0' | 1-1 | Delta Center, Salt Lake City, Utah | 2 | TNT 10:30et |
| 3 | April 29 | Utah | 85 | 'Houston' | '89' | 1-2 | The Summit, Houston, Texas | 3 | TBS 9:30et |
| 4 | May 1 | 'Utah' | '93' | Houston | 71 | 2-2 | The Summit, Houston, Texas | 4 | TNT 9:30et |
| 5 | May 3 | Houston | 70 | 'Utah' | '84' | 3-2 | Delta Center, Salt Lake City, Utah | 5 | NBC 3:00et |
Utah wins series 3–2
|
|---|
(4)
Phoenix Suns vs. (5)
San Antonio Spurs
| Game | Date | Visitor | Score | Home | Score | Record(PHO-SAS) | Venue | Box score | Television |
|---|
| 1 | April 23 | 'San Antonio' | '1102' | Phoenix | 96 | 0-1 | America West Arena, Phoenix, Arizona | 1 | TNT 10:30et |
| 2 | April 25 | San Antonio | 101 | 'Phoenix' | '108' | 1-1 | America West Arena, Phoenix, Arizona | 2 | NBC 3:30et |
| 3 | April 27 | Phoenix | 88 | 'San Antonio' | '100' | 1-2 | Alamodome, San Antonio, Texas | 3 | TNT 9:30et |
| 4 | April 29 | Phoenix | 80 | 'San Antonio' | '99' | 1-3 | Alamodome, bullropes, Texas | 4 | TBS 8:00et |
San Antonio wins series 3–1
|
|---|
(2)
Seattle SuperSonics vs. (7)
Minnesota Timberwolves
| Game | Date | Visitor | Score | Home | Score | Record(SEA-MIN) | Venue | Box score | Television |
|---|
| 1 | April 24 | Minnesota | 83 | 'Seattle' | '108' | 1-0 | KeyArena, Seattle, Washington | 1 | TBS 9:30et |
| 2 | April 26 | 'Minnesota' | '98' | Seattle | 93 | 1-1 | KeyArena, Seattle, Washington | 2 | TNT 9:00et |
| 3 | April 28 | Seattle | 90 | 'Minnesota' | '98' | 1-2 | Target Center, Minneapolis, Minnesota | 3 | TBS 9:30et |
| 4 | April 30 | 'Seattle' | '92' | Minnesota | 88 | 2-2 | Target Center, Minneapolis, Minnesota | 4 | TBS 9:30et |
| 5 | May 2 | Minnesota | 84 | 'Seattle' | '97' | 3-2 | KeyArena, Seattle, Washington | 5 | NBC 3:30et |
Seattle wins series 3–2
|
|---|
(3)
Los Angeles Lakers vs. (6)
Portland Trail Blazers
| Game | Date | Visitor | Score | Home | Score | Record(LAL-POR) | Venue | Box score | Television |
|---|
| 1 | April 24 | Portland | 102 | 'Los Angeles' | '104' | 1-0 | Great Western Forum, Los Angeles, California | 1 | TNT 10:30et |
| 2 | April 26 | Portland | 99 | 'Los Angeles' | '108' | 2-0 | Great Western Forum, Los Angeles, California | 2 | NBC 3:00et |
| 3 | April 28 | Los Angeles | 94 | 'Portland' | '99' | 2-1 | Rose Garden Arena, Portland, Oregon | 3 | TNT 10:30et |
| 4 | April 30 | 'Los Angeles' | '110' | Portland | 99 | 3-1 | Rose Garden Arena, Portland, Oregon | 4 | TNT 10:30et |
Los Angeles wins series 3–1
|
|---|
Conference Semifinals
(1)
Utah Jazz vs. (5)
San Antonio Spurs
| Game | Date | Visitor | Score | Home | Score | Record(UTAH-SAS) | Venue | Box score | Television |
|---|
| 1 | May 5 | San Antonio | 82 | 'Utah' | '83' | 1-0 | Delta Center, Salt Lake City, Utah | 1 | TNT 10:30et |
| 2 | May 7 | San Antonio | 106 | 'Utah' | '109' | 2-0 | Delta Center, Salt Lake City, Utah | 2 | TNT 10:30et |
| 3 | May 9 | Utah | 64 | 'San Antonio' | '86' | 2-1 | Alamodome, San Antonio, Texas | 3 | NBC 3:30et |
| 4 | May 10 | 'Utah' | '82' | San Antonio | 73 | 3-1 | Alamodome, San Antonio, Texas | 4 | TNT 9:00et |
| 5 | May 12 | San Antonio | 77 | 'Utah' | '87' | 4-1 | Delta Center, Salt Lake City, Utah | 5 | TNT 8:00et |
Utah wins series 4–1
|
|---|
(2)
Seattle SuperSonics vs. (3)
Los Angeles Lakers
| Game | Date | Visitor | Score | Home | Score | Record(SEA-LAL) | Venue | Box score | Television |
|---|
| 1 | May 4 | Los Angeles | 92 | 'Seattle' | '106' | 1-0 | KeyArena, Seattle, Washington | 1 | TNT 9:00et |
| 2 | May 6 | 'Los Angeles' | '92' | Seattle | 68 | 1-1 | KeyArena, Seattle, Washington | 2 | TNT 10:30et |
| 3 | May 8 | Seattle | 103 | 'Los Angeles' | '119' | 1-2 | Great Western Forum, Los Angeles, California | 3 | TNT 10:30et |
| 4 | May 10 | Seattle | 100 | 'Los Angeles' | '112' | 1-3 | Great Western Forum, Los Angeles, California | 4 | NBC 3:00et |
| 5 | May 12 | 'Los Angeles' | '110' | Seattle | 95 | 1-4 | KeyArena, Seattle, Washington | 5 | TNT 10:30et |
Los Angeles wins series 4–1
|
|---|
Conference Finals
(1)
Utah Jazz vs. (3)
Los Angeles Lakers
Eastern Conference
Champion: '
Chicago Bulls'
First Round
(1)
Chicago Bulls vs. (8)
New Jersey Nets
(4)
Charlotte Hornets vs. (5)
Atlanta Hawks
(2)
Miami Heat vs. (7)
New York Knicks
| Game | Date | Visitor | Score | Home | Score | Record(MIA-NYK) | Venue | Box score | Television |
|---|
| 1 | April 24 | New York | 79 | 'Miami' | '94' | 1-0 | Miami Arena, Miami, Florida | 1 | TBS 7:00et |
| 2 | April 26 | 'New York' | '96' | Miami | 86 | 1-1 | Miami Arena, Miami, Florida | 2 | NBC 12:30et |
| 3 | April 28 | 'Miami' | '91' | New York | 85 | 2-1 | Madison Square Garden, New York, New York | 3 | TBS 7:00et |
| 4 | April 30 | Miami | 85 | 'New York' | '90' | 2-2 | Madison Square Garden, New York, New York | 4 | TNT 8:00et |
| 5 | May 3 | 'New York' | '98' | Miami | 81 | 2-3 | Miami Arena, Miami, Florida | 5 | NBC 12:30et |
New York wins series 3–2
|
|---|
(3)
Indiana Pacers vs. (6)
Cleveland Cavaliers
| Game | Date | Visitor | Score | Home | Score | Record(IND-CLE) | Venue | Box score | Television |
|---|
| 1 | April 23 | Cleveland | 77 | 'Indiana' | '106' | 1-0 | Market Square Arena, Indianapolis, Indiana | 1 | TNT 8:00et |
| 2 | April 25 | Cleveland | 86 | 'Indiana' | '92' | 2-0 | Market Square Arena, Indianapolis, Indiana | 2 | NBC 1:00et |
| 3 | April 27 | Indiana | 77 | 'Cleveland' | '86' | 2-1 | Gund Arena, Cleveland, Ohio | 3 | TNT 7:00et |
| 4 | April 30 | 'Indiana' | '80' | Cleveland | 74 | 3-1 | Gund Arena, Cleveland, Ohio | 4 | TBS 7:00et |
Indiana wins series 3–1
|
|---|
Conference Semifinals
(1)
Chicago Bulls vs. (4)
Charlotte Hornets
| Game | Date | Visitor | Score | Home | Score | Record(CHI-CHA) | Venue | Box score | Television |
|---|
| 1 | May 3 | Charlotte | 70 | 'Chicago' | '83' | 1-0 | United Center, Chicago, Illinois | 1 | NBC 5:30et |
| 2 | May 6 | 'Charlotte' | '78' | Chicago | 76 | 1-1 | United Center, Chicago, Illinois | 2 | TNT 8:00et |
| 3 | May 8 | 'Chicago' | '103' | Charlotte | 89 | 2-1 | Charlotte Coliseum, Charlotte, North Carolina | 3 | TNT 8:00et |
| 4 | May 10 | 'Chicago' | '94' | Charlotte | 80 | 3-1 | Charlotte Coliseum, Charlotte, North Carolina | 4 | NBC 5:30et |
| 5 | May 13 | Charlotte | 84 | 'Chicago' | '93' | 4-1 | United Center, Chicago, Illinois | 5 | TNT 9:30et |
Chicago wins series 4–1
|
|---|
(3)
Indiana Pacers vs. (7)
New York Knicks
| Game | Date | Visitor | Score | Home | Score | Record(IND-NYK) | Venue | Box score | Television |
|---|
| 1 | May 5 | New York | 83 | 'Indiana' | '93' | 1-0 | Market Square Arena, Indianapolis, Indiana | 1 | TNT 8:00et |
| 2 | May 7 | New York | 77 | 'Indiana' | '85' | 2-0 | Market Square Arena, Indianapolis, Indiana | 2 | TNT 8:00et |
| 3 | May 9 | Indiana | 76 | 'New York' | '83' | 2-1 | Madison Square Garden, New York, New York | 3 | NBC 1:00et |
| 4 | May 10 | 'Indiana' | '118' | New York | 107 | 3-1 | Madison Square Garden, New York, New York | 4 | NBC 12:30et |
| 5 | May 13 | New York | 88 | 'Indiana' | '99' | 4-1 | Market Square Arena, Indianapolis, Indiana | 5 | TNT 7:00et |
Indiana wins series 4–1
|
|---|
Conference Finals
(1)
Chicago Bulls vs. (3)
Indiana Pacers
| Game | Date | Visitor | Score | Home | Score | Record(CHI-IND) | Venue | Box score | Television |
|---|
| 1 | May 17 | Indiana | 79 | 'Chicago' | '85' | 1-0 | United Center, Chicago, Illinois | 1 | NBC 3:30et |
| 2 | May 19 | Indiana | 98 | 'Chicago' | '104' | 2-0 | United Center, Chicago, Illinois | 2 | TNT 8:30et |
| 3 | May 23 | Chicago | 105 | 'Indiana' | '107' | 2-1 | Market Square Arena, Indianapolis, Indiana | 3 | NBC 3:30et |
| 4 | May 25 | Chicago | 94 | 'Indiana' | '96' | 2-2 | Market Square Arena, Indianapolis, Indiana | 4 | NBC 3:30et |
| 5 | May 27 | Indiana | 87 | 'Chicago' | '106' | 3-2 | United Center, Chicago, Illinois | 5 | NBC 9:00et |
| 6 | May 29 | Chicago | 89 | 'Indiana' | '92' | 3-3 | Market Square Arena, Indianapolis, Indiana | 6 | NBC 9:00et |
| 7 | May 31 | Indiana | 83 | 'Chicago' | '88' | 4-3 | United Center, Chicago, Illinois | 7 | NBC 7:00et |
Chicago wins series 4–3
|
|---|
NBA Finals
Chicago Bulls vs.
Utah Jazz
Main articles: 1998 NBA Finals
| Game | Date | Visitor | Score | Home | Score | Record(UTAH-CHI) | Venue | Box score | Television |
|---|
1
★ | June 54 | Chicago | 85 | 'Utah' | '88' | 1-0 | Delta Center, Salt Lake City, Utah | 1 | NBC 9:00et |
| 2 | June 5 | 'Chicago' | '93' | Utah | 88 | 1-1 | Delta Center, Salt Lake City, Utah | 2 | NBC 9:00et |
| 3 | June 7 | Utah | 54 | 'Chicago' | '96' | 1-2 | United Center, Chicago, Illinois | 3 | NBC 8:30et |
| 4 | June 10 | Utah | 82 | 'Chicago' | '86' | 1-3 | United Center, Chicago, Illinois | 4 | NBC 8:30et |
| 5 | June 12 | 'Utah' | '83' | Chicago | 81 | 2-3 | United Center, Chicago, Illinois | 5 | NBC 8:30et |
| 6 | June 14 | 'Chicago' | '87' | Utah | 86 | 2-4 | Delta Center, Salt Lake City, Utah | 6 | NBC 9:00et |
Chicago win NBA Championship series 4–2
|
|---|
External links
★
Basketball-Reference.com's 1998 Playoffs section
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