3. 1998 – Chicago Bulls over Utah Jazz (4-2)
First things first, if you are someone who thinks John Stockton is overrated, go watch Game 1 of this series because he is excellent, controls the entire game, and ices the win with a floater at the end of overtime.
But you aren’t watching this series for John Stockton, you’re watching it because Game 6 is like hooking an IV filled with pure Michael Jordan nostalgia into your veins. It’s not just that MJ scores 45 points in a closeout game and hits the game-winner, it’s that he does it while the entire team is crumbling around him.
Scottie Pippen is in and out of the game with back issues and can barely move while he’s on the court, and Dennis Rodman is banged up the whole series. Given the circumstances, the stakes of the game, and his iconic shot, this is without a doubt the best game that Jordan ever played – and his last as a Chicago Bull.
A final note – Game 3 of this series is an all-time weird game. The Jazz scored 54 points in the entire game and it’s somehow interesting to watch them be so terrible that night. I can’t explain it.