The Knicks were featured prominently in episode six of the ESPN docuseries "The Last Dance," and we're expecting Starks and Patrick Ewing to be big focal points given the extensive series history between the two teams in the 90s.
Sorry, Carmelo. We know that the game-tying and subsequent game-winning three pointers that Melo hit against the Bulls in 2012 were some of the highest points of Knicks fans' in recent memory. But because "The Last Dance" has taken over the airwaves and provided basketball fans with much-needed sports entertainment, we're sticking to only the moments that occured during Michael Jordan's playing career.
I tried to incorporate an even amount of Knicks and Bulls moments... otherwise, the Jordan accomplishments may make the list look quite one-sided.
This list is ordered chronologically.
1982 National Championship: UNC vs. Georgetown
This is a little bit of a bonus inclusion, but I felt it necessary to throw it in here. Michael Jordan led the Tar Heels as a freshman -- with the help of James Worthy -- to a championship victory over fellow freshman Patrick Ewing's Hoyas in an epic clash. Jordan sunk the game-winning shot with around 16 ticks left to seal the game and forever link his and Ewing's legacies together throughout their NBA careers.
What's not remembered as well as Jordan's shot was just a horrendous turnover from Fred Brown. You can watch the game in its entirety below.
November 8, 1984: Jordan's MSG Debut
Thirty-three points is impressive under any circumstances, but they're especially impressive when they come in the seventh game of your career, on the biggest stage in the NBA and with some extra flair (check out the ~9:20 mark).
December 25, 1986: Ewing Shows Out On Christmas
Michael Jordan's 30-point outburst, which was accompanied by six steals, five assists, three rebounds and two blocks, wasn't enough to get the win over the Knicks, led by Patrick Ewing's 28 points and 17 rebounds. Though the Knicks were the underdogs, they pulled out the unlikely 86-85 victory to advance to 7-21 on the year.
Dave Corzine ripped down a missed MJ jumper and converted the putback opportunity, heading to the line to put the Bulls up by one with six seconds remaining. But it was Ewing's mid-air putback jumper as time expired that put ultimately put MSG into a frenzy and led New York to the improbable win.
April 8, 1988: The Virus Game
Not many players have a career game defined by an ailmet that they somehow persevered through to perform incredibly well. But Jordan's 47-point outburst against the Knicks in the 1988 Playoffs isn't even his most famous "ailment game" -- I can't believe that's actually a way to categorize MJ's performances -- because of the all-time "Flu Game" from 1997.
Nonetheless, this display against the Knicks was especially noteworthy as far as his series history against New York goes.
April 30, 1991: The Dunk (CHI)
There are quite a lot of dunks to choose from for Michael Jordan to officially declare his favorite. But His Airness told Sports Illustrated that this one took the cake.
Jordan over Ewing. That's it, that's the tweet. pic.twitter.com/fqjUxPx3dy
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) April 30, 2019May 25, 1993: The Dunk (NYK)
The pride of the Knicks' perspective of the rivalry during this time span, Starks is immortalized not only in New York history but in NBA history with his thunderous slam over Michael Jordan and Horace Grant.
26 years ago today, John Starks got both Horace Grant and MJ --"The Dunk" is one of the most iconic moments at the Garden. pic.twitter.com/ilTzlFJ6SF
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) May 25, 2019June 2, 1993: Charles Smith Can't Find The Basket
Yikes. This clip is indicative of the latter half of this series, as the Knicks 2-0 lead spiraled out of control as the Bulls escaped with a win.
1994 Eastern Conference Semifinals: Game 3 Brawl, Pippen's Dunk, Hollins' Foul Call, Kukoc's Game Winner, Knicks Victory
This series had it all... except for Michael Jordan. Jordan took a hiatus to play baseball in 1993-94, which undoubtedly helped the Knicks turn around their five-series postseason losing skid against the Bulls. The series was filled with drama and unforgettable moments. We won't go into detail on them all, but definitely help yourself to a deep dive and let the nostalgia flood in.
March 28, 1995: The Double Nickel
Jordan was only five games back from his year-long baseball hiatus when he reminded the Knicks just how thankful they were for his absence with two big fives in the scoreboard. He led the Bulls to a two-point victory by dropping 55 points and sealing the game with a great misdirection assist to Bill Wennington.
April 19, 1997: Comeback 103-101 Victory
This game marked the 150th regular season meeting between the Knicks and the Bulls and served as the perfect indicator of how the series looked up to that point. It was a back-and-forth game throughout the second half, though the Bulls were down double digits at halftime. But, when it was all said and done, Patrick Ewing and John Starks turned their game up a notch in the fourth and knotted the series history between these two storied franchises at 75 games apiece.
Did I miss any that particularly stood out to you? Let us know on Twitter!
