Today's finals review profiles the 1998 NBA Finals between the Chicago Bulls and the Utah Jazz. Could the Jazz break through and win their first NBA title? Or would Michael Jordan and Co. end their spectacular run with their sixth NBA title in eight years? Let's find out!

In the 1997 NBA Finals, the Chicago Bulls and the Utah Jazz staged a tough battle for the NBA title. The series stretched to six games, and featured the expected moments (Michael Jordan's buzzer beater in game 1) to the classic (Jordan's flu game in game 5) to the unexpected (Steve Kerr hitting the game-winner in the deciding game 6). It may have been the toughest Finals the Bulls had ever been in. But the 1997-98 season held siginificance, because it was expected to be the Bulls' "Last Dance" as a unit; Jordan, Scottie Pippen, Dennis Rodman and coach Phil Jackson were all free agents after the season, and most expected some if not all to leave. Could the team of the 90s do it one more time?

The Jazz themselves had questions of their own; they had several mental breakdowns in their loss to the Bulls, and many wondered if the aging Jazz, in particular John Stockton and Karl Malone, could maintain their championship-caliber level. Those were just some of the questions that dominated the 1997-98 season.

The Bulls overcame an injury-plagued season from Pippen (he missed 38 games due to injury) and finished 62-20, their fifth 60-win season of the 1990s. Jordan won his third straight scoring title and tenth of his career (28.7 PPG) and won his fifth MVP, tying Bill Russell for second most all-time (behind Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's six). Jordan was All-NBA 1st Team and All-NBA 1st Team defense with Pippen. Rodman also won his seventh straight rebounding title (15 RPG). Meanwhile, the Jazz also finished 62-20 and won home court advantage by winning the season series with Chicago despite losing Stockton for 18 games with injury. Malone finished third in scoring (27 PPG) and Stockton fifth in assists (8.5 APG).

The Bulls' run to the title started off simple enough; they swept the New Jersey Nets 3 games to 0, then defeated the Charlotte Hornets 4 games to 1. But they got a serious scare from the Indiana Pacers in the conference finals. Buoyed by Reggie Miller and coached by former Celtics great (and 1998 Coach of the Year) Larry Bird, the Pacers extended the Bulls to seven games for only the second time during their run. In the end, a late-game collapse in game 7 allowed the Bulls to win 88-83 and advance to the Finals. The Jazz got an early scare from the Houston Rockets in round one, but won the series 3 games to 2, then stomped the San Antonio Spurs 4 games to 1, and dominated the Los Angeles Lakers in a four-game sweep to return to the Finals. For the first time, the Bulls faced a return opponent, and for only the second time, they didn't have the home court advantage.

Game 1 at the Delta Center in Utah saw both teams fire blanks early; Chicago shot only 37% in the first quarter and Utah 35% as the teams were tied at 17. Utah eventually pulled out to a five-point halftime lead as Stockton scored four straight to end the half. With Jazz coach Jerry Sloan using six different players to defend Jordan, the MVP struggled, shooting only 2 for 7 in the third. The Jazz eventually built a 75-68 lead with 4:02 left in regulation when Chicago went to work; they tied the game at 75, and eventually forced overtime with the score knotted at 79. There, Stockton dominated, scoring seven of the Jazz' nine points in the period as the Jazz won 88-83. Jordan and Pippen scored 54 of the Bulls' 83 points (only one other Bull, Luc Longley, scored in double figures) while Stockton (24 points and 8 assists) and Malone (21 points, 14 rebounds) led Utah. Game 2 saw Jordan, Pippen and Toni Kukoc carry the Bulls' offense; they shot 62 of the Bulls' 80 field goal attempts, and scored 71 of their points (though Kukoc didn't score in the second half after scoring 13 in the first). The Jazz were sloppy in the game; they turned over the ball 20 times (leading to 33 Bulls points) and gave up 18 offensive rebounds (five each to Kukoc and Rodman) leading to 19 second-chance points. Though Utah took a late 86-85 lead, Chicago recovered and took a 93-88 decision behind Jordan's 37 points. The series was now tied at one heading back to Chicago.

Game 3 was a disaster of epic proportions for Utah. The Bulls played suffocating defense held Utah to 17 points or fewer in every period. Pippen scored 10 points to lead Chicago in the first half, while only Malone had any touch for the Jazz. Utah trailed 59-31 at halftime, and things only got worse in the second half; they scored a paltry 23 total points after the half. With Jordan scoring an efficient 24 points and Kukoc 16, the Bulls won in a 96-54 rout. The 54 points remains a record-worst for any team in the Finals, and after Malone's 22 points, no other Jazz player scored better than 8 points (Shandon Anderson). Game 4 was more competitive; Chicago led 39-37 at halftime behind Pippen hitting three triples. Chicago led by seven early in the fourth period before Utah rallied behind Stockton to take a 70-69 lead. Eventually, Jordan and (most improbably) Rodman held off the Jazz; Jordan scored three baskets and Rodman hit four free throws to allow Chicago to win 86-82. The Bulls now stood just one win away from another title.

However, the Jazz didn't go quietly. Game 5 saw Chicago take a lead early in the first half, as Jordan and Kukoc led the way, before settling into a 36-30 halftime lead. However, Malone took over in the third quarter; he scored 17 of the Jazz' 29 points and forced Rodman and Longley to the bench with four fouls each. The Jazz led by four after three, then rode a strong performance by reserve Antoine Carr (eight points in the fourth) and Malone's 39 points to win 83-81. The series shifted back to Utah for game 6, and the Bulls came out firing to a 17-6 lead early, only to see Utah go on a 17-5 run to take a 25-22 lead. In the second, Pippen left the game with a back injury (the same injury that affected him during the season) and wasn't effective when he returned. Though Jordan scored 15 in the period. Malone was very effective in the first half with 20 points, leading the Jazz to a 49-45 halftime lead. But he was held to 11 points in the second half as Rodman played tough defense. Utah still led by three after the third quarter (depsite two controversial calls that may have swung the game; a Howard Eisley shot called no good despite beating the 24-second clock, and a Ron Harper shot called good after the buzzer) and led 86-85 late when Jordan (who scored 16 points in the fourth) pulled one more magic trick out of his sleeve; he stole the ball from Malone, took the ball down court, and after juking out Bryon Russell, drained a jumper with five seconds left, prompting NBC commentator Bob Costas to quip "That may have been the final shot Michael Jordan will ever take in the NBA". When Utah couldn't get off a desperation heave, the Bulls won 87-86 to take the series four games to two. Jordan capped off the series by winning his record sixth Finals MVP. After the series, as expected, the Bulls were dismantled; Jordan and coach Jackson retired, Pippen was signed and traded to Houston, and Rodman signed with the Lakers, ending the NBA's preeminent dynasty of the 1990s.

1998 NBA Finals Leaders: Scoring per game
Chicago: Jordan, 33.5 PPG; Pippen, 15.7 PPG; Kukoc, 15.5 PPG
Utah: Malone, 25.0 PPG; Jeff Hornacek, 10.7 PPG; Stockton, 9.7 PPG

1998 NBA Finals Leaders: Rebounds per game
Chicago: Rodman, 8.3 RPG; Pippen, 6.8 RPG; Longley, 4.8 RPG
Utah: Malone, 10.5 RPG; Russell, 5.0 RPG; Adam Keefe, 3.4 RPG

1998 NBA Finals Leaders: Assists per game
Chicago: Pippen, 4.8 APG; Ron Harper, 2.8 APG; Kukoc, 2.7 APG
Utah: Stockton, 8.7 APG; Malone and Howard Eisley, 3.8 APG; Hornacek, 2.7 APG