The 1989 NBA Finals
Game one of the Finals could not have started much worse for Chicago. Charles Barkley and Joe Dumars each picked up 2 early fouls and were forced to sit for extended periods of the first half. Magic Johnson had the Laker offence humming. Worthy and Kareem each had 10 by the end of the first period, as the Lakers led 34-21.
The Bulls dug deep in the second quarter. Moses Malone began to assert himself on offence, and John Paxson nailed two three pointers to cut LA’s lead to 45-41 when Barkley and Dumars returned to the game with five minutes remaining in the first half.
Barkley rebounded a Byron Scott miss, and took the ball the length of the court for a coast to coast slam. Magic hit a cutting Worthy for a layup. Dumars fed Malone for an inside basket, giving Big Mo 13 for the half. As the half closed, the Lakers still led 56-52, but their opportunity for a quick kill had passed.
Pat Riley made a tactical change in the early moments of the second half, benching AC Green in favour of Michael Cooper. He moved Worthy to power forward. Now Barkley would need to work much harder defensively. Worthy and Barkley duelled for control of the game in the third period. Worthy scored 11 in the quarter, Barkley 13. At the final break LA led 84-82.
Magic hit a three pointer to open the final term, then stole the ball from Reggie Lewis and scored again. Paxson buried a long two with Chicago’s shot clock expiring, and Magic hit Kareem for a layup.
Barkley grabbed an offensive rebound and scored, drawing a foul. He buried the bonus for his 25th point, The Lakers led 91-87 with eight minutes remaining.
Cooper missed an open three, and Lewis scored a quick basket for the Bulls. Magic found Cooper open again, this time the three dropped, 94-89. Malone was double teamed and Dumars buried an open jumper. Barkley then stole the ball from Worthy and raced the length of the floor, only to have Cooper reject him at the rim. Magic hit Worthy for a dunk and LA led 96-91.
For the next two minutes neither team would hit a field goal. With four minutes remaining, the Lakers still led, 97-93.
Barkley posted up Worthy, and was double teamed. Paxson hit an open three pointer, his fifth for the night. It was a one point game with just under four minutes remaining. Magic drove, and hit a shot over Dumars. Barkley missed a fifteen footer. Scott missed a jumper, and Malone grabbed the board.
The Bulls moved the ball around, and Lewis got free for a baseline jump shot. It rimmed out. Magic worked the clock down and fed Worthy in the post. Worthy scored over Barkley to make it 101-96 with 2:24 remaining on the clock. Ford called time out.
The Bulls needed a basket and Barkley delivered, muscling past Worthy and dunking over Kareem. The Lakers worked the ball and found Abdul-Jabbar, who missed a skyhook over Malone. Barkley grabbed the board and hit Lewis with the outlet pass. Lewis raced past Michael Cooper, but Byron Scott fouled him. Lewis hit both foul shots to make it 101-100 with 1:47 remaining.
Magic fed Worthy, who spun on Barkley and scored, drawing a foul. It was Barkley’s fifth. Worthy made the free throw for his 35th point. Dumars missed a runner and Kareem was fouled by Malone, his fifth. Kareem made them both. The Lakers led 106-101 with 1:11 left. Ford called his final timeout.
Coming out of the timeout, Lewis inbounded the ball to Barkley who isolated against Worthy. There was contact as he drove to the basket, and they both went to the floor. Referee Jake O’Donnell called Barkley for an offensive foul, his sixth. Barkley exploded. He threw the ball into the stands and cussed O’Donnell as he made his way to the bench. He could only watch helplessly as the Lakers closed out the game 112-104.
Worthy finished with 37 points and 8 rebounds. Magic controlled the game masterfully with 16 points and 14 assists. Barkley finished with 29 points, 11 rebounds and a $10,000 fine for his outburst. He stormed out of the building after the game, refusing to speak to reporters.
After the excitement of game one, game two was an anticlimax.
The Lakers were off to the races early, with Worthy and Byron Scott breaking loose for easy baskets. Pat Riley switched to his smaller, faster group early in the game and the Bulls couldn’t match the Laker’s speed. Charles Barkley suffered through one of the worst playoff games of his career, finishing with 14 points on 4/14 shooting. LA led 59-47 at half time.
The Lakers blew the game apart in the third term, opening a 27 point lead. Joe Dumars (27 points) and Moses Malone (25 points) tried to bring Chicago back into the contest, but it was too little too late. The Lakers would celebrate a 116-101 victory.
James Worthy (29 points), Byron Scott (24 points) and Orlando Woolridge (22 points) were all outstanding for the Lakers, and Magic Johnson again masterfully controlled the tempo of the game and finished with 17 assists.
Byron Scott spoke of the Laker’s confidence after the game. Barkley spoke of the Bull’s anger at the bad refereeing (in game one) and their own poor play in game two. He guaranteed a Bulls victory in game three.
Chris Ford worked the Bulls hard between games two and three. He told his team to play slower, more deliberately. With at Riley employing a lot of smaller line ups, using either Worthy or Woolridge as a 4man, the Bulls had the advantage inside. Now they needed to play to their strengths. Ford encouraged Joe Dumars to be more physical with Magic Johnson. The Bulls were tougher, everyone knew it. Now they needed to show it on the floor.
For an hour before the tipoff to game three, the Bull’s fans at Chicago Stadium chanted “Beat LA”. The game began with a bang. On the Laker’s opening possession, Charles Barkley knocked AC Green to the floor off the ball, and then committed a hard foul on Byron Scott as Scott drove to the hoop. The Bull’s leader had given notice; this game would be a war.
Dumars hounded Magic with reckless abandon early, worrying him into two uncharacteristic turnovers in a row. Each was capitalized on with Barkley and Reggie Lewis throwing down breakaway dunks. The Bulls jumped to a 14-5 lead.
The Lakers were finding it hard to score. Byron Scott couldn’t shake off John Paxson, and Worthy was running into double teams. Magic fed Kareem in the post for three straight baskets, but everything was a struggle for LA.
Riley switched to his smaller line up, and Barkley immediately took advantage. He began to post up against Worthy, scoring freely, and getting Worthy into foul trouble. Barkley had 19 points by half time, as Chicago led 53-45 at the main break. Kareem had 16 for the Lakers, and was keeping them afloat as Worthy and Scott struggled.
In the third period Byron Scott began to find some space. He scored 10 in the period, and the Lakers offence began to function better. Barkley drew two early fouls on AC Green, who had to sit with four personals. He then proceeded to abuse Frank Brickowski, scoring 13 points in the period.
The Lakers kept pace though. Forced by Chicago’s physical play to keep a bigger group on the floor, Pat Riley’s troops would have to rely on their offensive execution. Magic found Worthy for a pair of inside baskets, and Kareem continued to be a factor.
The Bulls led 79-72 heading into the last quarter.
The Lakers stepped up their defensive play to force Chicago into a pair of ugly turnovers, keying a 10-1 run to open the final period. Michael Cooper nailed a three pointer with 9:03 on the clock to give LA an 82-80 lead.
Barkley hit a jumper. Dumars stole the ball and Gene Banks scored. Worthy turned the ball over, and Dumars passed to Paxson, who calmly buried a three pointer. The Lakers couldn’t find a good look, but Magic Johnson hit a long three pointer as the shot clock expired. The Lakers trailed 87-85 with 7:22 remaining.
Malone rebounded a Dumars miss and was fouled. He hit one of two. Kareem was fouled, he hit both. Dumars fed Barkley in the post, and Barkley dunked over Brickowski. Dumars snatched the ball from Magic, leading to another Paxson three pointer. Magic scored on a drive, and added a free throw. Chicago led, 93-90 with just under six minutes to play.
Lewis missed an open shot. The Lakers turned the ball over again. Dumars nailed a seventeen footer as time expired to give the Bulls a 95-90 lead. Magic found Worthy, who was fouled and hit both. Barkley was doubled and passed behind his head to an open Moses Malone who was fouled, but still scored. He made the bonus. Byron Scott missed a three. Barkley lost the ball. Magic found Kareem for a layup. LA trailed 98-94 with 2:45 left.
The Lakers doubled Barkley on the left block. He passed to the open Lewis who buried a baseline jumper. Magic drove to the basket and scored, earning a three point play. The Bulls worked the ball around and found Lewis open again on the baseline. He missed. Magic rebounded and threw a quick outlet pass to AC Green who scored. The Bulls led, 100-99 with 1:48 left.
Dumars passed the ball to Malone who drew a foul on Kareem. Malone hit both shots. Magic raced down the court and sliced through the defence to score a brilliant driving layup. The Bulls work it to Barkley who was again double teamed. He passed to the open Lewis who scored to make it a 104-101 lead with 55 seconds remaining.
Magic Johnson came out of a timeout and drove straight to the hoop. Barkley and Malone clobbered him. He made both foul shots. Barkley got the ball on the baseline. He decided to go for broke, and drove past Green, dunking over Kareem. The crowd exploded. Pat Riley called timeout.
The Lakers had the ball, but they trailed 106-103 with 32 seconds remaining. Dumars denied Johnson the ball, and Worthy had to inbound to Green who was trapped in the corner. He passed to Scott who hit an open shot, 106-105. Chris Ford called timeout. There was 21 seconds remaining.
Lewis inbounded to Dumars. Dumars passed to Barkley. Barkley spun on Green and went to the basket, but Kareem jumped at him. Barkley left his feet, and at the last moment passed the ball past Kareem to the now open Malone. Malone dunked the ball to the delight of the Stadium crowd.
Pat Riley called his last timeout. The Lakers trailed 108-105, but they had 6.9 seconds to find a shot. The play was drawn up for Scott. Riley subbed out Green for Cooper to add another shooter.
Magic got the ball and drove to the hoop. Reggie Lewis leapt at him, leaving Cooper open in the corner. It was a perfect pass. Cooper took the shot to tie the game.
It rimmed out.
The Bulls had won, 108-105.
Barkley had been magnificent, bouncing back from his LA nightmare to lead all scorers with 40 points, and adding 13 rebounds. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar turned back the clock with a 32 point, 8 rebound performance, and Magic Johnson had 26 points, 6 rebounds and 9 assists. However, Magic also had 8 turnovers with Joe Dumars stepping up the intensity defensively Magic had found things much harder in Chicago.
Riley called the loss a “Wake up call”. The Lakers still led 2-1.
NEXT: The 1989 NBA Finals Continue
