Pippen's Number 33 Retired | Interview: Greatest Teammate Gets His Due | Tribute to Scottie PippenAs Chicago prepared to retire Scottie Pippen’s number 33,
Bulls.com took a look at the legendary player’s greatest moments.
Bulls 97, Portland Trail Blazers 93
June 14, 1992 | NBA Finals, Game Six
Chicago Stadium | Box Score
Facing a 15-point deficit going into the fourth quarter of Game Six of the 1992 NBA Finals versus the Portland Trail Blazers, Scottie Pippen led the Bulls’ reserves on a 14-2 run before Michael Jordan and the remaining starters rejoined him on the floor to seal the team’s second NBA Championship.
Chicago’s 33-14 domination in the final frame was just enough for the Bulls to secure the 97-93 victory. The star of the miraculous rally, Pippen, finished the game with 26 points (9-of-17 shooting, 6-of-9 from the line), five rebounds and four boards.
“Phil always had a way—and he still does— of psychologically taking opponents out of the game,” Pippen said. “He put me out there and I guess he didn’t think I was going to try and be the hero or anything like that… and we sort of moved the ball.”
Blazers big man Jerome Kersey (24 points, nine rebounds) led Portland to a six-point lead at the intermission, 50-44. Rather than narrowing the gap, the Bulls found themselves down 79-64 entering the fourth quarter. Game Seven appeared imminent to everyone in the Chicago Stadium, until Pippen and the Bulls’ bench began the furious rally.
“Bobby Hansen, Stacey King, Cliff Levingston and all of those guys, working all season and doing the right things in practice paid off,” Pippen explained. “They came out and brought the energy that we needed. It put them back on their heels and gave us a chance to grab some momentum. Obviously, we grabbed a lot of it.”
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Michael Jordan led all scorers with 33 points and John Paxson added 13.
“It was something that was real special because that game would have shifted the series tremendously,” Pippen recalled. “For us to be able to close it out, there was nothing more gratifying than that.”
The fourth quarter comeback also allowed the Bulls to do something they didn’t get to do with their first title—celebrate on their home court.
“That was probably the most fun thing about it,” Pippen said. “When you’re away, you hear about what the fans are doing, but to be a part of it and be here in the city, celebrating and doing our thing right there on the court was a lot of fun.”
Adam Fluck contributed to this report.