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The Bulls went on to win the 1993 NBA Finals.
On the heels of consecutive championships and an Olympics gold medal in Barcelona, Michael Jordan was running out of gas. The world didn't know the perennial NBA MVP was about to suddenly retire and switch his Air Jordan's for baseball cleats.
But before Jordan hung it up for the first time, he still had business to take care of in the 1993 NBA Playoffs. It's hard to believe, but 29 years ago today, the Chicago Bulls completed a first round sweep of the Atlanta Hawks.
The 2-seed Bulls won Game Three 98-88 and eliminated the 7-seed Hawks. Jordan went off for 39 points, 7 rebounds, 4 assists, and 2 steals. A vintage performance from 'His Airness.' Meanwhile, Scottie Pippen and Horace Grant chipped in a combined 28 points.
Despite being 34 years old, Hawks forward Dominique Wilkins was not to be outdone. 'The Human Highlight Film' scored 29 points on 11-26 shooting. Perhaps, Wilkins was still a little salty over the 1988 Slam Dunk Contest Championship, which he was robbed of in Chicago.
Unfortunately, the Hawks shot a horrid 45.6% from the field, 16.7% from deep, and 56% at the line. While the Hawks players caught the next flight to Cancun, the Bulls marched on to defeat the Phoneix Suns 4-2 in the 1993 NBA Finals, capping off their quest for a three-peat.
Michael Jordan and Chicago Bulls celebrate the 1993 NBA Championship.
MPS-USA TODAY Sports
Thanks to the legendary careers of Michael Jordan and Dominique Wilkins, these two teams will always be linked in history. You can set your watch to the 1988 Slam Dunk Contest debate every February, and it never gets old. Stay locked into AllHawks.com for breaking news, highlights, and analysis.
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Pat Benson covers the Atlanta Hawks for Sports Illustrated’s All Hawks. He has covered the NBA for several years and is the author of “Kobe Bryant’s Sneaker History (1996-2020)”.
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