“You gotta realize we’re an experienced team, we’ve been here before”: Michael Jordan on the dominant win over Charles Barkley and the Suns in Game One of the 1993 NBA Finals

Arjun Julka | 22/02/2022
"You gotta realize we're an experienced team, we've been here before": Michael Jordan on the dominant win over Charles Barkley and the Suns in Game One of the 1993 NBA Finals

Bulls MVP Michael Jordan talks about dominating the Phoenix Suns in Game One of the 1993 NBA Finals and restricting them to below 100-points.

The 1993 NBA Finals saw two of the most iconic NBA players in Michael Jordan and Charles Barkley, fight for the ultimate crown. The Phoenix Suns were coming off a franchise record of 60+ wins in the regular season, while the Bulls were on a quest for a 3-peat.

Barkley had won the regular-season MVP establishing himself as one of the all-time forwards. On the other hand, MJ had won the previous season MVP and was the reigning Finals MVP. The Suns were the top seed and led the league in scoring, averaging 113.4 PPG.

However, when the two teams met during Game One of the Finals, the Suns seemed lost and overwhelmed by the Bulls. Jordan and co didn’t let the Suns lead during the entire game, restricting them to 92-points, considering they were the no.1 offensive team in the regular season.

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During a post-game interview with Ahmad Rashad, MJ reflected on his performance and the great defense that the Bulls played.

Michael Jordan addresses the dominant Game One win over the Suns.

The Bulls had a comfortable Game One win over the Suns, with Jordan scoring 31-point on 50% shooting from the field. The Suns looked unprepared in comparison to the experienced Bulls, something Barkley agreed on, as well.

During the post-game interview with former NFL player and sportscaster Ahmad Rashad, MJ said the following.

“Well, we hung in there. We knew we gave up the momentum when we were up 18-20 points and they got the momentum going in the half, and we came back and established ourselves in the second half,” said Jordan.

When asked about looking confident going into the game, the Bulls MVP, replied the following.

“You gotta realize we’re an experienced team, we’ve been here before. We know what it’s gonna take to win. I think what happened with Phoenix is it’s their first time to the Finals, so maybe they were little too hype, but they can go back and look at the film and make adjustments tomorrow.”

Though the Suns did come back and win a couple of games, Air Jordan put on one of the greatest shows in NBA Finals history.

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Bulls would go on to 3-peat, while Barkley’s Hall of Fame career remained devoid of a championship.

 

Post Edited By: Arjun Julka
1993 NBA Finals Charles Barkley Michael Jordan 3-peats Phoenix Suns

About the author

Arjun Julka

Arjun Julka is a NBA author at The SportsRush. Basketball isn’t just a sport for this 26-year-old, who hails from Mumbai. He began watching the sport after stumbling upon a court in his society, helping him identify an undiscovered passion for the game of hoops. Now an ardent fan, Arjun supports Stephen Curry and the Warriors but also enjoys watching Giannis Antetokounmpo own the paint. When it comes to the GOAT debate, the TSR author feels LeBron James is yet to receive a lot of his due but cannot deny marveling at Michael Jordan’s resume.

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