
Sorry for the bad quality.... The rivalry started in the 1988 Eastern Conference Semifinals. The aggressive Bad Boy Pistons were a team on the rise. Michael Jordan was the league MVP and Defensive Player of the Year and the ultimate challenge for Detroit's rugged, top-notch defense. In a nationally televised game at the Silverdome on Easter Sunday, Jordan torched the Pistons for 59 points in a 112-110 Bulls triumph (He also scored 61 in Detroit the previous season). This infuriated Pistons coach Chuck Daly, who vowed never to permit Jordan to explode on the Pistons again. Despite Jordan's individual talents the Bulls lacked the talent and physical and mental toughness to beat the Pistons who ravaged the Bulls in only five games. The Pistons would go on to beat the Boston Celtics and win their first conference title since they moved from Fort Wayne. In 1989, the Pistons were stronger than ever, posting the league's best record of 63-19. The sixth seeded Bulls (47-35) had surprising success in the playoffs by beating the favored Cleveland Cavaliers (57-25 won-loss record) 3-2 with "The Shot." Next, the Bulls upset the Atlantic Division Champs, the New York Knicks, coached by Rick Pitino, 4-2. The Bulls then squared off to meet the team that was to become their greatest rival, the Detroit Pistons, in the Eastern Conference Finals. The Bulls miraculous success seemed to continue as they took an early 2-1 lead over the Pistons. But the Pistons clamped down and employed the <b>...</b>
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