In 1995, the Orlando Magic did the impossible and beat Michael Jordan in the Playoffs. We rewatched the series to learn what we can from a momentous series.
There were two competing narratives throughout the Orlando Magic’s 1995 Playoff run.
First was the coronation of a new contender. A team everyone saw developing and turning into a contender. They were ascending to their inevitable throne and putting the entire league on notice.
But they were still surprised this team was here this quickly.
The second-round series against the Chicago Bulls was supposed to be a humbling experience. The second story following this Magic team throughout that 1995 Playoff run was waiting for the other shoe to drop.
This Magic team was too good too soon. Their inexperience had to come out at some point. They would get their lumps on the way to their inevitable contention.
And this was Michael Jordan, back from baseball. How could the media not turn toward Jordan, winner of three titles in the last four years?
The 1994 title probably went to the Houston Rockets because Jordan was not there — there are plenty of arguments as to why that might not have been the case, but the media even back then was not interested in nuanced arguments.
The young Magic, even with homecourt advantage, surely could not dethrone Jordan. Right? Right?!
The series was as back and forth as you would expect between titans in the conference.
The Bulls were always the favorite. . . until they were not. And nobody could deny this young Magic team was growing up and proving good enough to compete with the best.
The 1995 series against the Bulls showed plenty of the Magic’s youth and inexperience. It previewed perhaps some of the issues they would face against championship-tested teams — both in the 1995 NBA Finals against the Rockets and in 1996 against the fully operational battle station that was the 72-10 Bulls.
But it did not matter back then. This was a Magic team that did not seem to know the protocols around the league. They were too young to know what they still needed to learn. And too confident to let any of their warts stop them on the way to the NBA Finals.
“Why Not Us, Why Not Now?” was not just a rallying call from owner Rich DeVos. It was a statement of how fleeting and ethereal contention truly is.
Orlando Magic
Long before the free throws in Game 1 or the eventual dissolution of the team following the 1996 season, the Magic were a tour de force and destined for greatness. Defeating Jordan, the last team to defeat Jordan’s Bulls in a playoff series, was confirmation the team had that championship drive within them.
This was no longer about the team’s potential and what would be. This is about what was about the team’s present.
The Magic were good enough to defeat anybody in the league and stake their claim. This series win was all the confidence the Magic needed to get there. Only their immaturity and youthful exuberance caused them to come crashing off this high when the lights got brightest and the stage too big.
During the last week, FOX Sports Florida has re-aired all four wins from the Magic’s win over the Bulls. Having re-watched them all — and if you have not, the series is available in our Video Vault section — it feels like the series needs a thorough recap.
Stealing from our friends at The Ringer and their Rewatchables podcast (also The Book of Basketball 2.0), we will do a Rewatchables-style breakdown of this series as a written companion to our Facebook Live from May 3, 2020.
Even if you did not watch the FOX Sports Florida replay, hopefully this gives you a companion to one of the most important series in Magic history.
What Happened?
The place to start for those that have not seen this series is a breakdown of each game.
The Orlando Magic entered the year as the up-and-coming team. They had made their first playoffs in 1994 and everyone sensed this team was going to take the mantle eventually with Shaquille O’Neal already a force in Year 3 of his career and Anfernee Hardaway turning in a solid rookie season.
The Magic added veteran leadership in Horace Grant and Brian Shaw in the offseason. But nobody saw what would come down the pike with this group.
The Orlando Magic won 59 games that season, beating the New York Knicks for the Atlantic Division title and gaining the top seed in the East. They had an explosive offense that overwhelmed teams with their brute force inside and speed on the perimeter. Not to mention some strong shooting (for the time).
It felt like the Magic had skipped a step, leapfrogging established teams in the Eastern Conference pecking order. Everyone figured their youth would catch up to them.
Maybe it did in Game 2 of the first round as the 35-47 Boston Celtics defeated the Orlando Magic at the Orlando Arena to even the series. The Magic needed two close wins to close the Boston Garden to advance in the best-of-5 series.
The Magic won their first playoff series — a vital first step for a young team. But nobody was feeling especially confident.
Especially with the Chicago Bulls starting to look like their normal selves.
The Bulls started the year as a favorite in the Eastern Conference, but beneath the upper tier. They had survived their first season without Michael Jordan and were still a tough out.
Then Jordan faxed, “I’m back” with 17 games left and the Bulls seemed off to the races as they worked Jordan back into the mix.
Chicago went 13-4 to finish the season including Jordan’s famous “double-nickel” game at Madison Square Garden. Jordan was back, averaging 26.9 points per game. And this was Jordan who was not “back.”
The Chicago Bulls made quick work of the Charlotte Hornets in four games in the first round, stealing homecourt advantage in a 108-100 overtime win in Game 1. Setting up the battle in the second round between past, present and (who knows?) future.
Game 1 — Orlando Magic 94, Chicago Bulls 91
We will talk about this game a bit later on. We talk about this game for two hours above. This was a statement game for the Magic and proof they could compete with the mighty Bulls. Even if they needed Nick Anderson to steal the game in the end.
Game 2 — Chicago Bulls 104, Orlando Magic 94
Michael Jordan ripped his warmups off in the starting lineup introductions and revealed he had switched from No. 45 to No. 23. It was that moment that Nick Anderson knew this game was over. Jordan scored 38 points to tie the series.
Game 3 — Orlando Magic 110, Chicago Bulls 101
The Magic show their youth early on as the Bulls’ press stakes them a double-digit lead. Orlando played most of the first half in this series from behind. But Orlando kept fighting back. The Magic outlasted the Bulls making some big shots down the stretch and holding off Jordan at the end despite his 40 points.
Game 4 — Chicago Bulls 106, Orlando Magic 95
Chicago and Orlando often played really sloppy. It was turnovers in the dying moments that cost either team their games throughout the series. Game 4 was Orlando’s time to make mistakes. Shaquille O’Neal committed a critical turnover — one of 22 — down the stretch that was just too much for Orlando to overcome.
Game 5 — Orlando Magic 103, Chicago Bulls 95
In another back-and-forth first half, the Magic gave a hint of what the league was going to become. Dennis Scott scores 22 points and hits five 3-pointers to key a third-quarter run that gave the Magic firm control of the game and the series.
Game 6 — Orlando Magic 108, Chicago Bulls 102
It looked like the Bulls would force a Game 7 and force the Magic to really stand up to the Jordan-led Bulls. Chicago got Scottie Pippen going at last and he led the Bulls to an eight-point lead. Then the Magic go on a 14-0 run to win the game with O’Neal leading the way with 29 points. The Magic stun the United Center crowd and advance to the Eastern Conference Finals.
What’s Aged the Best?
The Best: The Magic and the Bulls
This will be something I touch upon in the next section, but even through all the 1990s-ness of the basketball in this series, the modernity of the Orlando Magic and Chicago Bulls stand out. They look and play like teams that might fit in the modern NBA (almost).
There was a lot of uniformity in playstyles back at this time — run a lot of post-ups and isolations. It can create some predictable and frustrating basketball. The illegal defense violation is there essentially to keep teams from zoning and forcing teams to pass the ball.
But undoubtedly the way the Magic and Bulls played look and felt like a more complicated system.
The Bulls’ triangle system creates a lot more motion and spreads the floor really well. It gives Michael Jordan the ability to attack off the dribble and in isolation while keeping others involved.
The Magic really ran a spread offense around Shaquille O’Neal. They wanted to dump the ball into the post, but then they would cut and move off of him, finding Horace Grant or Anfernee Hardaway or Nick Anderson diving to the basket. Orlando was able to create a lot of movement and space the floor.
The Magic were one of the first successful teams to use the 3-pointer. In 1995, the Magic averaged 17.2 3-point attempts per game (seventh in the league) and 37.0 percent from beyond the arc (ninth in the league). Six of the top seven teams in 3-point field goal attempts made the playoffs that year (including the Houston Rockets leading the way and nine of the top 10 teams in 3-point percentage made the playoffs.
Those who figured out the 3-point line thrived. But this was the first year run of teams that won really using the 3-pointer as a primary weapon.
More from History
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Beyond that, the Bulls and Magic were devastating in transition. Both teams had amazing athletes and smart passers in transition. If offenses made a mistake and did not get back, both teams would finish strong.
Even defensively, both teams showed a willingness to switch a lot. The Magic did not mind having O’Neal hedge on pick and rolls and switch onto the perimeter. Horace Grant could guard wings effectively. Toni Kukoc was one of the original stretch-4s, pulling Grant away from the basket.
In that way, both teams look incredibly modern. And it is easy to see why both teams rose to the top of the heap in the mid-1990s Eastern Conference. Even as they had to deal with the physicality from the New York Knicks and the needling from the Indiana Pacers.
What Aged the Worst?
The Worst: The iso/post-based play style
As much fun as the Chicago Bulls and Orlando Magic can look when they are in transition and flying toward the rim. Their half-court offenses are very much a product of the times.
And basketball in the 1990s was rough.
It is not the physicality. That is what a lot of people point to as why the basketball of yesterday was better. There is definitely a more physical game and some harder fouls. Players are allowed to do more. And maybe that informed the style.
It is neither good nor bad. It just is the way the game was called. That physicality probably made it more difficult to cut and have some freedom of off-ball motion lest they get crushed cutting across the lane without the ball.
But the basketball is fairly simple. And frustratingly so.
It devolves into role players surrounding one-on-one battles and whether you can beat someone individually. The goal is to isolate and try to draw a double to create ball movement.
Teams like the Magic and the Bulls who use some off-ball movement really stand out for adding something of a mix. But some of the sets are . . . not inspiring.
Take the end of Game 1, before “the steal,” the Magic try posting up Dennis Scott from the 3-point line and have him back down to the basket. They would do this with Nick Anderson and Anfernee Hardaway too. there was just a seeming obsession with brute physical force.
Chicago Bulls
That is all well and good when it works. But there is little pick and roll basketball — Hardaway and O’Neal should be a deadly combo, but their pick and roll is rarely used — and the teams just are not comfortable using the 3-point line. It is a lot of standing around at times.
The best basketball of the series is played in transition and when the teams move the ball quickly after getting a double on their drives. At least, the drive-and-kick game is alive and well.
It is easy to lionize the 1990s. And, sure, there is something to be said for the physical brand that teams played in the era.
But basketball today is just a whole lot more sophisticated. There is a whole lot more going on with each possession.
Teams are trying to do more — maybe overthinking at times — but I have to say today is a lot more aesthetically pleasing.
Also the Worst: Hulk Hogan
Hulk Hogan became a thing during the Magic’s 1995 Playoff run. He showed up at Game 5, went down to the court in his full regalia and ripped off his shirt to reveal a Magic jersey. He donned Horace Grant goggles to boot.
Hogan was a big star at the time — he had just jumped to WCW and his angle with Dennis Rodman and Karl Malone was still a few years off. And the crowd ate it up.
Hogan would return for the 2009 Finals to help pump up the crowd.
But, yeah, this did not age well after accusations of racism were levied at Hogan and even WWE had to tell him to go away for a while.
Most Rewatchable Sequence
The Steal
Is there any other acceptable answer?
This is the biggest and most important moment in Orlando Magic history. So much was riding on the game. And it all seemed like it was crashing down as the Bulls asserted themselves late in the game.
The Magic had to prove themselves against an established power and one of the best players in the league’s history (at the time, perhaps not the greatest yet, but he probably was).
It did not matter if the Bulls were not at their best because of Jordan’s late return. This would lend the Magic legitimacy and prove they were ready to play in big games. At this point, people still questioned whether the Magic were truly ready to contend.
Orlando and Chicago went toe to toe in a game that was tight all the way through. Orlando lost a six-point lead late. And then it was a battle.
Anfernee Hardaway and Shaquille O’Neal ran a great pick and roll that ended with O’Neal sinking two free throws. Then the Bulls came back down and got a Toni Kukoc alley-oop to Scottie Pippen to give the Bulls a one-point lead.
The Magic tried to force the ball inside to Shaquille O’Neal and could not then to Anfernee Hardaway cutting across the lane. B.J. Armstrong stole the ball and got a timeout. It was botched execution and one of several bad plays the Magic ran late in that game.
The shot clock was off and the Bulls were up one. It looked like Chicago had taught a lesson to Orlando.
Everyone knows what happens next.
Michael Jordan gets the inbound and has to shake Nick Anderson. Anderson takes a swipe at the ball and Jordan gets past him. Expecting a foul, perhaps, Jordan slows down to take more time off the clock, looking over his shoulder to find Anderson.
Nugg Love
He loses him for a moment and Anderson pokes the ball away perfectly to Hardaway. Anfernee Hardaway finds Horace Grant for the dunk and the Magic lead.
Still, Jordan has six seconds to work with and a chance to win the game. He drives past Donald Royal into the lane, but Donald Royal stays close enough to stay in his line of sight. Jordan tries to pass underneath to Pippen at the last moment and turns it over.
Two turnovers in the final 15 seconds of the game. It is rare to see Jordan come up short late in games like this.
And it happened again and again in Games 3 and 6 especially. The Magic had stolen the game (literally). And it was an entertaining and memorable sequence that got them there for the final minute of that game.
Other Nominees
Dennis Scott’s Game 5 binge
Dennis Scott scored 21 points and hit five 3-pointers in the Magic’s Game 5 victory. He went on a long scoring binge in the third quarter to close the deficit and give the Magic the lead seemingly for good. It was a preview of how important the 3-point shot would become for this team and the league.
Clinching 14-0 run in Game 6
The Magic were headed to a Game 7. Jordan was dominant in Game 6 and Pippen was playing exceptionally well too. Then all of a sudden, the Magic catch fire. O’Neal starts hitting shots. Anderson hits some key shots. Brian Shaw makes some incredible plays. And the defense shuts down the Bulls offense. When Anderson hit the go-ahead basket in the final minute, things became very real. And the Magic lifted Grant on their shoulders to celebrate the win.
Since we are stealing The Ringer’s idea, be sure to check out Bill Simmons and Ryen Russillo discuss Game 6 of the 1995 series on The Bill Simmons Podcast.
Apex Mountain
The way Apex Mountain is described in the world of the Rewatchables means the person who is at the peak of their powers during the movie or the game. Who is this a defining moment for?
There are two possible candidates. But one, I think is probably the winner of “Who wins the series.” We will handle that as well as the “Unanswerable questions” in a future post.
The other I think likely fits the bill for Apex Mountain because of what was in store for him in future rounds of the playoffs. Life was not going to be better for this guy.
When we think about Nick Anderson, the 1995 Playoffs consume his entire legacy for both good and bad.
As much as watching games from the time before Anfernee Hardaway arrived has tried to save Nick Anderson’s playing legacy to some extent. He averaged 19.9 points per game in 1992 and 1993 before the Magic started winning the Lottery.
He turned himself into a solid role player, developing a 3-point shot and becoming a strong wing defender with the toughness to help out in the paint. Anderson’s career took some wild swings.
And that is not even the half of it.
For Magic fans, the memories of this series are ultimately Anderson’s legacy.
House That Hank Built
“The Steal” in Game 1 is the defining (positive) moment of his career. It is the most important moment in Magic history and something everyone holds onto. It was a statement the Magic could compete and defeat the Bulls. That Jordan’s mastery over the league has not returned.
But it was not just that. Anderson hit the series-clinching basket in scoring 18 points in Game 6. That made up for a pretty pedestrian series as he had to put his energy into defending Michael Jordan and helping with Scottie Pippen.
Anderson rose to the big moments in this series.
It must have been extra sweet for him to win in his hometown in Chicago. Anderson said he still gets some grief from people back home for being the guy who beat Jordan in the 1990s. There is really only one team that can say that and it is Anderson and the Magic.
Putting him on Apex Mountain for this series makes sense too because there was literally only the way down for Anderson in the rest of these Playoffs.
It is impossible to talk about Anderson and his legacy without discussing his missed free throws in Game 1 of the NBA Finals. He went form perhaps his highest moment to his lowest moment. A moment that really cratered a good part of his career and even he admitted affected him mentally.
Magic fans try to remember him at his best. And when they do, they usually look to the 1995 series against the Bulls. The snapshot of Anderson we all want to remember is him stealing the ball from Michael Jordan and defeating his hometown team.
We will be back later on with the unanswerable questions from the series and who won the series. Stay tuned on Orlando Magic Daily!