# 1998 NBA playoffs

The 1998 NBA playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 1997–98 season. The tournament concluded with the two-time defending NBA champion and Eastern Conference champion Chicago Bulls defeating the Western Conference champion Utah Jazz 4 games to 2 in the NBA Finals. The Bulls achieved a second three peat, a goal unrivaled since the Boston Celtics in 1966. Michael Jordan was named NBA Finals MVP for the sixth and final time.

## Overview

The Indiana Pacers entered the postseason with a franchise record 58 wins. Although they would lose to the Chicago Bulls in the Eastern Conference Finals, this team was later named by Pacers.com as the greatest in franchise history, even better than the 2000 team that won the Eastern Conference Title, primarily due to their record.
The New Jersey Nets made the playoffs for the first time since 1994, but did not appear again until 2002. Their presence was a mere asterisk compared to what they accomplished in 2002, getting swept by the eventual champion Bulls.
The Minnesota Timberwolves won their first playoff game in franchise history by winning Game 2 of their series against the Seattle SuperSonics. However, the SuperSonics prevailed in five games despite the Timberwolves taking a 2–1 series lead.
The Cleveland Cavaliers lost to Indiana in the first round 3–1 and did not appear again until 2006.
The Heat–Knicks series was extremely notable for two reasons
* Game 4: A fight broke out between Larry Johnson and Alonzo Mourning at the end of the game (in which the Knicks won 90–85). A lasting image of the fight was Knicks coach Jeff Van Gundy clinging to Mourning's leg. Both players were suspended for two games. Johnson and Mourning had bad blood dating back to their stint as Charlotte Hornets teammates.
* Game 5: The New York Knicks became the fourth seventh seed to knock off a second seeded team in the first round of the playoffs. This would not occur again until 2010.
Game 5 of the Jazz–Rockets series would be the final game of Clyde Drexler's career.
The Los Angeles Lakers advanced to the Western Conference Finals for the first time since 1991. They were ultimately swept by the Jazz.
The Eastern Conference Finals series between the Chicago Bulls and Indiana Pacers was extremely notable for several reasons
* Game 4: Reggie Miller's game winning 3 pointer with 0.7 seconds, which has been marked one of the greatest postseason moments in NBA History. Michael Jordan attempted a game winning 3 pointer of his own, but it rimmed out, effectively tying the series at 2–2.
* Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals: With a win, the Pacers took the Bulls to the limit by becoming 1 of only 2 teams to force a Game 7 in the Bulls' title years (the Knicks achieved this in 1992).
* Game 7: This was the first (and as of 2024, only) Game 7 to take place at the United Center.
* Game 7: This was the last Game 7 the Bulls would play until 2009.
For the first time since 1989 NBA Finals, there was a rematch of the same two teams: the Chicago Bulls and the Utah Jazz. This would not happen again until 2014.
Game 6 of the NBA Finals was extremely notable for several reasons
* In the waning moments of the game Michael Jordan made the title winning shot over Bryon Russell. This moment was marked as one of the greatest moments in NBA playoff history.
* It was the highest rated and most watched game in NBA History, with 72 million viewers watching at least part of the game and an average of 35.9 million views.
* It was the last Chicago Bulls postseason game until 2005 and the last involving the Michael Jordan-led Bulls.
* Michael Jordan's final NBA playoff game.
* Phil Jackson's final game as coach of the Chicago Bulls (he would go on to coach the Los Angeles Lakers two seasons later).
* As of 2024, this remains the most recent NBA Finals game for the Chicago Bulls and the Utah Jazz.

## Bracket

Teams in bold advanced to the next round. The numbers to the left of each team indicate the team's seeding in its conference, and the numbers to the right indicate the number of games the team won in that round. The division champions are marked by an asterisk. Teams with home court advantage are shown in Italics.
| First Round | First Round | First Round | | | Conference Semifinals | Conference Semifinals | Conference Semifinals | Conference Finals | Conference Finals | Conference Finals | | NBA Finals | NBA Finals | NBA Finals |
| E1 | Chicago* | 3 | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| E8 | New Jersey | 0 | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| E8 | New Jersey | 0 | | | E1 | Chicago* | 4 | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | E4 | Charlotte | 1 | | | | | | | |
| E4 | Charlotte | 3 | | | E4 | Charlotte | 1 | | | | | | | |
| E5 | Atlanta | 1 | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| E5 | Atlanta | 1 | | | | | | E1 | Chicago* | 4 | | | | |
| Eastern Conference | Eastern Conference | Eastern Conference | Eastern Conference | Eastern Conference | Eastern Conference | Eastern Conference | Eastern Conference | E1 | Chicago* | 4 | | | | |
| Eastern Conference | Eastern Conference | Eastern Conference | Eastern Conference | Eastern Conference | Eastern Conference | Eastern Conference | Eastern Conference | E3 | Indiana | 3 | | | | |
| E3 | Indiana | 3 | | | | | | | | | E3 | Indiana | 3 | | | | |
| E6 | Cleveland | 1 | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| E6 | Cleveland | 1 | | | E3 | Indiana | 4 | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | E7 | New York | 1 | | | | | | | |
| E2 | Miami* | 2 | | | E7 | New York | 1 | | | | | | | |
| E7 | New York | 3 | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| E7 | New York | 3 | | | | | | | | | | E1 | Chicago* | 4 |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | W1 | Utah* | 2 |
| W1 | Utah* | 3 | | | | | | | | | | | | | W1 | Utah* | 2 |
| W8 | Houston | 2 | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| W8 | Houston | 2 | | | W1 | Utah* | 4 | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | W5 | San Antonio | 1 | | | | | | | |
| W4 | Phoenix | 1 | | | W5 | San Antonio | 1 | | | | | | | |
| W5 | San Antonio | 3 | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| W5 | San Antonio | 3 | | | | | | W1 | Utah* | 4 | | | | |
| Western Conference | Western Conference | Western Conference | Western Conference | Western Conference | Western Conference | Western Conference | Western Conference | W1 | Utah* | 4 | | | | |
| Western Conference | Western Conference | Western Conference | Western Conference | Western Conference | Western Conference | Western Conference | Western Conference | W3 | LA Lakers | 0 | | | | |
| W3 | LA Lakers | 3 | | | | | | | | | W3 | LA Lakers | 0 | | | | |
| W6 | Portland | 1 | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| W6 | Portland | 1 | | | W3 | LA Lakers | 4 | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | W2 | Seattle* | 1 | | | | | | | |
| W2 | Seattle* | 3 | | | W2 | Seattle* | 1 | | | | | | | |
| W7 | Minnesota | 2 | | | | | | | | | | | | |
* * Division winner
* Bold Series winner
* Italic Team with home-court advantage

## Playoff qualifying
### Western Conference
#### Home court advantage

The Utah Jazz and Chicago Bulls tied for the best record in the NBA. However, Utah won the season series 2–0 and was awarded home court advantage throughout the playoffs.

#### Clinched a playoff berth

The following teams clinched a playoff berth in the West:
* Utah Jazz (62–20, clinched Midwest division)
* Seattle SuperSonics (61–21, clinched Pacific division)
* Los Angeles Lakers (61–21)
* Phoenix Suns (56–26)
* San Antonio Spurs (56–26)
* Portland Trail Blazers (46–36)
* Minnesota Timberwolves (45–37)
* Houston Rockets (41-41)

### Eastern Conference
#### Best record in conference

The Chicago Bulls clinched the best record in the East, and earned home court advantage throughout the Eastern Conference playoffs.

#### Clinched a playoff berth

The following teams clinched a playoff berth in the East:
* Chicago Bulls (62–20, clinched Central division)
* Miami Heat (55–27, clinched Atlantic division)
* Indiana Pacers (58–24)
* Charlotte Hornets (51–31)
* Atlanta Hawks (50–32)
* Cleveland Cavaliers (47–35)
* New York Knicks (43–39)
* New Jersey Nets (43–39)

## First round
### Eastern Conference first round
#### (1) Chicago Bulls vs. (8) New Jersey Nets

* TNT
* April 24 8:00 PM
* Boxscore
New Jersey Nets 93, Chicago Bulls 96 (OT) :
| Scoring by quarter: 27–31, 21–21, 14–20, 27–17, Overtime: 4–7 |||
| Pts: Chris Gatling 24 Rebs: Jayson Williams 21 Asts: Sherman Douglas 5 | Pts: Michael Jordan 39 Rebs: Dennis Rodman 8 Asts: three players 5 each |
| Chicago leads series, 1–0 |||
* United Center, Chicago, Illinois Attendance: 23,844 Referees: Joe Crawford, Bernie Fryer, Luis Grillo
* NBC
* April 26 5:30 PM
* Boxscore
New Jersey Nets 91, Chicago Bulls 96 :
| Scoring by quarter: 17–21, 19–31, 29–24, 26–20 |||
| Pts: Kerry Kittles 23 Rebs: Jayson Williams 11 Asts: Sherman Douglas 12 | Pts: Michael Jordan 32 Rebs: Dennis Rodman 16 Asts: Rodman, Burrell 4 each |
| Chicago leads series, 2–0 |||
* United Center, Chicago, Illinois Attendance: 23,844 Referees: Dan Crawford, Joe DeRosa, Ron Garretson
* TNT
* April 29 7:00 PM
* Boxscore
Chicago Bulls 116, New Jersey Nets 101 :
| Scoring by quarter: 35–28, 26–24, 32–24, 23–25 |||
| Pts: Michael Jordan 38 Rebs: Dennis Rodman 17 Asts: Scottie Pippen 10 | Pts: Sherman Douglas 19 Rebs: Jayson Williams 10 Asts: Sherman Douglas 8 |
| Chicago wins series, 3–0 |||
* Continental Airlines Arena, East Rutherford, New Jersey Attendance: 19,889 Referees: Jim Clark, Nolan Fine, Steve Javie
Chicago won 4–0 in the regular-season series :
November 8, 1997
Recap
New Jersey Nets 86, Chicago Bulls 99
United Center, Chicago, Illinois
December 20, 1997
Recap
Chicago Bulls 100, New Jersey Nets 92
Continental Airlines Arena, East Rutherford, New Jersey
January 23, 1998
Recap
Chicago Bulls 100, New Jersey Nets 98
Continental Airlines Arena, East Rutherford, New Jersey
March 16, 1998
Recap
New Jersey Nets 72, Chicago Bulls 88
United Center, Chicago, Illinois :
This was the first playoff meeting between the Bulls and the Nets.

#### (2) Miami Heat vs. (7) New York Knicks

* TBS
* April 24 7:00 PM
* Boxscore
New York Knicks 79, Miami Heat 94 :
| Scoring by quarter: 17–30, 20–27, 26–16, 16–21 |||
| Pts: Larry Johnson 21 Rebs: Charles Oakley 12 Asts: Charles Oakley 4 | Pts: Tim Hardaway 34 Rebs: P. J. Brown 10 Asts: Eric Murdock 5 |
| Miami leads series, 1–0 |||
* Miami Arena, Miami, Florida Attendance: 15,200 Referees: Dan Crawford, Joe DeRosa, Ron Garretson
* NBC
* April 26 12:30 PM
* Boxscore
New York Knicks 96, Miami Heat 86 :
| Scoring by quarter: 21–31, 29–19, 22–19, 24–17 |||
| Pts: John Starks 25 Rebs: Terry Cummings 14 Asts: Charlie Ward 7 | Pts: Alonzo Mourning 30 Rebs: Alonzo Mourning 13 Asts: Tim Hardaway 7 |
| Series tied, 1–1 |||
* Miami Arena, Miami, Florida Attendance: 15,200 Referees: Joe Crawford, Bernie Fryer, Luis Grillo
* TBS
* April 28 7:00 PM
* Boxscore
Miami Heat 91, New York Knicks 85 :
| Scoring by quarter: 30–24, 26–20, 18–23, 17–18 |||
| Pts: Voshon Lenard 28 Rebs: Alonzo Mourning 9 Asts: Tim Hardaway 7 | Pts: Allan Houston 27 Rebs: Johnson, Oakley 7 each Asts: four players 3 each |
| Miami leads series, 2–1 |||
* Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York Attendance: 19,763 Referees: Dick Bavetta, Terry Durham, Tommy Nunez Sr.
* TNT
* April 30 8:00 PM
* Boxscore
Miami Heat 85, New York Knicks 90 :
| Scoring by quarter: 26–23, 21–24, 17–24, 21–19 |||
| Pts: Tim Hardaway 33 Rebs: P. J. Brown 9 Asts: Tim Hardaway 9 | Pts: Houston, Johnson 18 each Rebs: Larry Johnson 9 Asts: Charlie Ward 7 |
| Series tied, 2–2 |||
* Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York Attendance: 19,763 Referees: Hugh Evans, Joe Forte, Tom Washington
Alonzo Mourning and Larry Johnson fight.
* NBC
* May 3 12:30 PM
* Boxscore
New York Knicks 98, Miami Heat 81 :
| Scoring by quarter: 20–15, 27–16, 23–30, 28–20 |||
| Pts: Allan Houston 30 Rebs: Buck Williams 14 Asts: Charlie Ward 14 | Pts: Tim Hardaway 21 Rebs: P. J. Brown 10 Asts: Tim Hardaway 8 |
| New York wins series, 3–2 |||
* Miami Arena, Miami, Florida Attendance: 15,200 Referees: Jim Clark, Hue Hollins, Steve Javie
Tied 2–2 in the regular-season series :
January 28, 1998
Recap
New York Knicks 82, Miami Heat 86
Miami Arena, Miami
February 1, 1998
Recap
Miami Heat 83, New York Knicks 89
Madison Square Garden, New York City
April 8, 1998
Recap
Miami Heat 80, New York Knicks 83
Madison Square Garden, New York City
April 12, 1998
Recap
New York Knicks 81, Miami Heat 82
Miami Arena, Miami :
This was the second playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Heat winning the first meeting.
Miami leads 1–0 in all-time playoff series :
1997
Miami Heat 4, New York Knicks 3
1997 Eastern Conference Semifinals :

#### (3) Indiana Pacers vs. (6) Cleveland Cavaliers

* TNT
* April 23 8:00 PM
* Boxscore
Cleveland Cavaliers 77, Indiana Pacers 106 :
| Scoring by quarter: 18–31, 23–31, 19–20, 17–24 |||
| Pts: Shawn Kemp 25 Rebs: Shawn Kemp 13 Asts: Brevin Knight 5 | Pts: Chris Mullin 20 Rebs: Chris Mullin 6 Asts: Mark Jackson 10 |
| Indiana leads series, 1–0 |||
* Market Square Arena, Indianapolis, Indiana Attendance: 16,644 Referees: Nolan Fine, Bill Oakes, Eddie F. Rush
* NBC
* April 25 1:00 PM
* Boxscore
Cleveland Cavaliers 86, Indiana Pacers 92 :
| Scoring by quarter: 29–19, 22–21, 16–29, 19–23 |||
| Pts: Shawn Kemp 27 Rebs: Zydrunas Ilgauskas 10 Asts: Brevin Knight 7 | Pts: Reggie Miller 18 Rebs: Dale Davis 10 Asts: Mark Jackson 11 |
| Indiana leads series, 2–0 |||
* Market Square Arena, Indianapolis, Indiana Attendance: 16,617 Referees: Mike Callahan, Bob Delaney, Jack Nies
* TNT
* April 27 7:00 PM
* Boxscore
Indiana Pacers 77, Cleveland Cavaliers 86 :
| Scoring by quarter: 27–22, 15–22, 19–21, 16–21 |||
| Pts: Rik Smits 26 Rebs: Dale Davis 9 Asts: Mark Jackson 17 | Pts: Shawn Kemp 31 Rebs: Kemp, Knight 7 each Asts: three players 5 each |
| Indiana leads series, 2–1 |||
* Gund Arena, Cleveland, Ohio Attendance: 17,495 Referees: Ted Bernhardt, Dan Crawford, Derrick Stafford
* TBS
* April 30 7:00 PM
* Boxscore
Indiana Pacers 80, Cleveland Cavaliers 74 :
| Scoring by quarter: 25–23, 20–13, 21–18, 14–20 |||
| Pts: Reggie Miller 19 Rebs: Antonio Davis 9 Asts: Mark Jackson 6 | Pts: Shawn Kemp 21 Rebs: Shawn Kemp 12 Asts: Brevin Knight 6 |
| Indiana wins series, 3–1 |||
* Gund Arena, Cleveland, Ohio Attendance: 18,188 Referees: Dick Bavetta, Terry Durham, Tommy Nunez Sr.
Tied 2–2 in the regular-season series :
November 4, 1997
Recap
Indiana Pacers 77, Cleveland Cavaliers 80
Gund Arena, Cleveland, Ohio
January 30, 1998
Recap
Cleveland Cavaliers 83, Indiana Pacers 89
Market Square Arena, Indianapolis
April 7, 1998
Recap
Cleveland Cavaliers 80, Indiana Pacers 82
Market Square Arena, Indianapolis
April 18, 1998
Recap
Indiana Pacers 92, Cleveland Cavaliers 96
Gund Arena, Cleveland :
This was the first playoff meeting between the Cavaliers and the Pacers.

#### (4) Charlotte Hornets vs. (5) Atlanta Hawks

* TBS
* April 23 7:00 PM
* Boxscore
Atlanta Hawks 87, Charlotte Hornets 97 :
| Scoring by quarter: 29–23, 25–31, 15–21, 18–22 |||
| Pts: Steve Smith 35 Rebs: Dikembe Mutombo 15 Asts: Mookie Blaylock 9 | Pts: Glen Rice 34 Rebs: Divac, Mason 7 each Asts: David Wesley 12 |
| Charlotte leads series, 1–0 |||
* Charlotte Coliseum, Charlotte, North Carolina Attendance: 19,176 Referees: Bob Delaney, David Jones, Jack Nies
* TNT
* April 25 8:00 PM
* Boxscore
Atlanta Hawks 85, Charlotte Hornets 92 :
| Scoring by quarter: 27–19, 21–24, 14–19, 23–30 |||
| Pts: Henderson, Smith 22 each Rebs: Henderson, Mutombo 9 each Asts: Mookie Blaylock 13 | Pts: Anthony Mason 25 Rebs: Glen Rice 13 Asts: Divac, Wesley 6 each |
| Charlotte leads series, 2–0 |||
* Charlotte Coliseum, Charlotte, North Carolina Attendance: 20,390 Referees: Ted Bernhardt, Bill Oakes, Eddie F. Rush
* TNT
* April 28 8:00 PM
* Boxscore
Charlotte Hornets 64, Atlanta Hawks 96 :
| Scoring by quarter: 18–30, 14–21, 12–23, 20–22 |||
| Pts: Anthony Mason 12 Rebs: Vlade Divac 7 Asts: Divac, Wesley 5 each | Pts: Mookie Blaylock 16 Rebs: Dikembe Mutombo 11 Asts: Mookie Blaylock 7 |
| Charlotte leads series, 2–1 |||
* Georgia Dome, Atlanta, Georgia Attendance: 19,745 Referees: Mike Callahan, Hugh Evans, Ron Garretson
* TNT
* May 1 7:00 PM
* Boxscore
Charlotte Hornets 91, Atlanta Hawks 82 :
| Scoring by quarter: 18–24, 17–17, 31–23, 25–18 |||
| Pts: Anthony Mason 29 Rebs: Anthony Mason 14 Asts: David Wesley 10 | Pts: Steve Smith 27 Rebs: Dikembe Mutombo 16 Asts: Mookie Blaylock 4 |
| Charlotte wins series, 3–1 |||
* Georgia Dome, Atlanta, Georgia Attendance: 22,074 Referees: Jim Clark, Hue Hollins, Bill Spooner
Atlanta won 4–0 in the regular-season series :
November 29, 1997
Recap
Charlotte Hornets 80, Atlanta Hawks 98
Georgia Dome, Atlanta
January 31, 1998
Recap
Atlanta Hawks 103, Charlotte Hornets 83
Charlotte Coliseum, Charlotte, North Carolina
April 10, 1998
Recap
Atlanta Hawks 99, Charlotte Hornets 87
Charlotte Coliseum, Charlotte, North Carolina
April 17, 1998
Recap
Charlotte Hornets 104, Atlanta Hawks 121
Georgia Dome, Atlanta :
This was the first playoff meeting between the Hawks and the Hornets.

### Western Conference first round
#### (1) Utah Jazz vs. (8) Houston Rockets

* TBS
* April 23 9:30 PM
* Boxscore
Houston Rockets 103, Utah Jazz 90 :
| Scoring by quarter: 27–24, 24–20, 28–14, 24–32 |||
| Pts: Clyde Drexler 22 Rebs: Kevin Willis 14 Asts: Clyde Drexler 6 | Pts: Karl Malone 25 Rebs: Karl Malone 11 Asts: John Stockton 8 |
| Houston leads series, 1–0 |||
* Delta Center, Salt Lake City, Utah Attendance: 19,911 Referees: Dick Bavetta, Jim Clark, Ed Middleton
* TNT
* April 25 10:30 PM
* Boxscore
Houston Rockets 90, Utah Jazz 105 :
| Scoring by quarter: 19–29, 23–18, 18–32, 30–26 |||
| Pts: Hakeem Olajuwon 16 Rebs: Kevin Willis 12 Asts: Matt Maloney 6 | Pts: Karl Malone 29 Rebs: Greg Ostertag 11 Asts: John Stockton 10 |
| Series tied, 1–1 |||
* Delta Center, Salt Lake City, Utah Attendance: 19,911 Referees: Hugh Evans, Ken Mauer, Ronnie Nunn
* TBS
* April 29 9:30 PM
* Boxscore
Utah Jazz 85, Houston Rockets 89 :
| Scoring by quarter: 19–26, 24–21, 26–26, 16–16 |||
| Pts: Malone, Russell 19 each Rebs: Karl Malone 14 Asts: Stockton, Eisley 6 each | Pts: Hakeem Olajuwon 28 Rebs: Hakeem Olajuwon 12 Asts: Drexler, Maloney 5 each |
| Houston leads series, 2–1 |||
* Compaq Center, Houston, Texas Attendance: 16,285 Referees: Hue Hollins, Bill Spooner, Derrick Stafford
* TNT
* May 1 9:30 PM
* Boxscore
Utah Jazz 93, Houston Rockets 71 :
| Scoring by quarter: 10–21, 26–21, 29–19, 28–10 |||
| Pts: Karl Malone 29 Rebs: Karl Malone 13 Asts: John Stockton 7 | Pts: Hakeem Olajuwon 27 Rebs: Hakeem Olajuwon 15 Asts: Clyde Drexler 5 |
| Series tied, 2–2 |||
* Compaq Center, Houston, Texas Attendance: 16,285 Referees: Ron Garretson, Steve Javie, Greg Willard
* NBC
* May 3 3:00 PM
* Boxscore
Houston Rockets 70, Utah Jazz 84 :
| Scoring by quarter: 14–21, 19–18, 21–22, 16–23 |||
| Pts: Kevin Willis 16 Rebs: Kevin Willis 11 Asts: three players 3 each | Pts: Karl Malone 31 Rebs: Karl Malone 15 Asts: John Stockton 10 |
| Utah wins series, 3–2 |||
* Delta Center, Salt Lake City, Utah Attendance: 19,911 Referees: Dan Crawford, Joe Crawford, Bob Delaney
Game 5 is Clyde Drexler's final NBA game.
Utah won 4–0 in the regular-season series :
December 25, 1997
Recap
Houston Rockets 103, Utah Jazz 107
Delta Center, Salt Lake City
January 10, 1998
Recap
Utah Jazz 111, Houston Rockets 84
The Summit, Houston, Texas
March 1, 1998
Recap
Utah Jazz 106, Houston Rockets 100
Compaq Center, Houston, Texas
March 9, 1998
Recap
Houston Rockets 93, Utah Jazz 100
Delta Center, Salt Lake City :
This was the fifth playoff meeting between these two teams, with each team winning two series apiece.
Tied 2–2 in all-time playoff series :
1985
Houston Rockets 2, Utah Jazz 3
1985 Western Conference First Round
1994
Houston Rockets 4, Utah Jazz 1
1994 Western Conference Finals
1995
Houston Rockets 3, Utah Jazz 2
1995 Western Conference First Round
1997
Houston Rockets 2, Utah Jazz 4
1997 Western Conference Finals :

#### (2) Seattle SuperSonics vs. (7) Minnesota Timberwolves

* TBS
* April 24 9:30 PM
* Boxscore
Minnesota Timberwolves 83, Seattle SuperSonics 108 :
| Scoring by quarter: 21–34, 11–19, 26–29, 25–26 |||
| Pts: Kevin Garnett 18 Rebs: Kevin Garnett 18 Asts: Stephon Marbury 5 | Pts: Vin Baker 25 Rebs: Vin Baker 12 Asts: Gary Payton 7 |
| Seattle leads series, 1–0 |||
* KeyArena, Seattle, Washington Attendance: 17,072 Referees: Joe Forte, Hue Hollins, Greg Willard
* TNT
* April 26 9:00 PM
* Boxscore
Minnesota Timberwolves 98, Seattle SuperSonics 93 :
| Scoring by quarter: 28–20, 22–25, 27–26, 21–22 |||
| Pts: Stephon Marbury 25 Rebs: Anthony Peeler 14 Asts: Stephon Marbury 7 | Pts: Gary Payton 32 Rebs: Detlef Schrempf 10 Asts: Nate McMillan 6 |
| Series tied, 1–1 |||
* KeyArena, Seattle, Washington Attendance: 17,072 Referees: Terry Durhame, Steve Javie, Ron Olesiak
* TBS
* April 28 9:30 PM
* Boxscore
Seattle SuperSonics 90, Minnesota Timberwolves 98 :
| Scoring by quarter: 28–24, 18–26, 26–17, 18–31 |||
| Pts: Gary Payton 26 Rebs: Vin Baker 12 Asts: three players 5 each | Pts: Anthony Peeler 20 Rebs: Kevin Garnett 8 Asts: Stephon Marbury 11 |
| Minnesota leads series, 2–1 |||
* Target Center, Minneapolis, Minnesota Attendance: 19,006 Referees: Joe Crawford, Ronnie Nunn, Tom Washington
* TBS
* April 30 9:30 PM
* Boxscore
Seattle SuperSonics 92, Minnesota Timberwolves 88 :
| Scoring by quarter: 28–21, 18–22, 21–20, 25–25 |||
| Pts: Payton, Hawkins 24 each Rebs: Vin Baker 12 Asts: Gary Payton 8 | Pts: Kevin Garnett 20 Rebs: Kevin Garnett 10 Asts: Stephon Marbury 7 |
| Series tied, 2–2 |||
* Target Center, Minneapolis, Minnesota Attendance: 19,006 Referees: Joe DeRosa, Bill Oakes, Eddie F. Rush
* NBC
* May 2 3:30 PM
* Boxscore
Minnesota Timberwolves 84, Seattle SuperSonics 97 :
| Scoring by quarter: 27–24, 20–20, 17–27, 20–26 |||
| Pts: Anthony Peeler 28 Rebs: Reggie Jordan 8 Asts: Stephon Marbury 8 | Pts: Gary Payton 29 Rebs: Detlef Schrempf 11 Asts: three players 4 each |
| Seattle wins series, 3–2 |||
* KeyArena, Seattle, Washington Attendance: 17,072 Referees: Dick Bavetta, Bernie Fryer, Jack Nies
Seattle won 3–1 in the regular-season series :
December 9, 1997
Recap
Seattle SuperSonics 108, Minnesota Timberwolves 99
Target Center, Minneapolis
December 23, 1997
Recap
Minnesota Timberwolves 112, Seattle SuperSonics 103
KeyArena, Seattle
March 8, 1998
Recap
Seattle SuperSonics 99, Minnesota Timberwolves 98
Target Center, Minneapolis
March 14, 1998
Recap
Minnesota Timberwolves 80, Seattle SuperSonics 114
KeyArena, Seattle :
This was the first playoff meeting between the Timberwolves and the SuperSonics.

#### (3) Los Angeles Lakers vs. (6) Portland Trail Blazers

* TNT
* April 24 10:30 PM
* Boxscore
Portland Trail Blazers 102, Los Angeles Lakers 104 :
| Scoring by quarter: 30–25, 23–22, 21–27, 28–30 |||
| Pts: Isaiah Rider 25 Rebs: Brian Grant 12 Asts: Damon Stoudamire 10 | Pts: Shaquille O'Neal 30 Rebs: O'Neal, Jones 7 each Asts: Robert Horry 5 |
| LA Lakers lead series, 1–0 |||
* Great Western Forum, Inglewood, California Attendance: 17,505 Referees: Terry Durham, Steve Javie, Tommy Nunez Sr.
* NBC
* April 26 3:00 PM
* Boxscore
Portland Trail Blazers 99, Los Angeles Lakers 108 :
| Scoring by quarter: 21–29, 31–25, 23–35, 24–19 |||
| Pts: Isaiah Rider 24 Rebs: three players 7 each Asts: Damon Stoudamire 14 | Pts: Rick Fox 24 Rebs: Shaquille O'Neal 9 Asts: Derek Fisher 7 |
| LA Lakers lead series, 2–0 |||
* Great Western Forum, Inglewood, California Attendance: 17,505 Referees: Joe Forte, Hue Hollins, Greg Willard
* TNT
* April 28 10:30 PM
* Boxscore
Los Angeles Lakers 94, Portland Trail Blazers 99 :
| Scoring by quarter: 19–23, 31–25, 22–21, 22–30 |||
| Pts: Shaquille O'Neal 36 Rebs: Shaquille O'Neal 16 Asts: Robert Horry 7 | Pts: Rider, Stoudamire 18 each Rebs: Brian Grant 12 Asts: Damon Stoudamire 6 |
| LA Lakers lead series, 2–1 |||
* Rose Garden, Portland, Oregon Attendance: 21,558 Referees: Ed Middleton, Jack Nies, Ron Olesiak
* TNT
* April 30 10:30 PM
* Boxscore
Los Angeles Lakers 110, Portland Trail Blazers 99 :
| Scoring by quarter: 28–19, 28–21, 22–25, 32–34 |||
| Pts: Shaquille O'Neal 31 Rebs: Shaquille O'Neal 15 Asts: Nick Van Exel 7 | Pts: Damon Stoudamire 24 Rebs: Brian Grant 12 Asts: Damon Stoudamire 8 |
| LA Lakers win series, 3–1 |||
* Rose Garden, Portland, Oregon Attendance: 21,616 Referees: Joe Crawford, Ken Mauer, Ronnie Nunn
Tied 2–2 in the regular-season series :
December 8, 1997
Recap
Los Angeles Lakers 99, Portland Trail Blazers 105
Rose Garden, Portland, Oregon
February 4, 1998
Recap
Portland Trail Blazers 115, Los Angeles Lakers 122
Great Western Forum, Inglewood, California
February 10, 1998
Recap
Los Angeles Lakers 105, Portland Trail Blazers 117
Rose Garden, Portland, Oregon
March 11, 1998
Recap
Portland Trail Blazers 107, Los Angeles Lakers 121
Great Western Forum, Inglewood, California :
This was the eighth playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Lakers winning five of the first seven meetings.
Los Angeles leads 5–2 in all-time playoff series :
1977
Los Angeles Lakers 0, Portland Trail Blazers 4
1977 Western Conference Finals
1983
Los Angeles Lakers 4, Portland Trail Blazers 1
1983 Western Conference Semifinals
1985
Los Angeles Lakers 4, Portland Trail Blazers 1
1985 Western Conference Semifinals
1989
Los Angeles Lakers 3, Portland Trail Blazers 0
1989 Western Conference First Round
1991
Los Angeles Lakers 4, Portland Trail Blazers 2
1991 Western Conference Finals
1992
Los Angeles Lakers 1, Portland Trail Blazers 3
1992 Western Conference First Round
1997
Los Angeles Lakers 3, Portland Trail Blazers 1
1997 Western Conference First Round :

#### (4) Phoenix Suns vs. (5) San Antonio Spurs

* TNT
* April 23 10:30 PM
* Boxscore
San Antonio Spurs 102, Phoenix Suns 96 :
| Scoring by quarter: 23–21, 22–29, 22–25, 35–21 |||
| Pts: Tim Duncan 32 Rebs: David Robinson 15 Asts: Vinny Del Negro 6 | Pts: Kevin Johnson 18 Rebs: George McCloud 9 Asts: Jason Kidd 11 |
| San Antonio leads series, 1–0 |||
* America West Arena, Phoenix, Arizona Attendance: 19,023 Referees: Hugh Evans, Ken Mauer, Ronnie Munn
* NBC
* April 25 3:30 PM
* Boxscore
San Antonio Spurs 101, Phoenix Suns 108 :
| Scoring by quarter: 22–24, 25–27, 24–32, 30–25 |||
| Pts: David Robinson 23 Rebs: David Robinson 16 Asts: Avery Johnson 8 | Pts: George McCloud 22 Rebs: Antonio McDyess 11 Asts: Jason Kidd 10 |
| Series tied, 1–1 |||
* America West Arena, Phoenix, Arizona Attendance: 19,023 Referees: Dick Bavetta, Jim Clark, Bill Spooner
* TNT
* April 27 9:30 PM
* Boxscore
Phoenix Suns 88, San Antonio Spurs 100 :
| Scoring by quarter: 17–20, 27–24, 15–27, 29–29 |||
| Pts: Antonio McDyess 26 Rebs: Antonio McDyess 17 Asts: Kidd, Johnson 6 each | Pts: Tim Duncan 22 Rebs: Tim Duncan 14 Asts: Avery Johnson 5 |
| San Antonio leads series, 2–1 |||
* Alamodome, San Antonio, Texas Attendance: 20,486 Referees: Bob Delaney, Bill Oakes, Mark Wunderlich
* TBS
* April 29 8:00 PM
* Boxscore
Phoenix Suns 80, San Antonio Spurs 99 :
| Scoring by quarter: 23–20, 18–21, 14–21, 25–37 |||
| Pts: Kevin Johnson 18 Rebs: Antonio McDyess 19 Asts: Steve Nash 5 | Pts: Avery Johnson 30 Rebs: David Robinson 21 Asts: Avery Johnson 7 |
| San Antonio wins series, 3–1 |||
* Alamodome, San Antonio, Texas Attendance: 27,528 Referees: Dan Crawford, Bernie Fryer, David Jones
Phoenix won 3–1 in the regular-season series :
January 9, 1998
Recap
San Antonio Spurs 79, Phoenix Suns 100
America West Arena, Phoenix, Arizona
February 14, 1998
Recap
Phoenix Suns 94, San Antonio Spurs 81
Alamodome, San Antonio
February 22, 1998
Recap
San Antonio Spurs 79, Phoenix Suns 97
America West Arena, Phoenix, Arizona
March 22, 1998
Recap
Phoenix Suns 83, San Antonio Spurs 93
Alamodome, San Antonio :
This was the fourth playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Suns winning two of the first three meetings.
Phoenix leads 2–1 in all-time playoff series :
1992
Phoenix Suns 3, San Antonio Spurs 0
1992 Western Conference First Round
1993
Phoenix Suns 4, San Antonio Spurs 2
1993 Western Conference Semifinals
1996
Phoenix Suns 1, San Antonio Spurs 3
1996 Western Conference First Round :

## Conference semifinals
### Eastern Conference semifinals
#### (1) Chicago Bulls vs. (4) Charlotte Hornets

* NBC
* May 3 5:30 PM
* Boxscore
Charlotte Hornets 70, Chicago Bulls 83 :
| Scoring by quarter: 23–15, 15–22, 10–21, 22–25 |||
| Pts: Glen Rice 25 Rebs: Vlade Divac 14 Asts: David Wesley 9 | Pts: Michael Jordan 35 Rebs: Dennis Rodman 14 Asts: Jordan, Pippen 4 each |
| Chicago leads series, 1–0 |||
* United Center, Chicago, Illinois Attendance: 23,844 Referees: Ronnie Nunn, Bill Oakes, Greg Willard
* TNT
* May 6 8:00 PM
* Boxscore
Charlotte Hornets 78, Chicago Bulls 76 :
| Scoring by quarter: 13–17, 17–19, 19–21, 29–19 |||
| Pts: Anthony Mason 15 Rebs: Vlade Divac 19 Asts: Mason, Rice 4 each | Pts: Michael Jordan 22 Rebs: Dennis Rodman 18 Asts: Michael Jordan 6 |
| Series tied, 1–1 |||
* United Center, Chicago, Illinois Attendance: 23,844 Referees: Ted Bernhardt, Joe Crawford, Eddie F. Rush
* TNT
* May 8 8:00 PM
* Boxscore
Chicago Bulls 103, Charlotte Hornets 89 :
| Scoring by quarter: 25–24, 28–18, 25–21, 25–26 |||
| Pts: Michael Jordan 27 Rebs: Dennis Rodman 17 Asts: Michael Jordan 6 | Pts: Glen Rice 31 Rebs: Vlade Divac 13 Asts: David Wesley 8 |
| Chicago leads series, 2–1 |||
* Charlotte Coliseum, Charlotte, North Carolina Attendance: 23,799 Referees: Dick Bavetta, Jim Clark, Ron Olesiak
* NBC
* May 10 5:30 PM
* Boxscore
Chicago Bulls 94, Charlotte Hornets 80 :
| Scoring by quarter: 18–20, 26–20, 28–19, 22–21 |||
| Pts: Michael Jordan 31 Rebs: Dennis Rodman 18 Asts: Scottie Pippen 8 | Pts: Vlade Divac 15 Rebs: Glen Rice 9 Asts: Anthony Mason 5 |
| Chicago leads series, 3–1 |||
* Charlotte Coliseum, Charlotte, North Carolina Attendance: 23,799 Referees: Bob Delaney, Steve Javie, Jack Nies
* TNT
* May 13 9:30 PM
* Boxscore
Charlotte Hornets 84, Chicago Bulls 93 :
| Scoring by quarter: 29–26, 16–23, 25–24, 14–20 |||
| Pts: Glen Rice 30 Rebs: Vlade Divac 15 Asts: three players 5 | Pts: Michael Jordan 33 Rebs: Dennis Rodman 21 Asts: Pippen, Longley 5 each |
| Chicago wins series, 4–1 |||
* United Center, Chicago, Illinois Attendance: 23,844 Referees: Dan Crawford, Ron Garretson, Luis Grillo
Chicago won 3–1 in the regular-season series :
November 14, 1997
Recap
Charlotte Hornets 92, Chicago Bulls 105
United Center, Chicago, Illinois
December 12, 1997
Recap
Chicago Bulls 77, Charlotte Hornets 79
Charlotte Coliseum, Charlotte, North Carolina
January 21, 1998
Recap
Charlotte Hornets 79, Chicago Bulls 110
United Center, Chicago, Illinois
February 11, 1998
Recap
Chicago Bulls 92, Charlotte Hornets 90
Charlotte Coliseum, Charlotte, North Carolina :
This was the second playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Bulls winning the first meeting.
Chicago leads 1–0 in all-time playoff series :
1995
Charlotte Hornets 1, Chicago Bulls 3
1995 Eastern Conference First Round :

#### (3) Indiana Pacers vs. (7) New York Knicks

* TNT
* May 5 8:00 PM
* Boxscore
New York Knicks 83, Indiana Pacers 93 :
| Scoring by quarter: 31–13, 14–34, 19–26, 19–20 |||
| Pts: John Starks 17 Rebs: Charles Oakley 11 Asts: Charlie Ward 6 | Pts: Reggie Miller 17 Rebs: Dale Davis 11 Asts: Mark Jackson 6 |
| Indiana leads series, 1–0 |||
* Market Square Arena, Indianapolis, Indiana Attendance: 16,630 Referees: Dan Crawford, Joe DeRosa, Ron Garretson
* TNT
* May 7 8:00 PM
* Boxscore
New York Knicks 77, Indiana Pacers 85 :
| Scoring by quarter: 18–23, 21–23, 22–18, 16–21 |||
| Pts: John Starks 20 Rebs: Charles Oakley 9 Asts: Charlie Ward 10 | Pts: Rik Smits 22 Rebs: Dale Davis 9 Asts: Mark Jackson 5 |
| Indiana leads series, 2–0 |||
* Market Square Arena, Indianapolis, Indiana Attendance: 16,765 Referees: Hugh Evans, Joe Forte, Ken Mauer
* NBC
* May 9 1:00 PM
* Boxscore
Indiana Pacers 76, New York Knicks 83 :
| Scoring by quarter: 26–15, 17–33, 23–14, 10–21 |||
| Pts: Reggie Miller 23 Rebs: Dale Davis 9 Asts: Mark Jackson 9 | Pts: Patrick Ewing 19 Rebs: Chris Mills 8 Asts: Chris Childs 5 |
| Indiana leads series, 2–1 |||
* Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York Attendance: 19,763 Referees: Hue Hollins, Tommy Nunez Sr., Bill Oakes
* NBC
* May 10 12:30 PM
* Boxscore
Indiana Pacers 118, New York Knicks 107 (OT) :
| Scoring by quarter: 29–27, 25–28, 26–22, 22–25, Overtime: 16–5 |||
| Pts: Reggie Miller 38 Rebs: Antonio Davis 9 Asts: Mark Jackson 15 | Pts: Houston, Starks 19 each Rebs: Charles Oakley 10 Asts: Chris Childs 6 |
| Indiana leads series, 3–1 |||
* Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York Attendance: 19,763 Referees: Dick Bavetta, Jim Clark, Terry Durham
Reggie Miller hits the game-tying 3 with 5.1 seconds left to force OT.
* TNT
* May 13 7:00 PM
* Boxscore
New York Knicks 88, Indiana Pacers 99 :
| Scoring by quarter: 25–29, 18–18, 18–21, 27–31 |||
| Pts: Allan Houston 33 Rebs: Patrick Ewing 7 Asts: Patrick Ewing 11 | Pts: Reggie Miller 24 Rebs: Mark Jackson 14 Asts: Mark Jackson 13 |
| Indiana wins series, 4–1 |||
* Market Square Arena, Indianapolis, Indiana Attendance: 16,767 Referees: Bob Delaney, Bernie Fryer, Steve Javie
Indiana won 2–1 in the regular-season series :
December 17, 1997
Recap
New York Knicks 80, Indiana Pacers 87
Market Square Arena, Indianapolis
January 21, 1998
Recap
Indiana Pacers 89, New York Knicks 97
Madison Square Garden, New York City
March 15, 1998
Recap
Indiana Pacers 91, New York Knicks 86
Madison Square Garden, New York City :
This was the fourth playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Knicks winning two of the first three meetings.
New York leads 2–1 in all-time playoff series :
1993
Indiana Pacers 1, New York Knicks 3
1993 Eastern Conference First Round
1994
Indiana Pacers 3, New York Knicks 4
1994 Eastern Conference Finals
1995
Indiana Pacers 4, New York Knicks 3
1995 Eastern Conference Semifinals :

### Western Conference semifinals
#### (1) Utah Jazz vs. (5) San Antonio Spurs

* TNT
* May 5 10:30 PM
* Boxscore
San Antonio Spurs 82, Utah Jazz 83 :
| Scoring by quarter: 16–26, 30–26, 14–16, 22–15 |||
| Pts: Tim Duncan 33 Rebs: David Robinson 16 Asts: Avery Johnson 8 | Pts: Karl Malone 25 Rebs: Karl Malone 8 Asts: John Stockton 8 |
| Utah leads series, 1–0 |||
* Delta Center, Salt Lake City, Utah Attendance: 19,911 Referees: Dick Bavetta, Jack Nies, Tommy Nunez Sr.
* TNT
* May 7 10:30 PM
* Boxscore
San Antonio Spurs 106, Utah Jazz 109 (OT) :
| Scoring by quarter: 22–20, 30–31, 23–28, 23–19, Overtime: 8–11 |||
| Pts: Tim Duncan 26 Rebs: David Robinson 14 Asts: Vinny Del Negro 5 | Pts: Karl Malone 22 Rebs: Karl Malone 12 Asts: John Stockton 12 |
| Utah leads series, 2–0 |||
* Delta Center, Salt Lake City, Utah Attendance: 19,911 Referees: Terry Durham, Hue Hollins, Bill Oakes
* NBC
* May 9 3:30 PM
* Boxscore
Utah Jazz 64, San Antonio Spurs 86 :
| Scoring by quarter: 14–25, 21–28, 9–18, 20–15 |||
| Pts: Karl Malone 18 Rebs: Greg Ostertag 9 Asts: Hornacek, Vaughn 3 each | Pts: David Robinson 21 Rebs: Will Perdue 11 Asts: Avery Johnson 5 |
| Utah leads series, 2–1 |||
* Alamodome, San Antonio, Texas Attendance: 26,086 Referees: Hugh Evans, Ron Garretson, Derrick Stafford
* TNT
* May 10 9:00 PM
* Boxscore
Utah Jazz 82, San Antonio Spurs 73 :
| Scoring by quarter: 25–22, 18–17, 21–13, 18–21 |||
| Pts: Karl Malone 34 Rebs: Karl Malone 12 Asts: John Stockton 7 | Pts: Tim Duncan 22 Rebs: David Robinson 11 Asts: Avery Johnson 7 |
| Utah leads series, 3–1 |||
* Alamodome, San Antonio, Texas Attendance: 28,587 Referees: Dan Crawford, Joe DeRosa, Ronnie Nunn
* TNT
* May 12 8:00 PM
* Boxscore
San Antonio Spurs 77, Utah Jazz 87 :
| Scoring by quarter: 14–19, 19–24, 18–18, 26–26 |||
| Pts: David Robinson 21 Rebs: David Robinson 13 Asts: Avery Johnson 8 | Pts: Karl Malone 24 Rebs: Karl Malone 13 Asts: Howard Eisley 7 |
| Utah wins series, 4–1 |||
* Delta Center, Salt Lake City, Utah Attendance: 19,911 Referees: Joe Crawford, Joe Forte, Eddie F. Rush
Utah won 3–1 in the regular-season series :
November 8, 1997
Recap
Utah Jazz 80, San Antonio Spurs 87
Alamodome, San Antonio
November 22, 1997
Recap
San Antonio Spurs 74, Utah Jazz 103
Delta Center, Salt Lake City
February 21, 1998
Recap
Utah Jazz 79, San Antonio Spurs 77
Alamodome, San Antonio
April 8, 1998
Recap
San Antonio Spurs 88, Utah Jazz 98
Delta Center, Salt Lake City :
This was the third playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Jazz winning the first two meetings.
Utah leads 2–0 in all-time playoff series :
1994
San Antonio Spurs 1, Utah Jazz 3
1994 Western Conference First Round
1996
San Antonio Spurs 2, Utah Jazz 4
1996 Western Conference Semifinals :

#### (2) Seattle SuperSonics vs. (3) Los Angeles Lakers

* TNT
* May 4 9:00 PM
* Boxscore
Los Angeles Lakers 92, Seattle SuperSonics 106 :
| Scoring by quarter: 32–29, 18–33, 29–16, 13–28 |||
| Pts: Shaquille O'Neal 27 Rebs: Shaquille O'Neal 11 Asts: Rick Fox 10 | Pts: Gary Payton 25 Rebs: Hawkins, Baker 8 each Asts: Gary Payton 6 |
| Seattle leads series, 1–0 |||
* KeyArena, Seattle, Washington Attendance: 17,072 Referees: Hugh Evans, Joe Forte, Derrick Stafford
* TNT
* May 6 10:30 PM
* Boxscore
Los Angeles Lakers 92, Seattle SuperSonics 68 :
| Scoring by quarter: 19–26, 25–11, 20–12, 28–19 |||
| Pts: Shaquille O'Neal 26 Rebs: O'Neal, Horry 10 each Asts: Derek Fisher 7 | Pts: Vin Baker 13 Rebs: Detlef Schrempf 8 Asts: Gary Payton 5 |
| Series tied, 1–1 |||
* KeyArena, Seattle, Washington Attendance: 17,072 Referees: Bob Delaney, Luis Grillo, Steve Javie
* TNT
* May 8 10:30 PM
* Boxscore
Seattle SuperSonics 103, Los Angeles Lakers 119 :
| Scoring by quarter: 28–27, 23–29, 23–31, 29–32 |||
| Pts: Detlef Schrempf 26 Rebs: Vin Baker 12 Asts: Gary Payton 13 | Pts: Shaquille O'Neal 30 Rebs: Shaquille O'Neal 10 Asts: Derek Fisher 7 |
| LA Lakers lead series, 2–1 |||
* Great Western Forum, Inglewood, California Attendance: 17,505 Referees: Dan Crawford, Bernie Fryer, Ronnie Nunn
* NBC
* May 10 3:00 PM
* Boxscore
Seattle SuperSonics 100, Los Angeles Lakers 112 :
| Scoring by quarter: 28–30, 27–27, 25–33, 20–22 |||
| Pts: Gary Payton 31 Rebs: Gary Payton 8 Asts: Gary Payton 13 | Pts: Shaquille O'Neal 39 Rebs: Shaquille O'Neal 8 Asts: O'Neal, Van Exel 7 each |
| LA Lakers lead series, 3–1 |||
* Great Western Forum, Inglewood, California Attendance: 17,505 Referees: Joe Crawford, Eddie F. Rush, Greg Willard
* TNT
* May 12 10:30 PM
* Boxscore
Los Angeles Lakers 110, Seattle SuperSonics 95 :
| Scoring by quarter: 39–22, 23–28, 24–26, 24–19 |||
| Pts: Shaquille O'Neal 31 Rebs: Robert Horry 11 Asts: Derek Fisher 6 | Pts: Vin Baker 28 Rebs: Vin Baker 9 Asts: Hersey Hawkins 6 |
| LA Lakers win series, 4–1 |||
* KeyArena, Seattle, Washington Attendance: 17,072 Referees: Dick Bavetta, Ken Mauer, Bill Oakes
Seattle won 3–1 in the regular-season series :
January 24, 1998
Recap
Los Angeles Lakers 95, Seattle SuperSonics 101
KeyArena, Seattle
February 13, 1998
Recap
Seattle SuperSonics 113, Los Angeles Lakers 108
Great Western Forum, Inglewood, California
March 16, 1998
Recap
Los Angeles Lakers 89, Seattle SuperSonics 101
KeyArena, Seattle
March 20, 1998
Recap
Seattle SuperSonics 80, Los Angeles Lakers 93
Great Western Forum, Inglewood, California :
This was the seventh playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Lakers winning four of the first six meetings.
Los Angeles leads 4–2 in all-time playoff series :
1978
Los Angeles Lakers 1, Seattle SuperSonics 2
1978 Western Conference First Round
1979
Los Angeles Lakers 1, Seattle SuperSonics 4
1979 Western Conference Semifinals
1980
Los Angeles Lakers 4, Seattle SuperSonics 1
1980 Western Conference Finals
1987
Los Angeles Lakers 4, Seattle SuperSonics 0
1987 Western Conference Finals
1989
Los Angeles Lakers 4, Seattle SuperSonics 0
1989 Western Conference Semifinals
1995
Los Angeles Lakers 3, Seattle SuperSonics 1
1995 Western Conference First Round :

## Conference finals
### Eastern Conference finals
#### (1) Chicago Bulls vs. (3) Indiana Pacers

* NBC
* May 17 3:30 PM
* Boxscore
Indiana Pacers 79, Chicago Bulls 85 :
| Scoring by quarter: 22–16, 18–21, 17–27, 22–21 |||
| Pts: Reggie Miller 16 Rebs: Antonio Davis 11 Asts: Mark Jackson 6 | Pts: Michael Jordan 31 Rebs: Dennis Rodman 10 Asts: Scottie Pippen 7 |
| Chicago leads series, 1–0 |||
* United Center, Chicago, Illinois Attendance: 23,844 Referees: Joe Crawford, Jack Nies, Tommy Nunez Sr.
* TNT
* May 19 8:30 PM
* Boxscore
Indiana Pacers 98, Chicago Bulls 104 :
| Scoring by quarter: 28–26, 24–19, 22–33, 24–26 |||
| Pts: Reggie Miller 19 Rebs: Dale Davis 9 Asts: Mark Jackson 8 | Pts: Michael Jordan 41 Rebs: Ron Harper 9 Asts: Jordan, Pippen 5 each |
| Chicago leads series, 2–0 |||
* United Center, Chicago, Illinois Attendance: 23,844 Referees: Jim Clark, Joe Forte, Hue Hollins
* NBC
* May 23 3:30 PM
* Boxscore
Chicago Bulls 105, Indiana Pacers 107 :
| Scoring by quarter: 24–26, 32–26, 21–25, 28–30 |||
| Pts: Michael Jordan 30 Rebs: Dennis Rodman 12 Asts: Michael Jordan 7 | Pts: Reggie Miller 28 Rebs: Antonio Davis 12 Asts: Rose, Jackson 6 each |
| Chicago leads series, 2–1 |||
* Market Square Arena, Indianapolis, Indiana Attendance: 16,576 Referees: Dick Bavetta, Bernie Fryer, Ron Garretson
* NBC
* May 25 3:30 PM
* Boxscore
Chicago Bulls 94, Indiana Pacers 96 :
| Scoring by quarter: 27–24, 27–24, 23–21, 17–27 |||
| Pts: Michael Jordan 28 Rebs: Dennis Rodman 16 Asts: Scottie Pippen 10 | Pts: Rik Smits 26 Rebs: Chris Mullin 9 Asts: Mark Jackson 7 |
| Series tied, 2–2 |||
* Market Square Arena, Indianapolis, Indiana Attendance: 16,560 Referees: Hugh Evans, Ronnie Nunn, Bill Oakes
Reggie Miller hits the game-winning 3 with 7 tenths left.
* NBC
* May 27 9:00 PM
* Boxscore
Indiana Pacers 87, Chicago Bulls 106 :
| Scoring by quarter: 16–29, 16–28, 24–30, 31–19 |||
| Pts: Reggie Miller 14 Rebs: Smits, Davis 7 each Asts: Mark Jackson 5 | Pts: Michael Jordan 29 Rebs: Scottie Pippen 8 Asts: Kukoč, Pippen 7 each |
| Chicago leads series, 3–2 |||
* United Center, Chicago, Illinois Attendance: 23,844 Referees: Bob Delaney, Steve Javie, Bennett Salvatore
* NBC
* May 29 9:00 PM
* Boxscore
Chicago Bulls 89, Indiana Pacers 92 :
| Scoring by quarter: 24–24, 22–25, 23–21, 20–22 |||
| Pts: Michael Jordan 35 Rebs: Dennis Rodman 12 Asts: three players 2 each | Pts: Rik Smits 25 Rebs: Dale Davis 8 Asts: three players 3 each |
| Series tied, 3–3 |||
* Market Square Arena, Indianapolis, Indiana Attendance: 16,566 Referees: Dan Crawford, Joe Crawford, Hue Hollins
* NBC
* May 31 7:00 PM
* Boxscore
Indiana Pacers 83, Chicago Bulls 88 :
| Scoring by quarter: 27–19, 18–29, 20–21, 18–19 |||
| Pts: Reggie Miller 22 Rebs: Antonio Davis 10 Asts: Mark Jackson 6 | Pts: Michael Jordan 28 Rebs: Scottie Pippen 12 Asts: Michael Jordan 8 |
| Chicago wins series, 4–3 |||
* United Center, Chicago, Illinois Attendance: 23,844 Referees: Dick Bavetta, Hugh Evans, Jack Nies
Tied 2–2 in the regular-season series :
November 28, 1997
Recap
Chicago Bulls 83, Indiana Pacers 94
Market Square Arena, Indianapolis
February 17, 1998
Recap
Indiana Pacers 97, Chicago Bulls 105
United Center, Chicago, Illinois
March 17, 1998
Recap
Chicago Bulls 90, Indiana Pacers 84
Market Square Arena, Indianapolis
April 13, 1998
Recap
Indiana Pacers 114, Chicago Bulls 105
United Center, Chicago, Illinois :
This was the first playoff meeting between the Bulls and the Pacers.

### Western Conference finals
#### (1) Utah Jazz vs. (3) Los Angeles Lakers

* NBC
* May 16 3:00 PM
* Boxscore
Los Angeles Lakers 77, Utah Jazz 112 :
| Scoring by quarter: 13–24, 22–37, 30–30, 12–21 |||
| Pts: Shaquille O'Neal 19 Rebs: Corie Blount 9 Asts: Nick Van Exel 3 | Pts: Karl Malone 29 Rebs: Shandon Anderson 11 Asts: Stockton, Eisley 9 each |
| Utah leads series, 1–0 |||
* Delta Center, Salt Lake City, Utah Attendance: 19,911 Referees: Hugh Evans, Bernie Fryer, Ronnie Nunn
* TNT
* May 18 8:30 PM
* Boxscore
Los Angeles Lakers 95, Utah Jazz 99 :
| Scoring by quarter: 29–24, 21–25, 21–21, 24–29 |||
| Pts: Shaquille O'Neal 31 Rebs: Corie Blount 10 Asts: Rick Fox 7 | Pts: Karl Malone 33 Rebs: Malone, Russell 7 each Asts: John Stockton 6 |
| Utah leads series, 2–0 |||
* Delta Center, Salt Lake City, Utah Attendance: 19,911 Referees: Terry Durham, Steve Javie, Bill Oakes
* TNT
* May 22 10:30 PM
* Boxscore
Utah Jazz 109, Los Angeles Lakers 98 :
| Scoring by quarter: 21–20, 28–23, 25–28, 35–27 |||
| Pts: Karl Malone 26 Rebs: Karl Malone 10 Asts: John Stockton 8 | Pts: Shaquille O'Neal 39 Rebs: Shaquille O'Neal 15 Asts: Nick Van Exel 7 |
| Utah leads series, 3–0 |||
* Great Western Forum, Inglewood, California Attendance: 17,505 Referees: Dan Crawford, Bob Delaney, Tommy Nunez Sr.
* NBC
* May 24 3:30 PM
* Boxscore
Utah Jazz 96, Los Angeles Lakers 92 :
| Scoring by quarter: 20–18, 27–20, 20–19, 29–35 |||
| Pts: Karl Malone 32 Rebs: Karl Malone 14 Asts: John Stockton 8 | Pts: Shaquille O'Neal 38 Rebs: Robert Horry 8 Asts: Eddie Jones 6 |
| Utah wins series, 4–0 |||
* Great Western Forum, Inglewood, California Attendance: 17,505 Referees: Joe Crawford, Jack Nies, Bennett Salvatore
Los Angeles won 3–1 in the regular-season series :
October 31, 1997
Recap
Utah Jazz 87, Los Angeles Lakers 104
Great Western Forum, Inglewood, California
November 18, 1997
Recap
Los Angeles Lakers 97, Utah Jazz 92
Delta Center, Salt Lake City
March 28, 1998
Recap
Los Angeles Lakers 91, Utah Jazz 106
Delta Center, Salt Lake City
April 19, 1998
Recap
Utah Jazz 98, Los Angeles Lakers 102
Great Western Forum, Inglewood, California :
This was the third playoff meeting between these two teams, with each team winning one series apiece.
Tied 1–1 in all-time playoff series :
1988
Los Angeles Lakers 4, Utah Jazz 3
1988 Western Conference Semifinals
1997
Los Angeles Lakers 1, Utah Jazz 4
1997 Western Conference Semifinals :

## NBA Finals: (E1) Chicago Bulls vs. (W1) Utah Jazz

* NBC
* June 3 9:00 PM
* Boxscore
Chicago Bulls 85, Utah Jazz 88 (OT) :
| Scoring by quarter: 17–17, 23–28, 19–22, 20–12, Overtime: 6–9 |||
| Pts: Michael Jordan 33 Rebs: Dennis Rodman 10 Asts: Steve Kerr 5 | Pts: John Stockton 24 Rebs: Karl Malone 14 Asts: John Stockton 8 |
| Utah leads series, 1–0 |||
* Delta Center, Salt Lake City, Utah Attendance: 19,911 Referees: Ron Garretson, Steve Javie, Bennett Salvatore
Luc Longley hits the game-tying shot with 14.3 seconds left to force OT.
* NBC
* June 5 9:00 PM
* Boxscore
Chicago Bulls 93, Utah Jazz 88 :
| Scoring by quarter: 23–20, 27–26, 20–27, 23–15 |||
| Pts: Michael Jordan 37 Rebs: Kukoč, Rodman 9 each Asts: Scottie Pippen 4 | Pts: Jeff Hornacek 20 Rebs: Karl Malone 12 Asts: Eisley, Stockton 7 each |
| Series tied, 1–1 |||
* Delta Center, Salt Lake City, Utah Attendance: 19,911 Referees: Dan Crawford, Joe Crawford, Bill Oakes
* NBC
* June 7 8:30 PM
* Boxscore
Utah Jazz 54, Chicago Bulls 96 :
| Scoring by quarter: 14–17, 17–32, 14–23, 9–24 |||
| Pts: Karl Malone 22 Rebs: Greg Ostertag 9 Asts: John Stockton 7 | Pts: Michael Jordan 24 Rebs: Ron Harper 10 Asts: Ron Harper 7 |
| Chicago leads series, 2–1 |||
* United Center, Chicago, Illinois Attendance: 23,844 Referees: Dick Bavetta, Hue Hollins, Ronnie Nunn
Utah scores the fewest points in any playoff game in NBA history (54) and loses by the biggest margin in NBA Finals history (42).
* NBC
* June 10 8:30 PM
* Boxscore
Utah Jazz 82, Chicago Bulls 86 :
| Scoring by quarter: 19–21, 18–18, 20–22, 25–25 |||
| Pts: Karl Malone 21 Rebs: Karl Malone 14 Asts: John Stockton 13 | Pts: Michael Jordan 34 Rebs: Dennis Rodman 14 Asts: Scottie Pippen 5 |
| Chicago leads series, 3–1 |||
* United Center, Chicago, Illinois Attendance: 23,844 Referees: Hugh Evans, Steve Javie, Jack Nies
* NBC
* June 12 8:30 PM
* Boxscore
Utah Jazz 83, Chicago Bulls 81 :
| Scoring by quarter: 16–18, 14–18, 29–19, 24–26 |||
| Pts: Karl Malone 39 Rebs: Karl Malone 9 Asts: John Stockton 12 | Pts: Toni Kukoč 30 Rebs: Scottie Pippen 11 Asts: Scottie Pippen 11 |
| Chicago leads series, 3–2 |||
* United Center, Chicago, Illinois Attendance: 23,844 Referees: Joe Crawford, Bill Oakes, Bennett Salvatore
* NBC
* June 14 9:00 PM
* Boxscore
Chicago Bulls 87, Utah Jazz 86 :
| Scoring by quarter: 22–25, 23–24, 16–17, 26–20 |||
| Pts: Michael Jordan 45 Rebs: Dennis Rodman 8 Asts: Kukoč, Pippen 4 each | Pts: Karl Malone 31 Rebs: Karl Malone 11 Asts: Karl Malone 7 |
| Chicago wins series, 4–2 |||
* Delta Center, Salt Lake City, Utah Attendance: 19,911 Referees: Dick Bavetta, Dan Crawford, Hue Hollins
Michael Jordan hits the game-winning shot with 5.2 seconds left; this was Jordan's final NBA game with the Bulls.
Utah won 2–0 in the regular-season series :
January 25, 1998
Recap
Utah Jazz 101, Chicago Bulls 94
United Center, Chicago, Illinois
February 4, 1998
Recap
Chicago Bulls 93, Utah Jazz 101
Delta Center, Salt Lake City :
This was the second NBA Finals meeting between these two teams, with the Bulls winning the first meeting.
Chicago leads 1–0 in all-time playoff series :
1997
Chicago Bulls 4, Utah Jazz 2
1997 NBA Finals :

## Statistical leaders

| Category | Game High | Game High | Game High | Average | Average | Average | Average |
| Category | Player | Team | High | Player | Team | Avg. | GP |
| Points | Michael Jordan | Chicago Bulls | 45 | Michael Jordan | Chicago Bulls | 32.4 | 21 |
| Rebounds | Dennis Rodman David Robinson Jayson Williams | Chicago Bulls San Antonio Spurs New Jersey Nets | 21 | David Robinson | San Antonio Spurs | 14.1 | 9 |
| Assists | Mark Jackson | Indiana Pacers | 17 | Damon Stoudamire | Portland Trail Blazers | 9.5 | 4 |
| Steals | Charlie Ward Jason Kidd | New York Knicks Phoenix Suns | 6 | Jason Kidd | Phoenix Suns | 4.0 | 4 |
| Blocks | Shaquille O'Neal | Los Angeles Lakers | 8 | David Robinson | San Antonio Spurs | 3.3 | 9 |