Five great NBA playoff rivalries of all time

4. Chicago Bulls v/s New York Knicks

With enigmatic players such as Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen, Patrick Ewing and John Starks being involved, the rivalry between the two franchises blossomed in the 1990’s. The rivalry received intense media attention and transcended into becoming one of the most dramatic duels of all time.

The Knicks of the 1990’s were a very physical team, and were reputed for their defensive intensity. The Bulls on the other hand were more of a transition team that believed in pushing the ball forward and playing at a high tempo. With two contrasting basketball philosophies, two of the most passionate and demanding fan-bases, and two of the most mercurial set of players vying against each other, the rivalry was destined to leave indelible footprints on the sands of time.

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Michael Jordan taking on the whole New York Knicks by himself.

In their entire play-off history the Knicks faced the Bulls 7 times, with the Bulls reigning supreme on six occasions. The basketball though not being much of a telegenic was marked by several controversies. The players of both teams engaged in numerous scuffles and arguments, and with the press corps giving these controversies a lot of attention, the series witnessed some of the greatest and most dramatic NBA tussles of all time.

The most memorable moment in this highly publicized rivalry happened in game 5 of the 1994 Eastern Conference Semi-Finals. The game famously known as the Hue Hollins game saw the referee, Hollins, making the most controversial foul call in NBA history. Hollins called a late foul on Pippen, and the disputable call allowed the Knicks to escape with a win and eventually get their first play-off series victory over the Bulls. This marked the last play-off encounter between the two teams in the 90’s, which ended with the most controversial refereeing call of all time; another headline in the much decorated and dramatic rivalry.

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