Even Mixer: : NBA 1992- Portland Blazers @ Boston Celtics: Full Game

Source:Even Mixer- welcome to the Boston Garden.

Source:The New Democrat

A very interesting game, not just because it was a double overtime shootout, but also because it was one of the great Larry Bird’s last big games. 1992 was Larry Legend’s last season and a time when the Celtics were in transition. No longer a prominent NBA Finals contender and moving from a half-court based low-post motion offense team, to a more finesse team that would look to break a lot, with a lot more athletic players. And the early 1990s Celtics were also a deeper team where Legend, Kevin McHale and Robert Parish no longer had to play 35-40 minutes a night for the Celtics to beat good teams. Because they had good players on the bench on the frontline and in the backcourt. Like Ed Pickney, Dee Brown, Joe Klein and others. With Reggie Lewis now as a full-time starter and perhaps their best scorer. And also with Brian Shaw and Kevin Gamble. I would’ve loved to of seen a healthy Legend, McHale and Parish, to go with the young good players that the Celtics had in the early 1990s.

The Blazers of 1992 were like the Blazers of 1991 and 1990. A very talented deep all around team, that could score a lot of points and score fast with a lot of weapons. But were also one of the best defensive teams and rebounding teams in the NBA as well. But this was all when they were on, which was the story of the 1990s Blazers. The most consistently inconsistent winning team perhaps all-time in the NBA. So when you were playing the Blazers, you didn’t know who you were playing. Were you playing perhaps the best team in the NBA when they were on, or were you playing a team that looked like they could be beat by a bad team at home. They would make a lot of great plays and then follow them up with a lot of bad mistakes. Win a lot of games and then go on a losing streak. So this was one of the most interesting matchup’s in the NBA in 1992.
Source:Even Mixer

Unforgettable Bulls: NBA 1992- Portland Blazers @ Chicago Bulls: Full Game

Source:Unforgettable Bulls- The Blazers and Bulls from 1992.

Source:The New Democrat

"1991/92 POR CHI 03-01-92."

From Unforgettable Bulls

What was supposed to be a preview of the 1992 NBA Finals, as this game turned out to be between the Blazers and Bulls, was also a blowout. The Blazers of the late 1980s and early 1990s were a very talented, deep all around great team with no real clear weakness’. They essentially replaced the Los Angeles Lakers as the top run and gun fast break athletic team. But that was only when they were on.

The Blazers were an up and down club as far as consistency that would still win 58-62 games a year, but not because of their consistency. But because they would go on long streaks followed by sloppy streaks. And get it together in time for the NBA Playoffs. The only consistent thing about the Blazers of this era, was their leader the Clyde Drexler. Who without Michael Jordan, is perhaps considered the best player of the 1990s.

The Bulls on the other hand were just coming into their own in 1992. Winning the NBA Finals in 1991 and using 92 to prove to the world that they were really the best team in the NBA. Not the deepest and certainly not the most talented. But the best team in the NBA that played the best as a unit and team.

I think the Detroit Pistons of the late 1980s and early 1990s had more talent than the Bulls. More great All Star caliber players, but I think the Bulls were better and had more talent and not just because of Michael Jordan. But throw in Scottie Pippen who would’ve been the best player on a lot of other teams in the NBA at this point. Similar to what the Lakers and Celtics had in the 1980s and Bulls proved this in the 1990s.

WGN Sports: NBA 1985 (1/02) Chicago Bulls @ Philadelphia 76ers: Full Game

Source:WGN Sports- Philadelphia 76ers center Moses Malone at the line where he spent a lot of his career at, the foul line.

Source:Real Life Journal

"Philadelphia 76ers vs Chicago Bulls (01/02/1985)" 

From LFK 

The 76ers still had a lot of talent in 1985. Just look at their starting lineup featuring four Hall of Famers in it with Julius Erving, Moses Malone, Charles Barkley and Maurice Cheeks.

The Bulls were a young and up-incoming team, but most of the guys who won championships with the Bulls in the early 1990s were not there yet. With the 76ers having won the NBA Finals in 1983 and not even making it back to the Eastern Conference Finals in 1984.

The Bulls of this period, other than maybe Orlando Woolridge, who was pretty solid and an up and down Steve Johnson at power forward, this was still the Air Jordan Show in Chicago. With the help that the Bulls needed to be a real Eastern Conference contender, about three years away with Scottie Pippen, Horace Grant and Bill Cartwright.

TVS Sports: NBA 1972- 1972 NBA-ABA All Star Game

Source:NBA-TV- one of the players being introduced for this game.

"1972 NBA Vs ABA All Star Game 5 25 1972"

From Virgil Moody

As ABA head coach Al Bianchi said in his interview before this game, the American Basketball Association needed this game more than the National Basketball Association. The ABA was just getting started and trying to become a major, professional basketball league that could compete with the NBA for players, coaches, and fans. The NBA even though not nearly as popular as the National Football League or Major League Baseball in the early 1970s, was already a proven product. They weren't where they wanted to be, but they were already established and not trying to simply survive.