By Kevin Nowins
Salt Lake City, Utah. The night before Game 5 of the 1997 NBA Finals, Michael Jordan wakes up in his hotel room and finds himself shaking, sweating, and feeling seriously ill. An intense nauseating feeling in his stomach makes him fear that someone must have slipped some kind of drug into his food. After consulting the medical personnel, it was determined that Jordan had somehow been food poisoned and could not play Game 5. But with the series tied 2-2, Utah winning the last two, the Bulls desperately needed Jordan on the court. But how could M.J. play in this condition?
The next day, after missing the morning practices, Jordan walks through the side door of the Delta Center. "I'd never seen him like that. He looked bad.. I mean really bad," says Pippen on first look. "I can play," Jordan announces to coach Phil Jackson as he walks out onto the court. "I'll let you know how I'm feeling as the game goes on."
1997 NBA Finals Game 5. So as the game begins, Jordan merely jogs up and down the court at 65%. He plays tired and dehydrated as it obvious that he is no condition to be in this game. As the first quarter ends, Jordan slumps in his seat with his eyes closed ready to pass out. "He could hardly sit up," Chicago center Luc Longley would say.
Jordan had essentially been useless in the first quarter.
But in the second quarter, right as Utah takes a dominating 16-point lead, something happened.. something truly special happenned as M.J. begins running harder and knocking down jumpers. He records 17 points in the quarter as the Bulls cut into the Utah lead. "It was all about desire," he would tell the media. "Somehow I found the energy to stay strong."
At halftime, Jordan was given fluids and cold towels. The nausea and dizzyness quickly kicked back in, causing him to be virtually useless again in the 3rd quarter. But after the fourth quarter begins and Utah claims an 8 point lead, the Bulls call a timeout as Michael catches his breathe. The score was 69-77, and Jordan knew he had to step up if Chicago had any chance of winning.
The Bulls come out of the timeout firing, as the re-energized M.J. nails a 12-footer. Then, Toni Kukoc and Jordan each knock down cluth three-pointers to tie the game at 77. M.J. caps the 10-0 run with an 18-footer over Byron Russel. "In the third quarter, I felt like I couldn't catch my wind and get my energy level up," Jordan would say later. "I don't know how I got through the fourth quarter. I was just trying to gut myself through it."
With 3:07 remaining in the fourth, John Stockton nails a three for an 81-84 Utah lead. Jordan quickly hits a runner in the lane to make it 83-84. Moments later, Jordan is fouled by Stockton. He makes the first free throw to tie the score at 85 with 46.5 seconds left, but misses the second. Kukoc, however, tips the miss, and Jordan quickly grabs his own rebound and sets up the offense again.
Clearly exhausted, clearly weak, Jordan looks for Pippen posting up Jeff Hornacek. MJ also looks for three-point specialist Steve Kerr, wide open in the corner. Jordan, his arms hanging like a piece of rope, makes a weak fake to Kerr, but then quickly fires a pass to Pippen. Russell quickly moves to double Pippen, 5 for 17 in the game, leaving Jordan open on the perimeter. Pippen quickly fires the ball back to Jordan. The clock shows 0:26. With Stockton's hand right in his face, Jordan launches a shot from beyond the three-point line. The ball hits nothing but string. Bulls, 88-85. Jordan's 15th point of the quarter and his 38th of the night. "We never want to double off Michael Jordan in that situation," Utah coach Jerry Sloan would say later.
Coming out of a timeout, Utah pushes the ball upcourt, and Stockton breaks down the defense and feeds Greg Ostertag for a dunk, making it 88-87 with 15.2 seconds left. The Bulls quickly inbound the ball and work the ball upcourt to Kukoc, who feeds Longley for a dunk and a 90-87 lead with 6.2 seconds remaining. One possession remains. Utah works the ball around and as the clock hits 0:01, Hornacek heaves up a 3-pointer and misses.
