Quarter 1
Jazz 23, Bulls 17Key player: Jeff Hornacek, who made just 2-of-11 shots in Game 5, led the Jazz with seven points. His 3-pointer with 3:08 remaining gave Utah its first six-point lead at 18-12. Teammate Greg Ostertag finished the period with four rebounds and a blocked shot to pace the defensive effort. Scottie Pippen topped Chicago with eight points and five rebounds, both game-highs.
Key stat: A 7-0 advantage on fast-break points enabled the Jazz to up their field-goal shooting to a less-than-spectacular 40 percent, cosmetically accurate when compared to Chicago's 6-for-19 display (31.6 percent). Utah's defense intercepted three Bulls passes as Bryon Russell, Karl Malone and Hornacek recorded steals. The two teams combined for seven turnovers and only five assists.
Key stretch: Utah broke a 10-10 tie by going on an 8-2 run in just 74 seconds time. Hornacek led the Jazz with four points in the burst, while Russell contributed a 3-pointer and Ostertag added a free throw. Chicago never drew closer than four points in the final three minutes. Antoine Carr hit an 11-foot jump shot with 9.9 seconds remaining to cap all scoring and restore Utah's biggest lead in the period.
Quarter 2
Jazz 21, Bulls 20
Key player: Though he missed 2-of-8 free throws, including a string of five straight, Malone kept the Jazz on top with six points and four rebounds. Russell matched the Mailman's scoring output and made a 3-pointer to give the Jazz a double-figure lead at 34-24 with 5:43 to play in the half. Michael Jordan led a Chicago charge, which eventually reduced the deficit to as little as four points, by scoring 12 in the quarter. He also added a game-high five rebounds.
Key stat: Utah maintained its lead throughout the quarter despite making just 50 percent (7-of-14) of its free throws. Sloppy ballhandling by the Bulls allowed the Jazz to overcome its shortcomings shooting (37.5 percent from the field). Malone registered two steals, while Anderson and Stockton had one each. Utah bolstered its cause further by not allowing Chicago any offensive rebounds.
Key stretch: After a 3-pointer by Jordan pulled the Bulls to within 36-32 from 10-points down less than three minutes earlier, Malone tipped in a shot before he and Hornacek combined to make four free throws and restore Utah's double-digit lead at 42-32 with 59.1 seconds left in the period. A 3-pointer by Toni Kukoc and a basket by Jordan sandwiched a 15-footer by Malone to make it a seven-point game at quarter's end.
Quarter 3
Jazz 26, Bulls 27
Key player: His last name starts with a "J," he plays for Chicago and he wears No. 23. Oh yeah, he also has a statue in front of the United Center. Jordan scored 13 points in leading teh Bulls to their first 12-minute edge over the Jazz. Utah never trailed, however, as five scored at least four points in the period. Hornacek and Malone each scored six and teamed to go 6-for-6 from the foul line.
Key stat: Utah's field-goal shooting contained both good news and bad news for the Jazz. First the good, Utah finally hit 50 percent of its shots. The bad? Chicago attempted 10 more shots and stayed in contention despite making just nine. Ostertag provided another notable number by blocking three shots in 10 minutes of play. He laso led all rebounders with four.
Key stretch: An argument could be made that all 12 minutes were pivotal for the Jazz, who withstood a series of runs by the Bulls. Chicago inched within three points once and four on three occassions before Utah answered with scores. A layup by Jordan made it 48-45 with 8:26 remaining but Utah bent no more. A Russell 3-pointer keyed a 6-1 run to give the Jazz a 70-61 lead in the last minute.
Quarter 4
Jazz 16, Bulls 26
Key player: Jordan finished off his fifth Finals MVP run with 10 points and an assist on what proved to be the game-winning shot. After entering the paint surrounded by a pack of Jazz defenders, Jordan found Steve Kerr open just inside the top of the key with five seconds remaining. After a timeout, Pippen then stole Utah's in-bounds to seal the outcome for the Bulls.
Key stat: Chicago overcame a nine-point Utah lead in the final 12 minutes by committing no turnovers and limiting Utah to 5-for-15 shooting. The Bulls, who benefitted from by steals by Dennis Rodman and Pippen in the final 4:38, grabbed three offensive rebounds down the stretch and outboarded the Jazz 12-7. Chicago went to the free throw line just two times in the period, but made both attempts.
Key stretch: In the blink of an eye, OK it was actually 2:32, Utah saw a 73-63 lead disappear. Chicago reeled off 10 straight points to take its first lead since early in the game and set the scene for a dramatic finish. Pippen and Kerr hit 3-pointers during the lead-changing run. Two more changes ensued before the Bulls took the lead for good on Kerr's shot off a pass from Jordan.