Suns v Bulls Triple-Overtime Game 3 Video

Remember when the NBA Finals used to pit two teams against each other who were very evenly matched and blowouts were never even a consideration?

In June 1993 the Phoenix Suns made their second trip in the franchise’s 25 year history to the NBA Finals pitting that season’s league MVP, Charles Barkley, against the greatest player to have ever played the game, Michael Jordan. The build up of the series was epic and the state of Arizona was gripped at the possibility of the team finally winning the long desired championship.

To reach the Finals the Suns were pushed to a series limit twice. After sweeping the Los Angeles Lakers 5-0 during the regular season, the Lakers grabbed a shocking 2-0 first round lead before Phoenix stormed back behind a Paul Westphal proclamation of victory and swept he final three gamesfollowing a game five thriller in OT. The Suns took down the San Antonio Spurs in the Conference Semis dispatching them in six games before then defeating the Seattle SuperSonics in seven in the Conference Finals to reach the NBA Championship round for the first time since the surprising run in 1976.

With the still franchise record 62 wins in the regular season – the best record in the league – the Suns held home court advantage and looked to punch a knockdown blow to Chicago early.

Alas, that was not to be.

Chicago led for the full 48 minutes in game one and mid-way through the second quarter held he Suns by the throat with a 20 point lead totally pulling the previously frenzied home crowd out of the game. Phoenix made a second half charge and late in the fourth found themselves down only three, however the more experienced Bulls pulled out the series opener, 100-92.

The game two outcome wasn’t much different as the Suns ought well and sat only two points back of Chicago with 6:02 remaining in the fourth quarter, only to never come any closer and lose 111-108 behind Michael Jordan’s 42 points. Charles Barkley matched Jordan’s scoring for Phoenix in the loss. Unable to control either game in Phoenix, the Suns led for only a total of 3:54 out of the possible 96:00 minutes.

Heading to the Windy City for games three through five, game three proved to be a one of the most epic matches of titans, both teams throwing blows at the another only to each come back time and time again pushing the game to a tie at the end of regulation.

With the game tied at 103, Chicago entered their third overtime matchup in their past three Finals appearances. For the Suns, it was the first Finals overtime game since their epic triple overtime matchup 17 years earlier against the Boston Celtics in game five of the 1976 Championship series.

What. An. Encore.

To watch the entire game, (which I have not done since the game aired live in ’93), watch here.

To watch the entire triple overtime period including local commercial breaks – which in my humble opinion is pretty awesome – watch here.

As Suns fans know, the Bulls went on to win game four putting the Suns on the brink of elimination in game five, only for Phoenix to have their most complete game from start to finish and ship the two teams back to Arizona.

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Alas, the series was not to be won by the fun Suns and a John Paxon three-pointer with just over three seconds remaining in regulation iced the three-peat for Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls. If only Danny Ainge hadn’t have left Paxon to double Horace Grant in the post… Ugh…

In the end, the Suns lost their second ever Finals appearance 4-2, the same outcome as in 1976, but for game three, they were once again a part of the greatest game in NBA history and to this day are the only franchise to ever have participated in two triple-overtime thrillers in the NBA Finals.

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