New York Knicks: Five best moments against Michael Jordan

2. Van Gundy’s first win

I feel a little strange putting a regular season win over a playoff win, but trusting my memory, there are few Knicks moments against the Bulls I remember more fondly than their first win with Jeff Van Gundy as head coach.

I distinctly remember watching this one on a Sunday  afternoon in my mother’s living room. I was a young, nerdy kid, and seeing Van Gundy lead the Knicks over the mighty Bulls gave me hope for the future.

In the middle of the Bulls’ historic 72-10 season in 1996, the Knicks spanked them 104-72 at Madison Square Garden, announcing Van Gundy’s arrival to the coaching scene. Forty-eight hours earlier, New York had fired head coach Don Nelson following a lost to the 76ers, who were the worst team in the league at the time. Talk about going from the bottom to the top in a matter of a few days!

Jordan still scored 32 points that afternoon, but none of his other teammates were willing to step forward to help him. Only Scottie Pippen (11 points) and Steve Kerr (10 points) reached double digits in scoring. The Knicks were led by a balanced approach with Patrick Ewing and Derek Harper combining for 49 points, and John Starks and Charlie Ward adding 22 more from the bench.

Before the 32-point drubbing, the Bulls had lost by a combined 42 points over their previous six losses that season.