1998 Finals Game 5: Malone's finest hour lifts Utah
If the assignment is to conjure up the greatest performance by the most prolific power forward in the game’s history, then there is really only one true answer: Karl Malone’s 39 points in Game 5 of the 1998 Finals against the Bulls. The ramifications were straightforward – lose, and Utah’s season, for the second straight year, had ended at the hands of an immortal Chicago team; win, and hope remained for the Jazz to secure an elusive first title. Malone was simply relentless, whether on his patented turnaround out of the block or scoops in traffic. The masterpiece wasn’t yet etched in stone until Jordan’s fading 26-foot three-point attempt – one that would have capped what proved to be his final home game as a member of the Bulls – fell short as time expired, allowing the Jazz to escape.
