Second three-peat (19951998) Freshly motivated by the playoff defeat, Jordan trained a ressively for the 19959! season"#!

8$ Stren thened by the addition of rebo%nd specialist &ennis 'odman, the (%lls dominated the lea %e, startin the season )1*,#!9$ and event%ally finishin +ith the best re %lar season record in ,(- history. /011"#08$ Jordan led the lea %e in scorin +ith *1") pp ,#/1$ and +on the lea %e2s re %lar season and -llStar 3ame 456 a+ards"#0$ 7n the playoffs, the (%lls lost only three ames in fo%r series, defeatin the Seattle S%perSonics in the ,(- Finals to +in the championship" Jordan +as named Finals 456 for a record fo%rth time,#)1$ s%rpassin 4a ic Johnson2s three Finals 456 a+ards" 8e also achieved only the second s+eep of the 456 -+ards in the -ll-Star 3ame, re %lar season and ,(- Finals, 9illis 'eed havin achieved the first, d%rin the 19!9/1 season"#05$ (eca%se this +as Jordan2s first championship since his father2s m%rder, and it +as +on on Father2s &ay, Jordan reacted very emotionally %pon +innin the title, incl%din a memorable scene of him sobbin on the loc:er room floor +ith the ame ball"#0$#)1$ 7n the 199!9/ season, the (%lls started o%t !911, b%t narro+ly missed o%t on a second consec%tive /1+in season by losin their final t+o ames to finish !91*"#/1$ 8o+ever, this year Jordan +as beaten for the ,(- 456 -+ard by ;arl 4alone" <he (%lls a ain advanced to the Finals, +here they faced 4alone and the =tah Ja>>" <he series a ainst the Ja>> feat%red t+o of the more memorable cl%tch moments of Jordan2s career" 8e +on 3ame 1 for the (%lls +ith a b%>>er-beatin ?%mp shot" 7n 3ame 5, +ith the series tied at 0, Jordan played despite bein feverish and dehydrated from a stomach vir%s" 7n +hat is :no+n as the @Fl% 3ame@, Jordan scored *8 points, incl%din the ame-decidin *-pointer +ith 05 seconds remainin "#/0$ <he (%lls +on 9188 and +ent on to +in the series in siA ames"#/1$ For the fifth time in as many Finals appearances, Jordan received the Finals 456 a+ard"#)1$ &%rin the 199/ ,(- -ll-Star 3ame, Jordan posted the first triple do%ble in -ll-Star 3ame history in a victorio%s effortB ho+ever, he did not receive the 456 a+ard" Jordan +ith coach 6hil Jac:son in 199/ Jordan and the (%lls compiled a !001 record in the 199/98 season"#0!$ Jordan led the lea %e +ith 08"/ points per ame,#*1$ sec%rin his fifth re %lar-season 456 a+ard, pl%s honors for -ll-,(- First <eam, First &efensive <eam and the -ll-Star 3ame 456"#0$ <he (%lls capt%red the Castern Donference Dhampionship for a third strai ht season, incl%din s%rvivin a r%elin seven- ame series +ith 'e ie 4iller2s 7ndiana 6acers in the Castern Donference FinalsB it +as the first time Jordan had played in a 3ame / since the 1990 series +ith the ;nic:s" -fter prevailin , they moved on for a rematch +ith the Ja>> in the Finals" <he (%lls ret%rned to =tah for 3ame ! on J%ne 1), 1998 leadin the series *0" Jordan eAec%ted a series of plays, considered to be one of the reatest cl%tch performances in ,(- Finals history"#/*$ 9ith the (%lls trailin 8!8* +ith )1"9 seconds remainin , 6hil Jac:son called a timeo%t" 9hen play res%med, Jordan received the inbo%nd pass, drove to the bas:et, and hit a lay%p over several Ja>> defenders"#/*$ <he Ja>> bro% ht the ball %pco%rt and passed the ball to for+ard ;arl 4alone, +ho +as set %p in the lo+ post and +as bein %arded by 'odman" 4alone ?ostled +ith 'odman and ca% ht the pass, b%t Jordan c%t behind him and s+atted the ball o%t of his hands for a steal"#/*$ Jordan then slo+ly dribbled %pco%rt and pa%sed at the top of the :ey, eyein his defender, Ja>> %ard (ryon '%ssell" 9ith 11 seconds remainin , Jordan started to dribble ri ht, then crossed over to his left, possibly p%shin off '%ssell,#/)$#/5$#/!$ altho% h the officials did not call a fo%l" 9ith 5"0 seconds left, Jordan made the climactic ?%mp shot of his career" -fter John Stoc:ton missed a desperation *-pointer, Jordan and the (%lls claimed their siAth ,(- championship, and sec%red a second three-peat" Ence a ain, Jordan +as voted the Finals 456,#)1$ havin led all scorers by avera in **"5 points per ame, incl%din )5 in the decidin 3ame !"#//$ Jordan2s siA Finals 456s is a recordB ShaF%ille E2,eal, 4a ic Johnson, and <im &%ncan are tied for second place +ith three apiece"#)1$ <he 1998 Finals holds the hi hest television ratin of any Finals series in history, and 3ame ! holds the hi hest television ratin of any ame in ,(- history"#/8$#/9$