Full Game: Coronation or Capital Punishment? | Bullets vs Bulls (November 28, 1990)

The 1990–91 campaign is often remembered as a coronation, but as detailed in The Jordan Rules, the early months were a grind of philosophical adjustment. This November 28th matchup at the deafening Chicago Stadium captured a pivotal moment where the "untouchable" Michael Jordan began to truly trust the system Phil Jackson had installed. Facing a Washington Bullets squad known for its physicality but lack of depth, the Bulls didn't just win—they dismantled their opponent with surgical precision. While the box score shows a comfortable 118–94 victory, the story on the floor was the suffocation of the Bullets' offense. As noted in Eleven Rings, Jackson’s obsession with "active hands" was on full display, with the Bulls' perimeter defense turning Washington's possessions into transition nightmares. Jordan, operating within the flow of the Triangle, picked his spots ruthlessly, allowing the game to come to him rather than forcing the issue—a maturity that Sports Illustrated noted was the missing link in previous playoff failures. The Chicago Tribune’s coverage highlighted the disparity in talent, but the real takeaway was the Bulls' killer instinct. In previous seasons, a 15-point lead might have dwindled due to boredom; here, the Bulls kept their foot on the gas, a direct response to the "Detroit Rules" trauma that still haunted the locker room. This wasn't just a win; it was a rehearsal for the dominance that would arrive in June. Timestamp Index: 00:00 Intro 00:04:00 Tip-off 00:06:43 Jordan scores under the post 00:07:09 Jordan hits the 18-footer 00:08:30 Pippen fast break dunk 00:12:50 Jordan hits the tough shot and draws the foul 00:13:02 Jordan posts up for the score 00:14:48 Horace Grant finishes the play off the Jordan hustle 00:15:31 Pippen knocks down the outside shot 00:15:50 Jordan called for goaltending on the block 00:16:40 Jordan connects on the jumper 00:17:20 Jordan drives for the "in your face" score 00:19:30 Final two minutes of the 1st quarter 00:19:40 Horace Grant's goggles fly off 00:22:00 Start of the 2nd quarter 00:25:01 Hopson dunk off the Armstrong steal 00:35:00 Jordan feeds Pippen on the break 00:35:30 Jordan with the steal 00:37:00 Jordan drives the lane and draws the foul 00:39:00 Jordan buries the shot from outside 00:40:10 Final two minutes of the 2nd quarter 00:40:35 Pippen finds Jordan for the basket 00:40:50 Pippen scores off the glass 00:45:05 Halftime / Start of the 3rd quarter 00:49:00 Jordan starts 10 for 10 from the field 00:50:04 Jordan opens things up for Pippen 00:53:31 Jordan scores inside on the feed from Grant 00:54:33 Jordan with the no-look pass to Pippen 00:55:59 Pippen steal leads to Jordan assist back to Pippen 01:01:50 Final two minutes of the 3rd quarter 01:05:56 Start of the 4th quarter 01:07:56 Pippen with a burst of speed to the hoop 01:22:05 Final two minutes of the 4th quarter 01:25:47 End of game