1988–89 Chicago Bulls season

1988–89 Chicago Bulls season
Head coach	Doug Collins
Owner(s)	Jerry Reinsdorf
Arena	Chicago Stadium
Results
Record	47–35 (.573)
Place	Division: 5th (Central) Conference: 6th (Eastern)
Playoff finish	East Conference Finals (Eliminated 2–4)
Stats @ Basketball-Reference.com
Local media
Television	WFLD Sportsvision (Jim Durham, Johnny “Red” Kerr)
Radio	WMAQ (Jim Durham, Johnny “Red” Kerr)

The Chicago Bulls qualified for the NBA Playoffs.

• C - Bill Cartwright
• PF - Horace Grant
• SF - Scottie Pippen
• SG - Michael Jordan
• PG - John Paxson

Draft picks

Round	Pick	Player	Position	Nationality	School/Club Team
1	11	Will Perdue	C	United States	Vanderbilt
3	62	Derrick Lewis	F	United States	Maryland

Regular season

In the 1988–89 season, Jordan again led the league in scoring, averaging 32.5 ppg on 53.8% shooting from the field. The Bulls finished with a 47–35 record, and advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals. On March 11, head coach Doug Collins moved Jordan to the point guard position. Two days later, Jordan finished with 21 points, 14 rebounds, and 14 assists in just 30 minutes of a blowout win against the Pacers. Jordan continued at point guard through the rest of the regular season.

Season standings

Central Division	W	L	PCT	GB	Home	Road	Div
y-Detroit Pistons	63	19	.768	–	37–4	26–15	20–10
x-Cleveland Cavaliers	57	25	.695	6	37–4	20–21	19–11
x-Atlanta Hawks	52	30	.634	11	33–8	19–22	20–10
x-Milwaukee Bucks	49	33	.598	14	31–10	18–23	11–19
x-Chicago Bulls	47	35	.573	16	30–11	17–24	12–18
Indiana Pacers	28	54	.341	35	20–21	8–33	8–22

Player stats

Legend
GP	Games played	GS	Games started	MPG	Minutes per game
FG%	Field-goal percentage	3P%	3-point field-goal percentage	FT%	Free-throw percentage
RPG	Rebounds per game	APG	Assists per game	SPG	Steals per game
BPG	Blocks per game	PPG	Points per game

Regular season

Player	GP	GS	MPG	FG%	3P%	FT%	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	PPG
Bill Cartwright	78	76	29.9	.475	.000	.766	6.7	1.2	.27	.53	12.4
Dave Corzine	81	7	18.3	.461	.250	.740	3.9	1.3	.36	.56	5.9
Charles Davis	49	3	11.1	.426	.267	.731	2.3	.6	.22	.10	3.8
Horace Grant	79	79	35.6	.519	.000	.704	8.6	2.1	1.09	.78	12.0
Jack Haley	51	1	5.7	.474	.000	.783	1.4	.2	.22	.00	2.2
Craig Hodges	49	6	22.7	.475	.423	.849	1.7	2.8	.84	.08	10.0
Anthony Jones	8	0	8.1	.333	.000	1.000	1.0	.5	.25	.12	1.5
Michael Jordan	81	81	40.2	.538	.276	.850	8.0	8.0	2.89	.80	32.5
Ed Nealy	13	0	7.2	.714	.000	.500	1.8	.5	.23	.08	.8
John Paxson	78	20	22.3	.480	.331	.861	1.2	3.9	.68	.08	7.3
Will Perdue	30	0	6.3	.403	.000	.571	1.5	.4	.13	.20	2.2
Scottie Pippen	73	56	33.1	.476	.273	.668	6.1	3.5	1.90	.84	14.4
Dominic Pressley	3	0	5.7	.167	.000	.000	.3	1.3	.00	.00	.7
Brad Sellers	80	25	21.6	.485	.500	.851	2.8	1.2	.44	.86	6.9
Sam Vincent	70	56	24.3	.484	.118	.822	2.7	4.8	.76	.14	9.4
David Wood	2	0	1.0	.000	.000	.000	.0	.0	.00	.00	.0

Playoffs

Player	GP	GS	MPG	FG%	3P%	FT%	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	PPG
Bill Cartwright	17		34.3	.486	.000	.700	7.1	1.2	.53	.71	11.8
Dave Corzine	16		13.7	.422	.000	.647	2.6	.6	.25	.38	4.1
Charles Davis	17		11.2	.404	.167	.778	2.5	.3	.24	.06	2.7
Horace Grant	17		36.8	.518	.000	.800	9.8	2.1	.65	.94	10.8
Jack Haley	5		1.4	.667	.000	.500	.2	.2	.00	.00	1.0
Craig Hodges	17		32.6	.412	.398	.714	1.5	3.6	1.29	.18	11.2
Michael Jordan	17		42.2	.510	.286	.799	7.0	7.6	2.47	.76	34.8
John Paxson	16		18.9	.474	.263	.875	.6	2.1	.75	.00	5.8
Will Perdue	3		7.3	.667	.000	.667	2.0	.7	.00	.00	4.7
Scottie Pippen	17		36.4	.462	.393	.640	7.6	3.9	1.35	.94	13.1
Brad Sellers	13		13.6	.379	.000	.833	2.4	1.2	.23	.31	4.2
Sam Vincent	16		7.1	.303	.000	.750	.5	1.2	.19	.06	1.8

Playoffs

• The Bulls made it to the Eastern Conference Finals defeating the Cavaliers and Knicks along the way. The Cavaliers series included a career highlight for Jordan when he hit a series winning shot over Craig Ehlo in the closing moments of the fifth and deciding game of the series.

East First Round

3) Cleveland Cavaliers vs. (6) Chicago Bulls: Bulls win series 3-2

• Game 1 @ The Coliseum, Richfield (April 28): Chicago 95, Cleveland 88
• Game 2 @ The Coliseum, Richfield (April 30): Cleveland 96, Chicago 88
• Game 3 @ Chicago Stadium, Chicago (May 3): Chicago 101, Cleveland 94
• Game 4 @ Chicago Stadium, Chicago (May 5): Cleveland 108, Chicago 105
• Game 5 @ The Coliseum, Richfield (May 7): Chicago 101, Cleveland 100

Last Playoff Meeting: 1988 Eastern Conference First Round (Chicago won 3-2)

East Conference Semifinals

A ticket for Game 1 of the 1989 Eastern Conference Semifinals between the New York Knicks and the Bulls.

(2) New York Knicks vs. (6) Chicago Bulls: Bulls win series 4-2

• Game 1 @ Madison Square Garden, New York City (May 9): Chicago 120, New York 109
• Game 2 @ Madison Square Garden, New York City (May 11): New York 114, Chicago 97
• Game 3 @ Chicago Stadium, Chicago (May 13): Chicago 111, New York 88
• Game 4 @ Chicago Stadium, Chicago (May 14): Chicago 106, New York 93
• Game 5 @ Madison Square Garden, New York City (May 16): New York 121, Chicago 114
• Game 6 @ Chicago Stadium, Chicago (May 19): Chicago 113, New York 111

Last Playoff Meeting: 1981 Eastern Conference First Round (Chicago won 2-0)

East Conference Finals

(1) Detroit Pistons vs. (6) Chicago Bulls: Pistons win series 4-2

• Game 1 @ The Palace of Auburn Hills, Auburn Hills (May 21): Chicago 94, Detroit 88
• Game 2 @ The Palace of Auburn Hills, Auburn Hills (May 23): Detroit 100, Chicago 91
• Game 3 @ Chicago Stadium, Chicago (May 27): Chicago 99, Detroit 97
• Game 4 @ Chicago Stadium, Chicago (May 29): Detroit 86, Chicago 80
• Game 5 @ The Palace of Auburn Hills, Auburn Hills (May 31): Detroit 94, Chicago 85
• Game 6 @ Chicago Stadium, Chicago (June 2): Detroit 103, Chicago 94

Last Playoff Meeting: 1988 Eastern Conference Semifinals (Detroit won 4-1)

Awards and honors

• Craig Hodges, NBA All-Star Weekend Three-Point Shootout Winner
• Michael Jordan, All-NBA First Team
• Michael Jordan, NBA All-Defensive First Team
• Michael Jordan, NBA All-Star Game

References

• Bulls on Database Basketball
• Bulls on Basketball Reference