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Utah Jazz: NBA icon reflects on controversial playoff dagger

Throughout the mid-to-late 90s, the Utah Jazz fielded the best teams in their franchise’s history. John Stockton and Karl Malone kept busy throughout the era by reinventing the NBA’s version of the wheel with their mastery of the pick-and-roll. Flanked by solid role players like Jeff Hornacek, Bryon Russell and Greg Ostertag, the Jazz made back-to-back NBA Finals trips over the 1996-97 and 1997-98 seasons. They simply could not get over the same hump that stalled the entire NBA throughout the 90s: Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls.

The Jazz put up an admirable fight against the dynastic Bulls in 1996-97, losing in the Finals in six games.