1992 Cavaliers
Three years after the agony of “The Shot,” the Cavs got another crack at Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls in the playoffs. This time it was in the Eastern Conference Finals, a place the Cavs had not reached in 16 years. With Brad Daugherty and Mark Price both healthy and Lenny Wilkens guiding the team from the bench, the Cavs won 57 games and eliminated New Jersey and Boston to earn a shot at the defending NBA champions.
A 107-81 trouncing of the Bulls in Game 2 at Chicago Stadium evened the series, but the Cavs lost the next game at Richfield Coliseum. That was also where the Bulls wrapped up the series with a 99-94 Game 6 victory behind 29 points from both Jordan and Scottie Pippen. While the Bulls won five more titles by the end of the decade, it took 15 years before the Cavs advanced to another conference finals.
Next: 1987 Browns
