Chicago Bulls and Detroit Pistons rivalry_1/2

The rivalry started in the 1988 Eastern Conference Semifinals. The aggressive Bad Boy Pistons were a team on the rise. Michael Jordan was the league MVP and Defensive Player of the Year and the ultimate challenge for Detroit's rugged, top-notch defense. In a nationally televised game at the Silverdome on Easter Sunday, Jordan torched the Pistons for 59 points in a 112-110 Bulls triumph (He also scored 61 in Detroit the previous season). This infuriated Pistons coach Chuck Daly, who vowed never to permit Jordan to explode on the Pistons again. Despite Jordan's individual talents the Bulls lacked the talent and physical and mental toughness to beat the Pistons who ravaged the Bulls in only five games. The Pistons would go on to beat the Boston Celtics and win their first conference title since they moved from Fort Wayne.

In 1989, the Pistons were stronger than ever, posting the league's best record of 63-19. The sixth seeded Bulls (47-35) had surprising success in the playoffs by beating the favored Cleveland Cavaliers (57-25 won-loss record) 3-2 with "The Shot." Next, the Bulls upset the Atlantic Division Champs, the New York Knicks, coached by Rick Pitino, 4-2. The Bulls then squared off to meet the team that was to become their greatest rival, the Detroit Pistons, in the Eastern Conference Finals. The Bulls miraculous success seemed to continue as they took an early 2-1 lead over the Pistons. But the Pistons clamped down and employed the supposed "Jordan Rules" (which consisted of solely targeting Jordan) which worked so well for them the year prior. While the Pistons would remain mum about the so-called "Jordan Rules" when asked by the media, many of the Pistons today say that the "Jordan Rules" were made up and only another psychological ploy they used to try and throw the Bulls off their game. According to Pistons forward Rick Mahorn,
We were just throwing stuff out there for (the media). It was just a joke. Chuck (Daly, Pistons coach) throws it out there that we had some secret plan to stop Jordan, and everybody just jumped on it. Everybody was writing stories about this strategy. When we kept reading about it, Isiah told us that we had gotten in their heads, and that's how we had them beat.[1]

The Pistons took a stand and won three straight and would go on to win their first NBA title in the next round.

For the following 1989-90 season under new coach Phil Jackson, the Bulls sought to subvert the "Jordan Rules" by focusing on the triangle offense or triple post offense refined by assistant coach Tex Winter. By sharing responsibility rather than shouldering it, Jordan led the Bulls to the second best record in the East at 55-27...behind the ever-tough defending champion Pistons who finished 59-23. In a pre-destined Eastern Conference Finals rematch, the Bulls pushed the Pistons like never before by forcing the series to seven games. But the Pistons showed their dominance by winning a brutal Game Seven at home by a score of 93-74. It was in this pivotal Game Seven that Scottie Pippen would suffer a migraine headache, leading many to speculate that with a healthy Pippen the Bulls may have been ready to supplant the Pistons as the best team in the East. The Pistons would go on to win their second consecutive NBA title the following round against the Portland Trail Blazers. - Credit : Wikipedia