The duel between Michael Jordan and the Bulls against the 1986 Boston Celtics depicted in the ESPN documentary “The Last Dance” wasn’t the only epic battle fought between the two juggernauts of NBA history.
23 years later, the two storied franchises faced off yet again with a new roster of heavyweights, Boston again the big brother to an emerging Chicago team that seemed poised to be the next big thing out of the Windy City.
Point guard Derrick Rose’s emergence caught the Banner 17 Celtics by surprise, allowing the defending champs to be caught off guard in Game 1 of the 2009 Eastern Conference First Round.
After an embarrassing defeat, Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, Ray Allen and company responded in a big way, but the Bulls didn’t go quietly into the night, either.
The end result was one of he most epic battles in recent postseason history — and in the first round, no less.
Watch the video embedded above to see the intensity for yourself — and make sure to stay until the end; you’ll thank us later.
