The Chicago Bulls defeated the Los Angeles Lakers four games to one in the best-of-seven NBA Finals series to conclude the 1990-91 season. It was the first of three consecutive championships for the Bulls, who were making their first appearance in the NBA Finals.

The Lakers were making their ninth Finals appearance in 12 seasons, and their first since being swept by the Pistons in 1989. This series featured a much-anticipated matchup between MVP Michael Jordan and runner-up Magic Johnson, a three-time winner of the Finals MVP award.

Jordan took home the first of his six NBA Finals MVP awards in this series.

The Bulls had home-court advantage for the Finals. The two teams split their meetings in the 1990-91 regular season, with each team winning on its home court.

Team	Lakers	Bulls
Regular Season	58-24, 2nd in Pacific Division	61-21, 1st in Central Division
First Round	Def. (6) Houston Rockets, 3-0	Def. (8) New York Knicks, 3-0
Conference Semifinals	Def. (7) Golden State Warriors, 4-1	Def. (5) Philadelphia 76ers, 4-1
Conference Finals	Def. (1) Portland Trail Blazers, 4-2	Def. (3) Detroit Pistons, 4-0

The Lakers led by 7 points entering the fourth quarter, but the Bulls rallied to take the lead with a minute left. Sam Perkins made a 3-pointer with 14 seconds left to give the Lakers a 1-point lead, and they held on for the victory. The Lakers attempted just 66 shots in the game, establishing a new low for an NBA Finals game, but went 28-of-34 from the free-throw line.

Magic Johnson recorded his 29th career postseason triple-double, finishing with 19 points, 10 rebounds and 11 assists. Perkins and James Worthy each scored 22 points to lead the Lakers. Michael Jordan, playing his first career Finals game, scored 36 points on 14-of-24 shooting and dished out 12 assists. 15 of Jordan's 36 points came in the first quarter. Scottie Pippen was the only other Bulls player to score in double figures, finishing with 19 points.

With Scottie Pippen keeping Magic Johnson in check on the defensive end, Michael Jordan was able to focus on his offense. He still got off to a slow start, scoring just 2 points in the first 20 minutes, before making his next 13 shots from the field to spark a Bulls run and lead to a blowout victory. Jordan's run included one of the most memorable shots of his career, a driving lay-up in which he switched the ball from his right to his left hand in mid-air, leading to Marv Albert's much-replayed call, "a spectacular move, by Michael Jordan."

Jordan finished with 33 points and 13 assists to lead all players in both categories. He also tied for the game high with seven rebounds. All five Bulls starters scored in double figures, including Scottie Pippen and Horace Grant, who finished with 20 points each. James Worthy led the Lakers with 24 points, while Johnson finished with 14 points on 4-of-13 shooting. He did have 10 assists and seven rebounds.

When the NBA compilied its list of the 60 Greatest Playoff Moments to coincide with the league's 60th anniversary, Jordan's move ranked No. 41 on the list.

Michael Jordan hit a 14-foot jumper with 3.7 seconds left in regulation to force overtime, then scored 6 of the Bulls' 12 points in the extra session to give Chicago an 8-point win. The Lakers scored just 4 points in overtime and went 0-for-8 from 3-point range in the game. They also were dominated on the backboard throughout the game, as Chicago finished with a 57-38 rebounding advantage.

Michael Jordan led all scorers with 29 points and just missed a triple-double, finishing with nine rebounds and nine assists in 52 minutes of action. Horace Grant (22 points, 11 rebounds) and Scottie Pippen (19 points, 13 rebounds) both recorded double-doubles for Chicago. Sam Perkins (25), Vlade Divac (24) and Magic Johnson (22) each eclipsed the 20-point mark for the Lakers, and James Worthy added 19. However, the rest of the team combined for just six points, with starting guard Byron Scott being held scoreless (0-8 from the field, 0-2 from the line).

The Bulls trailed after the first quarter for just the second time in the 1991 playoffs, but rebounded by opening the second quarter on a 19-9 run to take an 8-point lead into halftime. The Lakers' shooting continued to fail them in the third quarter, and things got worse for LA when James Worthy and Byron Scott both left the game with injuries. Worthy suffered a sprained ankle and Scott went out with a shoulder injury, leaving LA shorthanded against a Bulls team that cruised to a 15-point win.

Michael Jordan finished with a game-high 28 points and 13 assists, as all five Bulls starters scored in double figures. Vlade Divac led the Lakers with 27 points and 11 rebounds, while Magic Johnson added 22 points and 11 assists in the losing effort.

Despite not having James Worthy or Byron Scott available for Game 5, the Lakers were able to keep things close, entering the fourth quarter tied with the Bulls. Elden Campbell picked up the slack for Worthy, scoring 13 of his 21 points in the first half. The Lakers held a 3-point lead with 6:47 left, before the Bulls responded with a 9-0 run to take a lead they would not relinquish en route to their first NBA title.

Michael Jordan finished with 30 points and 10 assists, capping off his MVP performance with his third 30-10 game of the series. Scottie Pippen scored 32 points for the Bulls, marking the first time in the series that Jordan was not the team's leading scorer. John Paxson added 20 points for Chicago.

In what would turn out to be his final game before temporarily retiring due to HIV, Magic Johnson finished with 16 points, 11 rebounds and 20 assists. Johnson was one shy of matching his own record for most assists in a Finals game.