The Last Dance: Alter’s John Paxson clutch in Game 5 of 1991 NBA Finals

Paxson, then an eight-year veteran in his sixth season with the Bulls, scored 20 points on 9-of-12 shooting in the clinching 108-101 victory against the Los Angeles Lakers. He scored 10 points of Chicago’s last 15 points on 5-of-5 shooting in the final minutes to break open a close game.

While Michael Jordan scored 30 points, there was a moment in the fourth quarter when Bulls coach Phil Jackson asked Jordan to get Paxson involved in the offense.

“Phil asks Michael, “Who’s open?’” NBA reporter David Aldridge said in the documentary. “He says, ‘Paxson.’ All right, give him the ball.”

A camera shows Jackson talking to the team in the huddle.

“You don’t have to shoot that shot,” Jackson tells Jordan. “John’s open right there. You can still create. He’s hitting shots.”

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“Phil said it forcefully,” Jordan said on the documentary. “Paxson is open. Get him the ball. And I started looking for Paxson.”

“That’s exactly what Phil was trying to get Michael to understand and believe in over the couple years,” Paxson said on the documentary, “is hey these other guys can help you out.”

Paxson started all 82 games in the regular season that year and averaged 8.7 points and 3.6 assists. He also started all 17 playoff games, averaging 8.2 points and 3.1 assists. The 20-point performance in Game 5 represented his highest scoring output in the playoffs in Chicago’s three NBA championship seasons.

When Paxson returned to Kettering in July to visit family, he talked to Bucky Albers, of the Dayton Daily News, about his Game 5 performance.

"When we played New York and Philadelphia, they didn't leave me (open) as much," Paxson said. "Detroit didn't leave me much, either. But the Lakers made a total commitment to Michael. I found myself open a lot. I'm 18 feet from the bucket and open. If I have those shots all year long, I'm going to take them. Fortunately for me and the team, I was shooting real well in the finals. It helped us out a lot. I've always thought I could shoot. The longer I've been in the league, the better shooter I've become.

“This past year I shot just under 55 percent from the field. And I don't shoot layups. I shoot strictly jump shots. For my teammates, it wasn't so much of a surprise. I really did shoot the ball well this year. I played with a lot of confidence in the finals. The thing people don't understand is: As a group you're together nine months a year. My teammates have confidence in me. You're 12 guys and you all support one another. No matter what goes on and how much media attention there is and how much the public looks at you, you're still 12 guys. I think anybody who watched us play could tell we liked one another. Because it was an unselfish team. We played hard. It was a very special group."

Paxson signed a new contract in July 1991. Here’s a look back at the Dayton Daily News story by Bucky Albers about that deal:

PAXSON HITS CAREER HIGH WITH BULLS

LISTENS TO OTHERS' OFFERS, THEN AGREES TO NEW DEAL

John Paxson got his wish Friday.

The Chicago Bulls finally sweetened their offer enough to get the former Alter High School star to agree to a three-year contract with the National Basketball Association club.

"We came to an agreement this morning," Paxson said late Friday afternoon. "I'm really happy to be staying in Chicago. I love the city and the fans are the best on the world."

"We are happy to have John back as we attempt to win another NBA title," Bulls General Manager Jerry Krause said. "He has shown class, character and ability during his six years here."

Paxson, whose outside shooting sparked the the Bulls to their first NBA championship, became an unrestricted free agent when Chicago did not sign him before July 1.

He could have jumped to another club, but he made it clear that he preferred to remain in Chicago.

His agent, David Falk of ProServ, made a deal with the Bulls' management Friday, after a week of negotiations.

It ended several days of anxiety for Paxson, who intended to play golf daily during a week-long stay with relatives in Kettering but was able to tee it up only once (Tuesday at Walnut Grove Country Club) because he was in steady telephone communication with Falk.

"I probably got 50 calls from David Falk in the last two days," Paxson said. "We've been on the phone constantly."

Paxson said negotiations got serious when the Bulls got some strong competition for his services.

"There was another team out there that expressed a lot of interest," he said, declining to name the team. "It very easily could have happened that I would be somewhere else today."

The 6-foot-2 guard is pleased that Chicago decided to sign him, keeping together the starting unit that beat Los Angeles in the NBL finals.

He feels comfortable in the same backcourt with Michael Jordan, and he likes living in Chicago where he has some business opportunities.

"I probably could have gotten more money somewhere else," said the eight-year veteran who has spent the last six seasons in Chicago. "But I wanted to stay with the Bulls. I got the three-year contract I wanted. That's what's important to me."

Paxson, who made $350,000 last season, says he was the lowest paid starter in the NBA for the last two years.

The former Notre Dame standout did not reveal terms of the new contract, but the Chicago Sun-Times reported it is in excess of $1 million annually, with increases each of the following years.

Paxson said this probably will be the last contract he signs. He'll be 33 years old when it expires, and the Bulls have an option to add a fourth year.

In Game 5 of the finals against the Lakers, Paxson scored 20 points - including 10 in the last four minutes - to seal the Bulls' victory and NBA title.