The NFL has been able to keep Ezekiel Elliott under wraps since he was drafted in 2016. It’s surprising to see that we’ve been able to keep him under wraps, but the league is still trying its best to keep his pending case out of the headlines.
It’s surprising to see that we’ve been able to keep him under wraps is a quote from the movie The Usual Suspects.
In the 1993 NBA Finals against the Phoenix Suns, Michael Jordan produced one of the greatest performances in NBA history as the Chicago Bulls completed their three-peat. Despite Jordan’s individual brilliance, Chicago’s ability to shut down All-Star point guard Kevin Johnson in the first two games set the tone for a Bulls victory.
Throughout the Finals, Charles Barkley lived up to his reputation as a superstar. Johnson, who was Chuck’s second lieutenant at the time, suffered mightily early on, which surprised Jordan.
In the first two games of the 1993 NBA Finals, Michael Jordan and the Bulls created history, while Kevin Johnson battled tremendously.
Michael Jordan and Kevin Johnson’s opening two games in the 1993 NBA Finals could not have gone much better.
Jordan seized control of the situation early on. In Game 1, he was outstanding on both ends of the court, scoring 31 points on 14-for-28 shooting and grabbing five rebounds. In Game 2, His Airness almost had a triple-double with 42 points, 12 rebounds, and nine assists.
Johnson, on the other hand, was a complete failure. At this point in his career, the Sacramento native had already made two All-Star teams with the Suns, but he failed to meet the challenge on the game’s greatest stage. In the first game of the series, Johnson scored 11 points on 4-for-13 shooting while committing five turnovers. Game 2 was much worse, as he only scored four points on 2-for-8 shooting while also coughing up the ball four times and fouling out.
The Bulls stampeded to history with Jordan flourishing and the Suns failing to get the most out of their second star. They were the first team in NBA Finals history to win the first two games on the road.
Johnson’s difficulties made all the difference in many respects. Despite great efforts from unsung heroes like Richard Dumas in Game 1 and Danny Ainge in Game 2, the Suns lost the first two games by a combined 11 points. In Game 2, they likewise failed to capitalize on Barkley’s 42-point masterpiece.
MJ, for one, was taken aback by the Bulls’ ability to restrain Johnson.
Jordan was stunned by KJ’s poor performance.
The Suns suffered as a result of Kevin Johnson’s perplexing early-series performances. They also perplexed his celebrity adversary.
After Game 2, Michael Jordan spoke about the Bulls’ ability to limit Johnson, although he described it as an unexpected development.
“It’s astonishing to see how well we’ve managed to keep him hidden.”
-Michael Jordan, South Florida Sun-Sentinel, 1993
Johnson’s difficulties should not have come as a surprise.
Throughout the series, Jordan usually followed Suns swingman Dan Majerle, leaving KJ to face either B.J. Armstrong or John Paxson. Johnson seemed to have the upper hand in both one-on-one battles. He was a fantastic ball-handler with more athleticism than Armstrong and Paxson, as well as the explosiveness to finish through contact at the basket or score with a variety of pull-ups and runners. Despite the seeming advantages, he was unable to take advantage of such matches.
For the rest of the series, Johnson would perform closer to his normal norms. It was, however, too late at that point. The Bulls had established a commanding lead, and Jordan was determined not to let it go away.
As the Bulls took advantage of a 2-0 lead, Michael Jordan stepped up his game.
Michael Jordan watches the last minutes of a game against the Cleveland Cavaliers | KIMBERLY BARTH/AFP via Getty Images Michael Jordan observes the final minutes of a game against the Cleveland Cavaliers
With Michael Jordan embracing his character by elevating his performance to stratospheric heights, the Bulls were not going to lose after establishing a 2-0 lead.
With a courageous, grueling triple-overtime victory in Game 3, Phoenix fought their way back into the Finals. However, in Game 4, MJ dominated the Suns, scoring 55 points and leading the Bulls to a 3-1 series lead. Johnson had a career-high 25 points in Game 5 to help the Suns return to Phoenix. Jordan and the Bulls, on the other hand, would not be stopped.
In the final seconds of Game 6, the Suns held a two-point advantage. Paul Westphal, the head coach, refused to allow Jordan defeat his squad, hitting him with an early double before he crossed the threshold. The Suns, on the other hand, were abruptly thinned out. The ball ended up in Paxson’s hands, who blasted a game-winning three-pointer. Horace Grant stopped Johnson’s game-winning shot, earning the Bulls their third straight NBA title.
Phoenix fought hard until the end to keep up with MJ and the Bulls, but Johnson’s poor early attempts and a 2-0 lead were too much to overcome. If KJ had lived up to MJ’s expectations from the start, the Suns could have pushed Chicago to the brink.
Basketball Reference provided the statistics.
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The keep it under wraps synonym is a phrase that means to keep something secret, or not tell anyone about it. It’s surprising to see that we’ve been able to keep him under wraps for this long.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does it mean to have someone under wraps?
It means to have someone under your control.
How do you keep things under wraps?
I have a very high level of security.
WHAT DOES ITS A WRAP mean?
It means that the song is over.
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