Was it bad pizza or was it the flu? Jordan now claims it was the former, but his Game 5 of the 1997 Finals will forever be known as the flu game.
Whatever the reason, Jordan could barely sit up on his own before tipoff, suffering flu-like symptoms. It looked like there was no way he would be able to play. Not only did he suit up, he excelled in his 44 minutes on the court.
During stoppages, Jordan had to hug teammates in order to prevent himself from falling over. He draped a towel over his head and slumped in his chair. When the action started back up, he was the [Bulls](https://www.sportingnews.com/uk/nba/chicago-bulls)’ offense, scoring a game-high 38 points against a stingy [Jazz](https://www.sportingnews.com/uk/nba/utah-jazz) defense. And he got better as time wore on.
With under a minute left, MJ hit a dagger 3-pointer that helped secure a 90-88 win and a 3-2 lead in the series. The Bulls closed it out one game later, getting Jordan his fifth ring.
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