#MJMondays: MJ Loses The Ball And #45

Just advance the ball and wait for the foul.

That’s all Michael Jordan had to do in Game 1 of the 1995 NBA Eastern Conference semis.

With the Chicago Bulls clinging to a 91-90 lead with 18.1 seconds left, MJ took the inbounds and cautiously, if not distractedly, dribbled up-court. Maybe MJ’s court awareness was still rusty just seven weeks into his return to the league. Maybe he underestimated Nick Anderson as a gambler on defense. Jordan scanned left just past half court. But Anderson sneaked right.

One swipe, Jordan’s on the floor, and Penny Hardaway is setting up Horace Grant for the go-ahead dunk.

After the Orlando Magic grabbed the 94-91 win, Anderson told reporters that he’d never be able to pull that thievery on number 23. Jordan never wore 45 again, and the steal would become Jordan’s offseason motivation to get all the way back to his peak abilities for 1995-96.

Watch the moment below.