<Tr> <Td> Delta Center, Salt Lake City Attendance: 19,911 Referees: <Ul> <Li> Dick Bavetta </Li> <Li> Danny Crawford </Li> <Li> Hue Hollins </Li> </Ul> </Td> </Tr> <Ul> <Li> Dick Bavetta </Li> <Li> Danny Crawford </Li> <Li> Hue Hollins </Li> </Ul> <P> Unlike the 1997 Finals, the Jazz and Bulls entered this series as equals . The Jazz had won both regular season meetings with the Bulls, and many analysts predicted a hard - fought seven - game series . The two teams entered the Finals on completely different notes; the Jazz uneventfully swept the Los Angeles Lakers in the Western Conference Finals and had a total of ten days rest before the Finals began . The Bulls, meanwhile, endured a hard - fought series against a resurgent Indiana Pacers team helmed by Larry Bird (in his first year as head coach). They would need all seven games to get past the Pacers and would have only two days' rest before having to travel to Utah . Predictions of a Jazz championship were strengthened with their 88--85 Game 1 victory in overtime in Utah, with Scottie Pippen just missing a 3 pointer at the buzzer . True to form, the Bulls tied the series in Game 2 while putting together a huge fourth - quarter run to silence the Delta Center and holding on to win 93--88, finally securing their first victory against Utah all season . Karl Malone shot very poorly in the first two games of the series with some misses including one layup in Game 2 that hit the underside of the rim . </P> <P> The Finals moved to Chicago with control of the series at stake in Game 3 . In a 96--54 loss, the Jazz set the record for the lowest points scored in Finals history, as well as the lowest number of points scored in any NBA game (since eclipsed by a score of 49 from the Bulls on April 10, 1999) since the inception of the shot clock . </P>

Who was favored in the 1998 nba finals
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