Chicago Bulls: Can They Renew a Rivalry with the Indiana Pacers?

Within the last 20 years, the Chicago Bulls have been involved in rivalries with a few ball clubs.

Their heated battles with the Detroit "Bad Boy" Pistons and the Patrick Ewing-led New York Knicks were unforgettable and so were the ones with the Cleveland Cavaliers and Miami Heat. But you simply can't leave out Bulls vs. Indiana Pacers.

Whenever Michael Jordan's Bulls faced Reggie Miller and the Pacers back in the '90s, you knew you were going to witness something entertaining. 

Jordan and Miller fought on the court in '93, and then, a few years later, Jordan and Scottie Pippen each scored at least 40 points, while Rodman pulled down 23 boards in a game against the Pacers.    

The two teams squared off in the playoffs only once during the Jordan era, as the Bulls defeated Indiana in the 1998 Eastern Conference finals. In that particular series, Miller drilled the game-winning three-pointer in Game 4, one of the greatest clutch shots in NBA history.

Last season, the Bulls and Pacers faced off in the postseason for the first time since that memorable '98 series as Chicago prevailed in five games.

Will the rivalry between these two Midwestern squads finally be restored?

For the first time in a while, both teams are relevant at the same time. Chicago is coming off a season in which they owned the top record in the entire league. The Pacers lost more games than they won, however they're expected to make some noise in the Eastern Conference this year.

Both teams boast fantastic starting fives. The Bulls have reigning MVP Derrick Rose and Rip Hamilton in the backcourt, with Luol Deng, Carlos Boozer and Joakim Noah up front. Starters for the Pacers include guards Darren Collison and Paul George along with a frontcourt of Danny Granger, David West and Roy Hibbert.     

In addition, both teams possess solid benches. The Bulls have guys like Taj Gibson, Omer Asik and Ronnie Brewer, while the Pacers' second unit consists of names like George Hill, Tyler Hansbrough and Jeff Foster.

The two teams could very well end up renewing a rivalry here shortly. It won't be as famous as it was back when MJ and Reggie were in the league, but it could still be exciting.