Sonics: Now Hear This - Bulls Beatable It’s Happened 11 Times This Season, Four More And …
The Bulls can be beaten. It’s happened all of 11 times this season.
Most of the losses were to teams not nearly as good as Seattle, which beat Utah for the right to meet Chicago in the NBA Finals.
Of course, nobody has figured out how to beat the Bulls consistently, which is why they have followed the best regular season in league history, 72-10, with an 11-1 playoff mark.
Nevertheless, the SuperSonics might have a chance to win four out of seven games against Chicago - if they do enough things right. Some suggestions:
Hit from downtown
In Chicago’s 11 losses, opponents made 46 percent of their 3-pointers compared to 32 percent in the Bulls’ 83 wins.
“That doesn’t surprise me,” said Steve Kerr, Chicago’s resident 3-point expert. “Looking back at our losses, it seems like the teams never missed.”
The Miami Heat had only eight players in uniform Feb. 23, but still beat Chicago by going 15 of 23 from 3-point range. Rex Chapman was 9 of 10.
Toronto won March 24 by going 11 of 17 on 3-pointers; New York was 10 of 21 in its March 10 victory; Orlando 9 of 20 on Nov. 14.
“In most of those games, we covered the inside pretty well,” Kerr said. “If a team’s going to catch fire, we have to live with it. But I don’t think a team can pour in 3-pointer after 3-pointer over a seven-game series.”
So far in the playoffs, he’s right; Chicago’s opponents are shooting only 28 percent from 3-point range.
Rough ‘em up
New York handed the Bulls their only postseason defeat and played Chicago close in the other four games of the Eastern Conference semifinals.
“It wasn’t easy,” Scottie Pippen said. “The Knicks gave us a tougher time than anyone else.”
Literally. The Knicks never missed a chance to deliver a forearm to the chest or a knee to the thigh.
After Game 5, New York tough guy Charles Oakley was asked if the Magic could beat Chicago in the conference finals.
“Orlando has a chance if they watched how we played them,” he said. “But if they try to be pretty and have fun … they have no chance.”
The Magic had no chance. They didn’t play rough, and Chicago swept them out of the playoffs. Injuries and poor performances by several healthy players also hurt Orlando.
Keep it close
The Bulls are beatable in tight games. They were 0-3 in one-point contests and 6-4 in games decided by three points or fewer.
But staying close isn’t easy; in their 83 victories, they outscored opponents by an average of 106-90. Shut down the supporting cast
The Bulls are 16-0 when someone besides Jordan leads the scoring.
“Michael sometimes beats you all by himself,” New York’s Derek Harper said. “But sometimes, even he needs help. If you go into games accepting that Michael will get his … but you shut down everybody else, you’ll have a chance.”
Hope Pippen ain’t hittin’
Pippen shot 36 percent in the Bulls’ losses, 47 percent in their victories. The disparity is even wider on 3-pointers: 25 percent vs. 39.
“When Scottie’s on,” Kerr said, “I don’t think there’s a team in the world that can beat us. He and Michael just overwhelm teams.”
But when he’s not, “the Bulls can lose just like other teams with only one star,” New York’s Anthony Mason said.
Be quick
Quick point guards are able to run around Chicago’s 6-foot-6 tandem of Jordan and Ron Harper.
“Playing defense against those little guys is pretty new to me,” Jordan said. “I look at it as a great challenge, but it’s difficult at times.”
Gary Payton had 26 points and 11 assists as Seattle defeated Chicago early in the season.
Bait the Worm
Rodman lives on the edge. Sometimes, he steps over it.
So far this postseason, however, Rodman has shown restraint. And he has improved in each round.
Opponents who counted on an explosion from the ticking time bomb didn’t take into account how desperately he wants a big-money contract from Chicago next season.
And yet … there’s always a chance the Worm will turn, and with it Seattle’s chances.
xxxx SONICS VS. BULLS Wed: at Chicago, 6 p.m. (NBC) Friday: at Chicago, 6 p.m. (NBC) Sunday: at Seattle, 4:30 p.m. (NBC) June 12: at Seattle, 6 p.m. (NBC) June 14: at Seattle, 6 p.m. (NBC)* June 16: at Chicago, 4:30 p.m. (NBC)* June 19: at Chicago, 6 p.m. (NBC)* *-If necessary