Rodman And Jordan: Who Really Needs ‘Em?

Scottie Pippen scored 19 points and the Chicago Bulls needed neither Dennis Rodman nor a big game from Michael Jordan to defeat the dreadful and decimated San Antonio Spurs 111-69 Wednesday night in Chicago.

The game was televised nationally by TBS, which no doubt anticipated matchups between Rodman and David Robinson, Jordan and Dominique Wilkins, Pippen and Sean Elliott.

But Rodman was sitting out a one-game NBA suspension for hitting Milwaukee’s Joe Wolf in the groin two nights earlier, Robinson, Wilkins and Elliott were injured and Jordan played only 23 minutes because the game was so one-sided.

So instead of an exciting, star-filled contest, viewers got a dud featuring the likes of Dickey Simpkins, Cadillac Anderson, Jamie Feick and Jud Buechler.

Vancouver draft site

The NBA will hold its 1998 draft in Vancouver.

The expansion team called a news conference for today to announce the annual June selection of college players will be held at GM Place, according to The Canadian Press.

It will be the second time the draft has been held outside the United States. The 1995 draft - the first for the Vancouver Grizzlies and Toronto Raptors - was held at Toronto’s SkyDome.

However, under their expansion agreements, the home team won’t be able to have the first pick in the two-round draft

Referee pleads innocent

In Norfolk, Va., NBA referee Henry Armstrong pleaded innocent to tax evasion charges for allegedly failing to pay taxes on money he saved by downgrading league-issued plane tickets.

Two other referees face similar charges.

Armstrong and fellow referee George Toliver of Harrisonburg were indicted Feb. 12 by separate federal grand juries.

Michael Mathis of Cincinnati was indicted Feb. 19 on five counts of tax fraud for allegedly understating his income by $69,000 from 1989 through 1992. Mathis is president of the referees union.

Elsewhere on the courts

At Salt Lake City, Karl Malone scored 20 points and Jeff Hornacek added 17, including 10 in the third quarter when the Jazz increased a six-point halftime lead to 21, as Utah defeated Dallas 96-65.

The 65-point total was a franchise-low for Dallas and the lowest ever by a Jazz opponent. Dallas also set another record for futility with just six field goals in the second half - the fewest ever in a half by an NBA team.

Earlier, Jamie Watson’s three-seasons with the Utah Jazz ended when the club requested waivers on him.

At Phoenix, Kenny Anderson had 26 points, including six 3-pointers, and the Portland Trail Blazers made a team-record 16 3-pointers to win their fourth straight, defeating the Phoenix Suns 121-99.

Jason Kidd sprained his right ankle early in the fourth period for Phoenix and did not return. X-rays were negative, and Kidd has been listed as day-to-day.

The Blazers were 16 for 24 on 3-pointers in the game, while the Suns were just 2 for 16 from behind the arc. The previous Portland record for 3-pointers made was 13 on Nov. 29, 1995, at Golden State.

Isaiah Rider and Clifford Robinson added 24 points each as Portland improved to 4-0 since two newspapers reported, so far incorrectly, that coach P.J. Carlesimo was about to be fired.

Danny Ferry scored 19 points, including two late 3-pointers, and the Cleveland Cavaliers ended the Indiana Pacers’ four-game winning streak with an 85-78 victory in Cleveland.

In Toronto, Patrick Ewing scored a season-high 36 points, including 11 straight for New York in the final quarter, as the Knicks won their fifth straight game with a 100-94 victory over the Toronto Raptors.

At Minneapolis, Lindsey Hunter scored 21 points and the Detroit Pistons started a five-game road trip with a 92-88 victory over Minnesota to deny the Timberwolves a club-record 30th victory.