No Longer Bull Market

NBA playoffs

For the first time in two seasons, the Chicago Bulls look beatable. And the Atlanta Hawks are only too happy to do the beating.

“Nothing comes better than this. Nothing comes better than this!” an elated Dikembe Mutombo said Thursday night after Atlanta pulled even in the Eastern Conference semifinals with a 103-95 victory at Chicago. “We had the confidence going into the game that we were going to win.”

Steve Smith scored 27 points and Mookie Blaylock added 26, including eight backbreaking 3-pointers, as Atlanta became the first visiting team in two years to win a playoff game at the United Center.

Games 3 and 4 of the best-of-7 series are at Atlanta on Saturday and Sunday, and “unless we do the things we did all season to get 69 wins,” Chicago’s Scottie Pippen said, “we’re not going to pull another win out of this series.”

The Bulls toyed with the entire league in winning a record 72 games and rolling to the NBA championship last season. Then they won 69 more this season. But they ended the year in a 1-3 slump and have played poorly throughout the playoffs despite being able to pull out their first four postseason games.

“We’ve been living on the edge the last four games and this time we got stung,” said Michael Jordan, who had 27 points and 16 rebounds. “But that doesn’t mean we can’t turn this around.”

Chicago went 39-2 at home each of the last two seasons and was 13-0 at the United Center in the playoffs over that span - a combined 91-4 - before losing to the young, aggressive Hawks.

Pippen ripped Chicago’s forwards and centers for their poor defensive help. He especially tore into Dennis Rodman, who had only five rebounds before fouling out and also picked up his seventh technical foul in the five playoff games.

“We’ve got to have a big effort from Dennis,” Pippen said. “He’s got to avoid the technical fouls. He’s just got to play the game.”

Atlanta trailed 68-67 with 3 minutes left in the third quarter before it used a 19-3 run to take the lead for good at 86-71.

Hawks 103, Bulls 95

Atlanta (103) - Laettner 6-16 6-9 18, Corbin 1-4 2-2 4, Mutombo 8-11 3-6 19, Smith 9-19 8-11 27, Blaylock 9-13 0-0 26, Henderson 1-2 1-2 3, Hancock 0-0 0-2 0, Recasner 3-5 0-2 6, James 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 37-71 20-34 103.

Chicago (95) - Pippen 9-18 2-2 24, Rodman 1-5 0-0 2, Longley 2-3 0-0 4, Harper 6-9 0-0 15, Jordan 12-29 3-3 27, Kukoc 5-12 3-6 15, Brown 0-2 0-0 0, Williams 0-4 0-0 0, Kerr 1-3 0-0 3, Caffey 0-2 0-0 0, Buechler 1-1 0-0 3, Parish 1-4 0-0 2. Totals 38-92 8-11 95.

Atlanta 27 26 23 27 - 103

Chicago 28 23 19 25 - 95

3-Point goals-Atlanta 9-15 (Blaylock 8-9, Smith 1-4, Laettner 0-1, James 0-1), Chicago 11-30 (Pippen 4-8, Harper 3-5, Kukoc 2-7, Buechler 1-1, Kerr 1-3, Jordan 0-6). Fouled out-Rodman. Rebounds-Atlanta 57 (Mutombo 15), Chicago 48 (Jordan 16). Assists-Atlanta 13 (Blaylock 9), Chicago 27 (Pippen 9). Total fouls-Atlanta 18, Chicago 27. Technical-Rodman. A-24,544 (23,854).

Lakers 104, Jazz 84

Inglewood, Calif.

This time, Nick Van Exel and the Los Angeles Lakers didn’t have to worry about a no-call at the end, although there were plenty of fouls called.

Even with Shaquille O’Neal limited to 11 points and 10 rebounds before being ejected, the Lakers never trailed in beating Utah 104-84 in Game 3 of their Western Conference semifinal playoff series.

Reserve Kobe Bryant led a balanced Lakers attack with 19 points - all but two in the fourth quarter. Van Exel added 17 and Elden Campbell scored 14.

Because of foul trouble, O’Neal played only 18 minutes before being called for two technical fouls by referee Bill Oakes and getting an automatic ejection with 7:36 left and the Lakers safely ahead.

The Lakers now trail the best-of-7 series 2-1. The fourth game will be played Saturday at the Forum.

Utah (84) - Malone 2-20 11-12 15, Russell 2-11 2-2 7, Ostertag 0-13 1-2 1, Hornacek 9-14 7-7 26, Stockton 0-6 5-6 5, Foster 0-4 0-0 0, Eisley 0-1 0-0 0, Carr 2-7 0-0 4, Anderson 3-5 0-2 7, Morris 1-3 3-4 5, Keefe 1-2 3-4 5, Howard 3-4 3-4 9. Totals 23-80 35-43 84.

L.A. Lakers (104) - Campbell 6-12 2-2 14, Horry 2-6 3-6 7, O’Neal 5-8 1-4 11, Jones 2-5 4-4 8, Van Exel 7-14 3-4 17, Knight 1-2 0-0 2, Rooks 2-4 4-4 8, Kersey 2-4 0-0 4, Scott 3-6 4-4 10, Bryant 3-7 13-14 19, Fisher 1-3 0-0 2, Blount 1-1 0-0 2. Totals 35-72 34-42 104.

Utah 21 15 23 25 - 84

L.A. Lakers 29 20 23 32 - 104

3-Point goals-Utah 3-16, (Anderson 1-2, Hornacek 1-3, Russell 1-6, Eisley 0-1, Stockton 0-2, Morris 0-2), Los Angeles 0-12, (Jones 0-1, Scott 0-1, Fisher 0-1, Bryant 0-2, Horry 0-3, Van Exel 0-4). Fouled out-Eisley, Kersey. Rebounds-Utah 48 (Malone 10), Los Angeles 62 (O’Neal 10). Assists-Utah 18 (Stockton 8), Los Angeles 20 (Van Exel 5). Total fouls-Utah 33, Los Angeles 33. Technicals-Los Angeles coach Harris; O’Neal, 2. Flagrant fouls-Kersey, Bryant. Ejections-O’Neal. A-17,505 (17,505).