Bulls Win Despite Themselves
NBA playoffs
The stench that permeated the United Center was unmistakable to the Chicago Bulls, who were able to laugh only because they beat the Miami Heat to take a 2-0 lead in the Eastern Conference finals.
Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen spent the postgame news conference giggling about the sophomoric nicknames they gave each other after Chicago won 75-68 Thursday night in the lowest-scoring playoff game since the NBA instituted the shot clock 42 years ago.
“We gave ourselves names in the locker room,” Pippen said.
“I’m doo-doo,” Jordan said before adding Pippen’s nickname that was more vulgar. “We can look in the mirror and say when we play bad. We looked in the mirror … and came up with these two names.”
Despite their problems, they each scored 23 points. And Jordan took over down the stretch, with 14 fourth-quarter points.
“It’s frustrating to some degree, but we’ve been able to win the two games. Two more strikes, and they’re out,” Pippen said. “Our purpose is to win. We don’t care if it was two-to-zero.”
The game wasn’t quite that low-scoring, but that’s exactly how the best-of-7 series stands going to Miami for Game 3 Saturday and Game 4 Monday.
The 143 combined points were two fewer than the previous postseason low set by Syracuse and Fort Wayne in 1955, the first year of the 24-second clock.
“It was bad, pretty bad, pretty bad. We couldn’t execute from the get-go,” said Tim Hardaway, who led Miami with 15 points. “Down the stretch, we just didn’t make any shots.”
The Heat shot 34 percent - including 3 for 26 (12 percent) from 3-point range - in tying the fourth-worst offensive output in modern playoff history. Their woes came on the heels of a 28-point second half in Game 1, when they blew a 16-point lead. Miami has only 145 points in the two games.
Jordan, whose 33.9 career playoff scoring average is the highest in league history, had only 13 points on 3-for-14 shooting with 5 minutes to go and the Bulls clinging to a 59-58 lead.
He then made a 20-foot jumper, hit two free throws and fed Ron Harper for a 3-pointer as the Bulls went up 66-58. After a Hardaway free throw, Jordan made two more foul shots.
The Bulls won despite shooting 36 percent for the second straight game.
“The fans really ought to get their money back,” Chicago’s Steve Kerr said. “To pay a lot of money to see this … yuck!”
Bulls 75, Heat 68
Miami (68) - Mashburn 5-15 0-0 10, P.J. Brown 0-1 0-0 0, Mourning 5-13 4-6 14, Hardaway 5-16 5-6 15, Lenard 2-8 0-0 5, Austin 5-7 2-2 12, Anderson 1-5 2-2 4, Majerle 2-8 2-2 8, Crotty 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 25-74 15-18 68.
Chicago (75) - Pippen 9-21 2-3 23, Rodman 0-2 1-2 1, Longley 4-8 0-0 8, Harper 3-5 3-6 11, Jordan 4-15 15-16 23, Kukoc 0-3 0-0 0, R. Brown 0-1 0-0 0, Williams 0-3 1-2 1, Caffey 0-0 0-0 0, Kerr 1-2 1-2 3, Buechler 2-4 1-1 5. Totals 23-64 24-32 75.
Miami 12 17 16 23 - 68
Chicago 22 17 12 24 - 75
3-Point goals-Miami 3-26 (Majerle 2-7, Lenard 1-6, Anderson 0-3, Mashburn 0-5, Hardaway 0-5), Chicago 5-17 (Pippen 3-8, Harper 2-4, Rodman 0-1, Jordan 0-1, Kerr 0-1, Kukoc 0-2). Fouled out-None. Rebounds-Miami 47 (Mourning 8), Chicago 54 (Rodman 10). Assists-Miami 10 (Hardaway 5), Chicago 16 (Harper 6). Total fouls-Miami 30, Chicago 23. Technicals- Anderson, Miami assistant coach Robertson, Rodman, Jordan. A-24,544 (23,854).