Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls, again playing their best when the stakes are highest, regained control of the NBA Finals on Friday night.
Jordan scored 46 points and Scottie Pippen had 24 points, 11 rebounds and 9 assists in the Bulls' 119-106 victory that gave them a 3-2 lead over Portland in the NBA championship series.Clyde Drexler scored 30 points for the Trail Blazers, gunning for their first NBA title since 1977.
Chicago can become the NBA's third repeat champion in six years with another victory in Game 6 at home on Sunday or in Game 7 at Chicago Stadium on Wednesday.
Unlike last season, when the Bulls breezed to a 15-2 postseason record on the way to their first NBA title, they have struggled for consistency in the 1992 playoffs, losing seven games along the way.
By taking a 19-point lead in the first half and then staying safely in front Friday night, Chicago won again when the outcome of a best-of-7 series was in the balance.
Three times - against New York, Cleveland and Portland - the Bulls have split the first two games at home, won Game 3, then were tied 2-2 by losing Game 4. On all three occasions, they have come back to take the fifth game.
An overtime loss in Game 2 and a poor performance in the fourth quarter in the fourth game had the Bulls in a sour mood, and they took it out on the Trail Blazers in the first half, hitting 61.5 percent of their shots.
Leading 66-54 at halftime, the Bulls hit the first three baskets of the third period on jumpers by Jordan and John Paxson and a fastbreak dunk by Pippen.
A layup and two free throws by Jordan with 6:26 left in the quarter put Chicago ahead 82-62.
Portland closed to 92-78 as the Bulls' only real problem all night - foul trouble - resurfaced late in the period. But Cliff Levingston's rebound basket with 1.0 seconds left enabled the Bulls to take a 16-point lead into the final 12 minutes.
The Blazers made 35 of 44 free throws and the Bulls 37 of 45 in the foul-plagued game.
Jordan's two free throws gave the Bulls a 99-81 lead with 9:37 left. He was called for his fifth foul just 44 seconds later and was removed from the game. Jordan came back to match Rolando Blackman's career playoff record of 43 points against Portland with a jumper at the 5:22 mark, giving the Bulls a 109-91 advantage.
The Trail Blazers tried to get back in the game with a 10-1 spurt, as Drexler and Terry Porter, who scored 17 points, had two baskets apiece. That closed the deficit to 110-101.
But another Portland comeback victory was not in the cards when the Bulls scored the next five points, all on free throws, to seal the ouctome.
With the Trail Blazers' loss, the Western Conference champion is now 1-10 at home in the NBA Finals in the last four seasons, with the only victory by Portland on Wednesday. Before the Finals, those four teams won 30 of 31 playoff games at home.
Chicago, which lost Game 4 despite starting with a 10-0 run, surrendered a game-opening layup to Jerome Kersey before scoring 10 consecutive points, 6 of them by Jordan.
Jordan and Pippen, the highest-scoring duo in the NBA during the regular season, combined for 17 points in the first 5:41 of the game as the Bulls led 21-11. They extended the margin to 39-26 by the end of the first quarter as Pippen scored 13 points and Jordan 12 in the period.
Pippen hit all four of his shots and Jordan was 4 for 7 as the Bulls made 68 percent of their shots on 15-for-22 shooting.
A layup and a jumper by Jordan gave the Bulls a 45-28 advantage.
A jumper and fastbreak dunk by Drexler got the crowd into the game for the first time, but Jordan kept the ball for Chicago on its next possession, outmanuevering a double-team and hitting a jumper from the corner. His momentum carried Jordan into a group of photographers and he came up limping before leaving the game for the first time with a sprained ankle.
Jordan returned after a rest of just 1:09, and less than a minute later hit his second 3-pointer. Then his two free throws gave the Bulls their largest lead of the first half, 56-37 with 4:57 left.
Portland drew 11 fouls and made 13 of 16 free throws in the second quarter.