It was Dennis Rodman unleashed.
Free most of the game from the referees' watchful eye and punishing whistle, the Chicago Bulls' flamboyant forward sparked the defending NBA champions into the Eastern Conference finals.Rodman rebounded as usual, he characteristically bumped and jostled, he even blocked a shot by 7-foot-2 Dikembe Mutombo. And surprisingly, he made four shots from the perimeter, two 3-pointers, as the Bulls beat the Atlanta Hawks 107-92.
Shackled by fouls and technicals for most of the series, especially the previous two games, Rodman still jawed with officials over perceived slights, claiming as he always does that he is being singled out.
And finally, almost inevitably, he got his two technicals fouls after a skirmish with Mutombo and was ejected with 2:44 to play.
"We knew that Dennis was going to have to be bigger than his taunts. He's going to have to accept the first blow and play," Bulls coach Phil Jackson said.
"He played very intense without the urge that retaliates and gets him in trouble."
The technicals were his 10th and 11th, but by the time they came the outcome had been decided.
"He's sick. He's sick. He was a decent player and now he's caught up in all this stuff," Mutombo, who didn't score in the fourth quarter as Chicago wrapped up the series 4-1.
Chicago will now play the Knicks or Heat in the conference finals.
"The Bulls can win as long as they can control Dennis Rodman. If they don't control him he will hurt them," Mutombo said. "The guy is just not normal."
After averaging 17 minutes, one point and four rebounds in the first four games of the series, Rodman finished with 12 points and nine rebounds in 33 minutes. Tuesday was his 36th birthday as well.
"Tonight he tried to play through everything and gave us what we needed to win this game," said Chicago's Scottie Pippen, who had harshly criticized Rodman after the Bulls lost Game 2. "We've told him he needs to look to score."
Michael Jordan led the Bulls with 24 points, Pippen and Steve Kerr had 15 points each and Brian Williams 12 points and 10 rebounds.
"Dennis brought a lot of energy to the game," Jordan said, "and he shot 3-pointers better than me and Scottie."
Christian Laettner's 23 led the Hawks. Mookie Blaylock, whose shooting tailed off dramatically in the final three games, scored 20 for Atlanta.
Jordan, looking ahead to the next round, said he welcomes what promises to be another physical and grueling series against the Knicks, who were one of two teams to beat the Bulls at the United Center during the regular season.
It is Chicago's seventh trip to the conference finals in nine years.
"We feel confident going against the Knicks. We feel we can play better than the last time we played here," Jordan said.
"It may have to go to a seven-game series, but we feel confident we can win."