LAST SUNDAY, when Michael Jordan was looking like a regular, garden variety superstar and not quite perfect, he protested that he couldn't always live up to the hype. That some nights he just wouldn't, couldn't be perfect.
Fair enough.Just don't mention it to the Jazz.
By Wednesday, Jordan was back to the business of slaying dragons and saving the universe. For his Mistake of the Night he missed a free throw with 46.5 seconds left and the score tied but made up for that a few seconds later when he took down a long rebound. Next, he landed a 3-pointer with 25 seconds to go that clinched the win. The final tally: 38 points. The win gave the Bulls a 90-88 victory and a 3-2 lead over the Jazz in the NBA Finals.
Gee, it's a good thing for the Jazz he was sick.
If Jordan plans on being considered a normal human being, with human frailties, he shouldn't do what he did Wednesday. First, he went out and got good and sick. Sick enough that he awakened Tuesday night feeling like his stomach had been in a blender. Instead of spending Wednesday on the golf course, he got real familiar with the pattern on his ceiling. When he came to the arena, he had roughly the same complexion as split pea soup.
"I've played many seasons with Michael, and I've never seen him sick to the point where I didn't even think he was going to be able to put his uniform on," said teammate Scottie Pippen.
"He hadn't gotten out of bed all day. And literally, standing up was nauseating, and he had dizzy spells and so forth," said Bulls coach Phil Jackson.
Second, he lit up the Jazz like a casino.
Of course, if ever there was a made-for-Michael moment, this was it. The man can do Superman on cue. He's a walking, talking rent-a-hero. If he'd been around, there would never have been a Hindenburg. He would have put out the Great Chicago Fire. Got a problem? Dial 1-800-Perfect. Operators are standing by.
For a few moments early in the game, it appeared Jordan had come down with a bad case of humanity as well. He could dodge Bryon Russell or Jeff Hornacek, but getting around the flu was another matter. He only knew that he felt awful. He didn't know whether it was the flu, food poisoning or if John Stockton had slipped him a mickey.
"Very queasy. Low on energy," said Jordan, describing his condition at game time.
"He didn't look too happy," said reserve Jud Buechler. "He looked like he wanted to get off the court and lie down."
Jordan's first shot was a banker that didn't come close. But moments later he made a shot from the free throw line and, sure enough, you could tell there was a pulse. By the time the second quarter rolled around, he figured he was going to survive. It's the Jazz who wouldn't. He rolled for 17 points in the period. And if not overpowering, he at least knew enough to set himself up for the easiest shot of all - free throws. He shot 10 of them in the second quarter alone.
No Jordan moment, though, would be complete without the big finish, so he added 15 more points in the final period. Inside the final minute he made one of two free throws to tie the score, pulled in the game's most important rebound and added the 3-pointer that put the Bulls up by three with 25 seconds remaining.
He was feeling better already.
Your ordinary get-up-off-the-hospital-gurney kind of performance.
"Maybe," said Buechler, "it's all a big psyche job by MJ."
Whatever the case, once the game had ended, Jordan repaired quickly to the training room, where he drank enough fluids to render a camel unconscious. He didn't meet with the media, apparently figuring scoring 38 points against the Jazz wasn't nearly as taxing as talking to 1,500 reporters.
And as the Bulls headed back to Chicago with a 3-2 lead, the Jazz could only wonder what to do next. And hope he doesn't plan to get sick again anytime soon.