Michael Jordan's 38-point, 13 rebound, nine assist, two steal night destroyed the Utah Jazz in Game 2 Wednesday at the United Center. But it still left M.J. one assist short of his first triple-double in an NBA Finals game.
Jordan actually hit teammate Scottie Pippen with a pass setting up a layup attempt late in the game. But Pippen somehow missed.Only one Chicago player has ever registered a triple-double (double figures in three statistically categories) in the Finals - Pippen. He had 15 points, 12 rebounds and 12 assists in 1993 against Phoenix.
"I didn't want him to tie me," said Pippen, explaining, tongue firmly in cheek, why he missed the layup which cost Jordan his 10th assist.
BAD BOYZ: Dennis Rodman and Brian Williams, a pair of former Western Conference players, seem to relish the fact that they are not well liked in the Delta Center.
Williams, who started his "I hate Utah" schtick during the '94 playoffs when he was with the Nuggets, has entertained the media all week with his candid comments about Salt Lake City. "I'd be on the first plane to Europe if I was ever traded (to the Jazz)," was one of his milder retorts.
Rodman, of course, has never been a favorite in Salt Lake dating back to his days in Detroit. But fans really began to harbor dislike for the Worm in the '94 playoffs when, as a member of the Spurs, he took cheap shots at most of the Jazz players, including John Stockton, and - worse still - brought Madonna to town.
"Dennis and I will get the biggest boos," from the Utah fans, predicted Williams, without a trace of regret in his voice.
While Rodman has been out of control at times during the playoffs, he's been remarkably calm thus far in the Finals. He had a streak of 13 consecutive games with at least one technical broken on Sunday and he was on his best behavior again Wednesday night.
Pippen, for one, thinks the bad boy inside his teammate will soon be released again.
"I think Dennis is really looking forward to going on the road and really getting after the fans in Utah," said Pippen, "so I don't expect him to play the same way in Utah that he has the last couple of games. He's going to have to play Malone a little different. (Malone's) going to get more calls in Utah and I'm sure he's going to draw some type of frustration" out of Rodman.
ADD PIPPEN: Chicago's No. 2 Dream Teamer, Pippen, missed practice during the two off days prior to Game 2 and was hobbled when he re-aggravated his foot on the game's first play Wednesday.
The injury "pretty much took me out of my game, had me frustrated," he said. "I wanted to be much more aggressive. I felt like I could be more aggressive, but after I aggravated it, it was pretty painful throughout the game."
The Bulls had a morning practice scheduled for today before taking an afternoon flight to Salt Lake. Pippen was not expected to practice.
"I know (Pippen's foot) was tender and he'll be sore," said Bulls coach Phil Jackson.
A LITTLE HELP?: Utah never led and trailed by as many as 22 points Wednesday. The outcome of the game was never truly in doubt after a Bulls run midway through the second quarter.
Still, Utah was able to cut the gap to eight points in the fourth quarter - with a little help from the guys in the gray shirts, if you believe Jackson.
"The referees were refereeing the score rather than the game at times tonight to try to get the game competitive," he said. "I don't like that, but it happens . . . . We had to be happy with the fact that we withstood that."