CHICAGO — The moment came with three minutes 51 seconds remaining in the first quarter.
Pat Riley summoned Alonzo Mourning, and the sculpted, 6-foot-10-inch center sprinted to the scorers' table, shedding his sweats. A murmur swept through the United Center crowd and then applause — mild yet respectful applause.
Mourning played 16 minutes and finished with 12 points and five rebounds in his third game back from the serious kidney ailment that sidelined him for the first 69 games of this season. His reception contrasted sharply with the venom directed at him in past playoff battles.
Yet it's a moment Mourning would rather not experience.
Don't get Mourning wrong. He'd be inhuman not to appreciate the sentiment. And the nine-year veteran understands the fuss his return has caused. But as soon as Mourning made his dramatic announcement to return last Tuesday, he immediately classified himself as a player, not a patient.
"I expect to perform at a certain level when I step out on the court," Mourning said before Saturday's game. "I ignore the fact that, yes, I've gone through what I've gone through. I'm out here now. That's over and done with. Putting pressure on myself and not accepting mediocrity is extremely important in developing the right mindset. I don't want to be content with how I am now. I want to continue to push myself. I'm my biggest critic."
Mourning is not cured. His condition, called focal glomerulosclerosis, is in remission. His doctors are monitoring him on a game-by-game basis so that his current condition doesn't change.
Forgive the contradiction of his "over and done with" assessment, but Mourning also would be inhuman not to experience concern.
"I do play with some fear," Mourning said. "I would like to think that mental toughness has got me to this point." I hope my body will catch up to my mind and heart. It's a long, tedious process. Slowly I've made improvement." Quickly, however, the balance of power in the Eastern Conference has shifted. Forget Miami's 1-2 record record since Mourning has returned. Few teams will look forward to a playoff matchup with this squad.
"The sky's the limit for our potential," said Mourning, who has attended every home game and began traveling with the team in January. "We have an opportunity to do something special here. It's just a matter of us developing a little chemistry. I want to get myself to where I was before and continue to be the best contributor I can so that we can win."