Jordan’s 38 Points, 19 Rebounds Fuel Bulls : Eastern Conference: He takes advantage of 76ers’ limping Hawkins as Chicago advances with a 100-95 victory.

Michael Jordan, a 6-foot-6 guard who had no double-figure rebound performances in Chicago’s first seven playoff games, grabbed a personal-high 19 Tuesday night as the Bulls advanced to the Eastern Conference finals for the third consecutive year.

Jordan, who had 38 points, scored the Bulls’ last 12 points and 25 in the second half as they broke away from a 92-92 tie for a 100-95 victory in Game 5. It was the second consecutive season that the Bulls eliminated Philadelphia in five games during the second round of the playoffs.

Jordan said he took advantage of 76er guard Hersey Hawkins’ sore leg.

“It got down to where every basket counted from here on in, whoever takes it and goes to the basket,” Jordan said. “At that point, execution was everything.

“Hersey was limping, and I took advantage of that. Phil (coach Jackson) saw that and started calling my plays, and I capitalized on it.”

Chicago will play the winner of the Boston-Detroit series in the Eastern Conference finals. The Bulls have lost to the Pistons in that round the last two seasons.

The 76ers, trailing by as many as 13 points in the second half and by 10 going into the final quarter, used a 14-5 run to pull to 86-85, and then tied the score, 92-92, on two free throws by Armon Gilliam.

Jordan broke the tie with two free throws, then stole the ball and made a left-handed layup for a 96-92 lead with 2:17 remaining. He scored the last two points from the free-throw line with 12 seconds to play.

Charles Barkley led the 76ers with 30 points and Gilliam had 21. Scottie Pippen scored 28 points--24 in the first half--and Horace Grant grabbed 11 rebounds for Chicago.

“Hersey was hurt and I was able to get in there and help Horace out by going to the boards,” Jordan said.

Jordan made only six of 16 shots in the first half.

Barkley and Pippen took charge in the first quarter, during which there were three ties and six lead changes. Barkley scored 18 points, making all but one of his eight shots, and Pippen made all seven of his shots.

“Things were going pretty well for me, they kept getting me the ball and my shots kept falling,” Pippen said.

Barkley, who has hinted that this could be his last season in Philadelphia, said, “It’s been up and down all year, but at least we got this far in the playoffs. I’m just going to sit back and enjoy what we did this season. But it’s frustrating waiting for the last night for your best game.”

Said Sixer owner Harold Katz: “Sometimes I think the media overacts to what Charles has to say. To trade a player like Charles Barkley, you have to get a great player in return. There’s not too many players you can trade a Michael, Magic or Charles Barkley for.”

Jordan put the Bulls ahead, 12-11, with 7:34 to play in the first quarter and the 76ers stayed close, but couldn’t get ahead as the quarter ended with Chicago leading, 30-29.

The Bulls went on a 9-1 run to open the second quarter, with Will Perdue scoring six points as Chicago went ahead, 39-30.

A three-pointer by Hawkins cut it to 39-35 and he converted a three-point play to cut Chicago’s lead to 43-39. But Jordan and Pippen keyed a 9-2 run for a 52-41 lead.

Jordan made a free throw and a basket to open a 58-46 lead a minute before the half ended, but a three-pointer by Rickey Green and two free throws by Gilliam pulled the Sixers to 58-51 at the half.

Midway through the third quarter, Jordan scored eight points during a 12-6 run that gave the Bulls a 74-61 lead. But the 76ers scored the next eight points to get back into the game.

Jordan added two free throws and then converted a three-point play as the Bulls took an 81-71 lead going into the final quarter.