Burst by Jordan Leaves the Lakers Seeing Red, 103-97 : Pro basketball: He fuels the Bulls during the fourth quarter despite early foul trouble.

Reality arrived in town Sunday, in the red uniforms of the Chicago Bulls.

A matchup of last season’s NBA finalists?

More like Showtime Now vs. Showtime Then.

Sheer effort cut down the gap but the old dynasty, the Lakers, got a bad case of Michael Jordan Sunday and succumbed to the Bulls, 103-97, at the Forum, ending their four-game winning streak.

Jordan, who had 33 points, 11 assists and eight rebounds, took over in the stretch, scoring or assisting on 10 of his team’s last 13 baskets.

Most noteworthy was the one on which he raised former North Carolina teammate James Worthy off his feet with a one-handed fake. Although they were 20 feet from the basket, it worked like that Globetrotter trick where they fake a free throw and opponents topple into the lane.

Jordan then drove past Worthy for a layup.

“I would prefer to do some of those moves against someone else, not a North Carolinian,” Jordan said.

As would Worthy.

“Same one you see in the highlight films,” Worthy said. “It’s a great move. He’s got big hands and he’s such a good passer. It’s just like Larry Bird giving you a pump fake. It’s more than just a pump fake. You think it’s going to happen.

“He’s just so versatile, there’s no way you can take away any one particular thing. You just got to make him play and not let it come easy.”

No, the matchups didn’t favor the Lakers, nor was timing on their side.

They had embarrassed the Bulls in Chicago in a national cable TV game earlier in the season. Jordan missed his last 10 shots in that one, including a breakaway dunk.

The Bulls lost at Houston and San Antonio on this trip, after Jordan joked about Western Conference superiority.

This game was on network TV.

“They surprised us in Chicago and spanked us pretty good,” Jordan said, “so we didn’t underestimate this team. We knew how feisty this team is. . . . We just want to keep going down their throats and make them choke a little bit.”

The Bulls came in, six-point favorites on the Lakers’ floor, and took a 46-35 lead.

But the Lakers closed the half with a 7-0 spurt on Byron Scott’s three outside shots, including a three-pointer, and cut Chicago’s lead to 46-42. Scott then drew Jordan’s fourth foul 2:29 into the third quarter.

Gambling, Bull Coach Phil Jackson let Jordan stay, reasoning soundly:

“He didn’t want to come out.”

Said Jordan: “I kind of talked him into it. I told Phil I was OK. I thought I may have become a liability because they (the Bulls) were more worried about my fouls than I was.

“I was trying to hide and the Lakers were trying to find me.”

Laker Coach Mike Dunleavy moved Worthy to guard and used a big lineup, hoping to post Jordan up for a basket or his fifth foul. Jordan, however, kept switching off Lakers going into the pivot.

Late in the third quarter, the Lakers led, 73-66, but the Bulls closed the period with a 6-2 run.

Came the fourth quarter and there was Jordan, with the same four fouls, and the Lakers in his sights.

With 7:04 to play, he made a seven-foot jump hook over Sam Perkins to tie the score, 79-79.

After which:

Jordan made a 17-footer to wipe out the Lakers’ last lead and tie the score, 81-81.

Jordan made another 17-footer, after a head-and-shoulder fake froze Scott.

Jordan passed to Horace Grant under the basket for a jump hook.

Jordan missed a 17-footer.

Jordan made a 12-footer.

Jordan did his ball-fake on Worthy for a layup.

Jordan made a 19-footer.

By then, the Bulls were ahead, 96-89, with 1:46 to play. A.C. Green made two three-pointers for the Lakers, but they couldn’t catch the Bulls.

The Lakers’ troubles aren’t over. This morning, they will fly to Phoenix for tonight’s game against the Suns. Reality, it’s all around them.

Laker Notes

Magic Johnson, analyzing the game for NBC, was doing his pregame show at midcourt with Dick Enberg when Michael Jordan came up behind him and pinched his rear. . . . Byron Scott didn’t take a shot until 57 seconds remained in the first half. He made two more shots before halftime, but took only five more in the game. “They’re still very tough defensively,” Jordan said of the Lakers. “I think they were missing some offensive push when (James) Worthy wasn’t hitting. Byron wasn’t as aggressive as I’ve seen him in the past. He hit those three jumpers and I thought that would really get him going, but he couldn’t get himself into the game.” Said Scott: “There just weren’t a lot of opportunities to shoot the ball and I’m not the type to force shots.” Scott, on speculation that Johnson, who was critiquing him during the telecast, was upset by Scott’s suggestions that Johnson stay retired: “I’m not going to say anything about that.”

Vlade Divac practiced with the Lakers for the first time Saturday, although doctors have yet to determine how soon after the all-star break he will return. “I think he’s improved a great deal over the last two weeks,” Coach Mike Dunleavy said. “Before that, I felt we might not see him again this season.”