Knicks Take Bulls to 7; Ewing Hurt

The New York Knicks contained Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen in the fourth quarter Thursday night, and that was the key to a 100-86 victory over the Chicago Bulls.

Their best-of-seven Eastern Conference semifinal series is even at three games apiece. The decisive game will be Sunday at Chicago Stadium.

Patrick Ewing, despite limping from a sprain to his left ankle, scored 10 of his 27 points in the fourth quarter, and reserve point guard John Starks also finished with 27 points for the Knicks. Starks had eight points and three steals in the final quarter.

Of his injury, Ewing said: “The only way I wasn’t going to come back in was if it was broken. It hurts. It was on ice for a half-hour and it still hurts. At least I have two days and hopefully by Sunday it won’t be hurting as much.”

Xavier McDaniel scored 24 points for the Knicks, 11 in the fourth quarter, when New York held Jordan to three points and Pippen scoreless. The Bulls made only 29% of their shots in the fourth quarter and were outscored, 32-16.

“They were fighting like cats and dogs and we just relaxed,” Jordan said, who scored 13 of his 21 points in the first half. “I can’t give an explanation why.”

Starks and Gerald Wilkins shared the defensive duties on Jordan.

“I tried to force him to where I have help on the court,” Starks said. “When I do that, he usually has to pass off. Gerald and I are trying to wear him down.”

New York kept up its aggressive stance, drawing two technicals and two flagrant fouls, but became the first team to score 100 points in the series while holding the opposition under 90 for the ninth time in 11 postseason games.

Pippen finished with 18 points for the defending champion Bulls, who won 67 regular-season games, 16 more than the Knicks.

“We got it to a seventh game and that’s what a sixth game is all about,” Knick Coach Pat Riley said.