NBA PLAYOFFS : Jordan Leaves No Doubt, 103-89 : East: The Bulls open an easy lead in Game 1, then hold on after the Cavaliers get over their jitters.

Michael Jordan, presented with his third most valuable player award by NBA Commissioner David J. Stern before the opening game of the Eastern Conference finals against the Cleveland Cavaliers, showed once again why he is the best basketball player on the planet.

Jordan scored 33 points, had seven assists and grabbed six rebounds as the Bulls beat the Cavaliers, 103-89, Tuesday night before a sellout crowd of 18,676 at Chicago Stadium.

Jordan said the Bulls were determined to maintain their home-court advantage after the New York Knicks upset them here in the first game of their Eastern Conference semifinal series.

“We felt the first one was the hardest,” Jordan said. “We had to come out and defend our home court. We really went after this first game.”

Bull forward Scottie Pippen barely missed a triple double, scoring 29 points, grabbing 12 rebounds and getting nine assists.

“I felt I contributed tonight and helped out by getting everybody into the game,” Pippen said.

Coming off a tough seven-game series against the Knicks, the Bulls seemed to lose interest after opening a 20-point first-half lead and Cleveland pulled to seven points during the final quarter, but the defending NBA champions held on.

“I was surprised that we jumped out the way we did and pretty much maintained control of the game,” Jordan said. “That was very surprising and something we wanted to do, but we didn’t think it would come this easy.

“Maybe they were a little nervous playing in the conference finals. That’s new ground for them. But they got over a lot of their jitters in the fourth quarter, and we anticipate them coming out a little stronger Thursday night.”

Not much seemed to go right for the Cavaliers, who had 15 turnovers, missed nine of 15 free throws and were locked out of their locker room after the game.

“I thought we came out real flat,” Cleveland Coach Lenny Wilkens said. “We turned the ball over about five times in the first seven or eight minutes. You can’t do that against a team this good, because you’ve got to play uphill. I guarantee you we’ll be a lot stronger next game.

“I don’t think we were in awe of the Bulls or anybody. We just got off to a slow start. That’s been a problem we’ve had throughout the playoffs, that we get a little anxious at the start of the game. I feel that our intensity level has to go up a notch. You can’t spot a team like that 20 points, because then you’re playing catch-up.”

Although most teams double-cover him, the Cavaliers used guard Craig Ehlo to check Jordan, who averaged 35.4 points as Chicago won three of five games against Cleveland this season.

But the Cavaliers changed their defensive strategy, using forward John (Hot Rod) Williams to double-cover Jordan, who made 15 of 29 shots, including a three-pointer.

Wilkens said the Cavaliers will trap Jordan even more throughout the series.

The Bulls, who shot 68% during the first quarter, started quickly, taking a 30-21 lead.

With Jordan on the bench at the start of the second quarter, the Bulls outscored the Cavaliers, 11-5, in 5:10 to take a 16-point lead. Jordan, who had 15 first-half points, scored four in a row after returning as Chicago opened a 20-point lead.

Although the Bulls were forced to use backup center Will Perdue after Bill Cartwright got into early foul trouble, Perdue took Cavalier center Brad Daugherty out of the game. Daugherty, who had nine points during the first quarter, scored two during the second quarter.

Trailing by 20 points, Cleveland outscored Chicago by 15-7 to cut the deficit to 52-40 at halftime. Guard Mark Price, who had 15 of his 21 points during the first half, had seven points during the run, making a three-pointer and two jumpers.

“We got ourselves in a big hole early and you can’t do that with a team of the Bulls’ caliber,” Price said.

Leading, 54-44, early in the third quarter, the Bulls had a 10-2 run--Jordan scored six consecutive points--to take an 18-point lead. The Cavaliers missed 10 of their first 14 shots during the second half.

Daugherty, who had a team-high 23 points, said the Cavaliers won’t make any drastic changes for Game 2 Thursday night.

“I don’t think we will be too much different,” Daugherty said. “We aren’t going to change our defense or offensive strategy. It got us where we are today.

“However, we can’t give them that early lead like we did tonight and we can’t give into their pressure.”