Pippen Gives Bulls a Fast, Fresh Start

Michael Jordan became the crutch the Chicago Bulls did not want to lean on Sunday, proving, at least in the mind of Coach Phil Jackson, that greatness is not always the obvious choice for a game plan.

The problem was, he said, that the Bulls had gone to him too often during Game 2 of the NBA finals, hardly a new claim for a team still trying to live down the image as Jordan’s supporting cast.

“Friday night, we looked to Michael to bail us out too often,” Jackson said. “It’s like having that pacifier, putting it back in your mouth again and sucking on it. We talked about not going to that bail-out spot all the time.”

So Scottie Pippen subbed as the focal point for Sunday’s Game 3. He had seven points, four rebounds and three assists during the first quarter to help the Bulls get off to a good start toward a 94-84 victory over the Portland Trail Blazers.

Pippen played 43 of a possible 48 minutes and finished with 18 points, eight rebounds and seven assists. But he was only six of 15 from the field Sunday after going six of 19 during Game 2 and eight of 14 during the opener. That’s 41.7% in the series, and 45.4% for the playoffs as a whole.

Pippen’s versatility--he is averaging nine assists and 8.3 rebounds so far against the Trail Blazers in addition to his 19.3 points--and defense is what the Bulls rely on.

“It was a key for us,” Pippen said of the defense that helped limit the Trail Blazers to 15 points during the third quarter and 35.9% overall. “I thought our defense stepped up and made Portland score from a half-court offense.

“Once you learn how to play on the road, you know you have to control the tempo. That’s the most important thing. We did that tonight with aggressive defense.”

Pippen’s main responsibility, Jerome Kersey, went four of 13 and is now 12 for 32 during the finals, although Kersey did have six offensive rebounds and 12 overall Sunday. But while Pippen and the Bulls credited their defense, it was his offense that got them started.

Jordan didn’t take his first shot until 4:14 had passed, and that was hardly a clear-out move to spring him. It was a dunk, his signature, but only after he worked underneath and Pippen faked a jumper from the right perimeter and instead fired a pass inside.

That gave the Bulls eight points, and Pippen already had two assists. He got another one, this time leading to a layup by Scott Williams, to help start an 18-7 run as Chicago took a 32-24 first-quarter lead.

Pippen had 14 points, seven rebounds and six assists by halftime, and the Bulls had a 54-45 lead. They never trailed after the first quarter.

“Today, we did what we wanted to do,” he said. “The ball never really stopped moving.”

Pippen has been anything but consistent during the playoffs, leaving some to wonder whether he really belongs on the Olympic team. Play him tough and he will shut down, they said, when Pippen was shooting 40.2% and averaging 16 points against physical New York during the second round.

The Knicks, though, have proved to be the only team to derail him. The shooting has been up and down--55.3% against Miami to 40.2% versus New York to 47.3% against Cleveland--but is averaging 19 points, 8.8 rebounds and 6.7 assists for the playoffs heading into Game 4 here Wednesday.

“He’s one of the top 10 players in the league,” teammate John Paxson said after Sunday’s game, when Pippen continued at times to bring the ball upcourt, giving the Bulls the rare advantage of having a forward who can initiate the offense. “Why he is so good is because he can do so many things.”

Jordan finished with a team-high 26 points, along with seven rebounds and three steals. But the Bulls also got an unexpected lift from Stacey King, last in playoff minutes among Chicago big men coming in and destined for points elsewhere this summer.

King played only nine minutes, but got eight points on three-of-four shooting and four rebounds, not to mention one thing that doesn’t show up in the box score.

“This is a big confidence booster for me,” he said.