Bulls Leave No Doubt, 103-83 : Eastern Conference: Chicago takes an 11-point lead during the first quarter and cuts the Knicks’ lead to 2-1.

OK, now they are underdogs.

Trailing by 2-0 in the Eastern Conference finals, secure in the knowledge the whole world was against them--referees, reporters, blackjack dealers at Bally’s Grand--the Bulls arose Saturday and smote the Knicks, 103-83.

The Bulls aren’t ready to kiss and make up, either.

Michael Jordan scored 22 points with 11 assists and eight rebounds, gave a short interview to NBC’s Ahmad Rashad, then boycotted other reporters for a second day in a row.

“I think Michael’s (teed) off at you guys,” the Bulls’ Scottie Pippen said.

“I wouldn’t talk to you guys, either.”

The game was a rout from the first quarter when the Bulls, gambling on being able to pressure the Knicks all over the floor, took an 11-point lead.

By halftime, they had been ahead by as many as 21.

“They were ready to play,” Knick Coach Pat Riley said. “They were down, 2-0. All of them were strung up by their thumbs in the city square.

“They were ready to play. They’re the world champions. I’m not being flip about it. We got our butts kicked.”

Riley, fervent in his belief that hard times force defining moments and bring out a champion’s best, must have winced when he watched the events of the last few days: Jordan reported to have gambled in Atlantic City into the early morning hours before Game 2, then angrily denying it; the Bulls uniting to boycott reporters on Friday.

“They’re a great team,” Riley said. “They’re a proud team. They have very talented players.

“We’ve had eight, nine, 10 days almost of relief. There hasn’t been enough misery for us. Today, maybe there’s enough.

“I think that when a team goes through what they went through, you either go south or you come back. They came back.”

The only drama from mid-second period on came courtesy of the Knicks’ John Starks, who kicked the ball into the stands, confronted Pippen after they bumped, confronted Pippen a second time while Stacey King was in brief dust-up with Patrick Ewing, then was ejected in a faceoff with Jordan.

“He threw an elbow at my head,” Starks said. “He said something and he got up in my face. He put his hand in my face, I slapped it down and I got a (technical foul).

“He put his hand in my face a second time, and I slapped it down again. I’m a grown man. Somebody puts a hand in my face, I’m going to slap it down.”

Said Riley, who has spent the season trying to calm Starks: “I love John. I’m not upset with John. You know, all of us have things about us that maybe people don’t agree with, but John’s a great kid. Sometimes his emotions get the best of him, but he’s trying and he’s competing. I want him in my foxhole any time.”

Jordan wasn’t available for rebuttal.

“I think that’s what they’re trying to do, get our minds away from the game,” Pippen said, “try to make us retaliate, push and shove, things like that. But I thought what we did, we kept our head and we stayed focused.

“I wouldn’t exactly say we’re a (teed)-off team, but we’re a team now--we’ve never had our backs against the wall like this, so we’re trying to get back on top. That’s where we think we belong, and that’s where we’re used to being.”

Notes

The Bulls’ Scottie Pippen scored 29 points, making 10 of his 12 shots. For the series, he is averaging 24 points and shooting 59%. Since missing his first five shots during Game 1, he has shot 67%. . . . The Bulls, outrebounded by 31 in the first two games, were outrebounded again, but this time by only 35-30. The Bulls’ Horace Grant took two rebounds and has now been outrebounded by Charles Oakley, 38-12. . . . Michael Jordan missed 15 of his 18 shots. For the series, he is shooting 32%. In six games against the Knicks this season, he has yet to shoot 45%, and has been over 40% only once. . . . Knick Coach Pat Riley was very gracious, perhaps to highlight the fact that counterpart Phil Jackson has complained after every loss. “Chicago played one hell of a game today,” Riley said. “. . . Maybe we may not have been as ready as we should have been, but that’s why they play seven games.”