Jordan Pulls Bulls Past Knicks, 91-84

Carrying an entire team isn’t the ideal prescription for a sore back. So Michael Jordan blocked out the pain of back spasms that have bothered him for a week.

“I don’t want to be a philosopher about how to do things like this. What I really tried to focus on was the moment, the situation at hand,” Jordan said Sunday after scoring 44 points as the Chicago Bulls opened the Eastern Conference semifinals with a 91-84 victory over the New York Knicks.

“If they see you bleed, they’re going to try to go for more blood,” Jordan said.

The Bulls didn’t give him much help. Scottie Pippen, with 11 points on four-for-15 shooting, was the only other Chicago player to score in double figures.

The Bulls, who eliminated the Knicks from the playoffs in 1989, 1991, 1992 and 1993 but lost to New York during Jordan’s retirement in 1994, have followed their NBA-record 72-victory regular season with a 4-0 start in the playoffs.

Patrick Ewing had 21 points and 16 rebounds for the Knicks.