Bullies Don’t Allow Magic to Fight Back

Area children sent thousands of messages (“We Still Believe in Magic, Mrs. Honohan’s 2nd Grade, Mollie Ray Elementary”) that were plastered all over the walls of the O-rena but the Chicago Bulls arrived and school was out.

Even with a token performance by Michael Jordan, they held the Magic to 59 points in the first 44 minutes and eased to an unlovely 86-67 victory Saturday, appropriate for a series that has been a dud.

The Bulls lead the Eastern Conference finals, 3-0, promising a quick end that everyone will thank them for, possibly including the Magic.

“They had a look in their eye like they didn’t even want to compete,” said the Bulls’ Dennis Rodman. “We didn’t even particularly put pressure on them. They just had a look in their eye like they didn’t even want to be there.

“When things went wrong, they were pointing fingers at each other. They’re not a together outfit out there and that’s not good.”

That, of course, depends on one’s perspective.

The Magic, matched against a more cohesive team and beset by injuries too, got worse all game--how about two points in the first 8:16 of the fourth quarter?--and went whimpering into the evening.

“It’s just frustration because we lose Brian Shaw, who we really need in a crucial game right now,” said Penny Hardaway (18 points, missing 16 of 24 shots.)

“He couldn’t help getting hurt, but it’s just like things kept happening, one after the other, injury after injury. And then Nick [Anderson] gets hurt with the wrist--I mean, it’s like it just wasn’t meant to be.”

Maybe that’s what they were thinking when the Bulls broke away from the early Neanderthal pace, making three three-point shots in a row (Scottie Pippen, Steve Kerr, Toni Kukoc) in the second quarter to open a 10-point lead.

If the Magic players wanted to feel sorry for themselves, the option was available to them.They lost Horace Grant after Game 1. They thought they’d lost his backup, Jon Koncak, who reported a sore knee after Game 2.

“When I met [Magic Coach] Brian Hill before the game at halfcourt to shake hands, I asked him what else could go wrong with his basketball club,” Chicago Coach Phil Jackson said, “and I guess he found out today.”

Koncak played Saturday, but at the last moment, Shaw, the No. 3 guard, was scratched with neck spasms. Just their luck--they get one of their wounded back and it’s Koncak.

Koncak made no baskets, took no rebounds and tried no shots. Of course, that doesn’t make it much different than a lot of his games.

The real problem was Shaquille O’Neal. Coming off a powerful 36-point performance in Game 2, he was held to 17, missing 11 of 19 shots. The Bulls got away with single covering him and other parts of the Magic offense went out--Dennis Scott, one for nine from the field--as if they had flipped a switch on the wall.

It was fortunate for the Bulls that the Magic had so little going, because they didn’t have much more. Jordan scored 17 points, missing nine of 14 shots.

For a change, Pippen carried him, scoring 27 points, making all the key shots as Orlando made a third-quarter run.

Put it this way, Scottie owed Mike one. Pippen slumped through the last series against New York and shot 36% in Games 1 and 2 of this series. When Jackson was asked if this marks the end of Pippen’s slump, he shot back: “No.

“He’s had a few games like this in the playoffs,” Jackson said, “and then has not been able to stay steady. But we’re happy to see him have a game like this. He needs one and it’s important for our team.”

Said Jordan: “You can see what a difference it makes if he comes out and plays his all-around game.”

Jordan fell and sprained an ankle but returned to the game and will play in Game 4. Anderson, who fell on his chronically sore right wrist in the fourth quarter, probably won’t be back.

“Looks like another unfortunate situation for them with Anderson going down today,” Jackson said. “But we can’t have pity on them. We have to go ahead and do what we have to do, that’s try to close this out as quickly as possible.”

That’s what this series has degenerated into, the Bulls trying not to pity their opponent. The only suspense remaining is whether they finish them off here or carry them back to Chicago for the coup de grace Wednesday.

Who says the Magic players want another plane trip? In their short playoff history, they have lost the opening game in three series. They were swept in the first two and you’d have to say the possibility of a third is alive.