It’s a Kooky Game

All that talk from the Seattle SuperSonics about how they would defend Michael Jordan (a lot with Detlef Schrempf it turned out, contrary to Coach George Karl’s statements) and Scottie Pippen (with point guard Gary Payton, much to Pippen’s surprise), and then Game 1 of the NBA finals turned on who they didn’t really cover.

Maybe they just didn’t think Toni Kukoc was worth the trouble. To be sure, there was enough evidence to suggest as much--27.9% from the field, including 10% (two for 20) on three points, in the two previous rounds, and then there were the back pains that forced him out of three games against the New York Knicks.

But Wednesday night, before a record crowd of 24,544 at the United Center, he became a pain in the aspirations. The SuperSonics, heavy underdogs in the series, trailed by only two points heading into the fourth quarter of the opener, then got left behind when Kukoc, of all people, took over and led the Chicago Bulls to a 107-90 victory.

Exactly where this came from, no one is quite sure. Kukoc said the eight-day layoff, after the Bulls had swept Orlando and while the SuperSonics struggled to get rid of Utah, was a big help, time to rest the back from contact while also working on his shooting.

At least it sounded good. He was three for seven through the third quarter.

“Then he got some rhythm,” Bull Coach Phil Jackson said. “When Toni does that, he’s going to find his way to score.”

So he did.

Chicago, having wasted most of an 11-point lead from the third period, was clinging to a 79-77 advantage at the start of the final quarter. Not only that, Dennis Rodman (hair update: multi-colored and with psychedelic drawings) had picked up his fifth foul with 2:32 left in the third. Kukoc would have to play power forward against Shawn Kemp.

Kukoc missed his first attempt, a jumper from the left post, but Bill Wennington tipped in the offensive rebound, providing a four-point cushion. Kukoc was three for eight from the field in the game and two for 38 on three-pointers in the playoffs, struggles that were being noted with regularity around here, a negative light shining strong amid an 11-1 postseasonrun.

What a time to join the party.

“I felt pretty confident these days,” Kukoc said. “I was just waiting for one game to come. It happened tonight.”

The next time down court, after missing, he posted up Schrempf, then spun to the baseline for a layin.

After that, having forced Kemp to play perimeter defense, he made a three-pointer from the right side.

One possession later, Kukoc again had the ball on the right side, looked in to Jordan on the blocks, then decided he had a better idea. Another three-pointer.

He made that, too, and while being fouled by Kemp. The four-point play, good for a 90-80 lead with 9:24 remaining, was finished at the line. So were the SuperSonics.

“His seven points there were huge,” Karl said. “We had confidence in the game at the time. He makes the threes, and it [the deficit] goes from two to nine.”

There went the confidence. The SuperSonics were listing because Kukoc scored 12 of his 18 points in the fourth quarter--Jordan didn’t score for the first time in the period until 2:19 remained and Pippen was shut out--but it was left to a more-familiar assassin to do them in. The Bulls’ defense.

With the game on the line and the chance to start the series with a huge upset, the SuperSonics scored only 13 points those final 12 minutes, shot 27.8% (five of 18) and committed seven turnovers. Chicago had seven all game.

“It was our defense,” Jackson said, even after Kemp had gone for a game-high 32 points. “We stepped up the pressure on them.”

Said Karl, whose team trails in a series for the first time this season: “They have a great tendency as the game goes on to build pressure. A knack to get more aggressive. We got more tentative and hesitant.

“They played with a great deal of confidence when their defense is hot. And in the fourth quarter, they got hot.”

Kukoc on one side, everyone on the other. A reminder about the ability of both.

(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX / INFOGRAPHIC)

NBA Finals

CHICAGO BULLS vs. SEATTLE SUPERSONICS

Game 1--Bulls 107, SuperSonics 90

Game 2--Friday at Chicago, 6 p.m.

Game 3--Sunday at Seattle, 4:30 p.m.

Game 4--Wednesday at Seattle, 6 p.m.

*Game 5--June 14 at Seattle, 6 p.m.

*Game 6--June 16 at Chicago, 4:30 p.m.

*Game 7--June 19 at Chicago, 6 p.m.

* if necessary

All times Pacific

OTHER COVERAGE

* DO OR DI: Battle of royalty in Chicago was no contest: Sir Michael still rules.: C4

* NOTES, BOX SCORE: C4