Jackson’s Record 500th Victory Is One for the Bulls

Clipper Coach Bill Fitch, who coached Phil Jackson at North Dakota from 1964-67, didn’t think Jackson would become a coach.

“I thought he was too smart to be a coach,” Fitch said.

But Jackson, the Zen Master, has become a masterful one.

He recorded his 500th victory faster than any coach in NBA history after the Chicago Bulls overcame a seven-point fourth-quarter deficit to defeat the Clippers, 94-89, Tuesday night before 23,904 at the United Center.

Jackson needed 682 games to reach 500 victories. Former Laker Coach Pat Riley reached 500 in 684 games on Jan. 24, 1990.

Jackson got a standing ovation after the game and a woman seated at courtside across from the Bull bench held up a sign that read: “Who’s leading the life of Riley now at 500?”

Fitch, who has known Jackson since he was a junior in high school, was the first to congratulate him. They were engulfed by a sea of television and still photographers as they embraced.

“I congratulated him on reaching a milestone faster than anybody else,” Fitch said. “I told him I was proud of him and that a lot of people were proud of him. Then, you guys came up with the cameras and I left.”

Fitch, who has more victories than all but three coaches in NBA history--Lenny Wilkens, Red Auerbach and Dick Motta--said he was proud of Jackson.

“Phil and I go back 30 years,” he said. “We never lost contact. I remember going to his first game in New York with the Knicks. I couldn’t be happier for a nicer guy.”

Jackson said it was gratifying to reach the milestone against Fitch, the only NBA coach to lose 1,000 games.

“He was the person who taught me basketball,” Jackson said. “As a high school sport, it was loose and free, but in college I learned that it was something to be studied. He was my mentor.”

Although Jackson has won five NBA titles, this could be his last season with the Bulls.

Asked if he is being squeezed out, Jackson said, “I think the operative word is squeezed. We sat down before the season and had a mutual agreement with [Bull owner] Jerry Reinsdorf. We view this as an opportunity not as a farewell.”

Guard Michael Jordan said Jackson has done a good job building the Bulls into the team of the 1990s.

“Since I’ve been here, we’ve had coaches come in and out of here,” Jordan said. “We found a good one and we stuck with him. He added stability to my career. He built this along with myself and Scottie. We all have a lot of respect for him.”

Jordan, who missed 11 of 14 shots in the first half of last month’s victory over the Clippers, missed five of 20 shots in the first three quarters as the Clippers took a 65-60 lead.

But Jordan made all four shots he took in the fourth quarter and scored 11 of his 27 points in the quarter as the Bulls (17-9) extended their winning streak to five games.

“It was an ugly way to get it but somehow we got it,” Jordan said.

Jordan also did a nice job of checking Clipper guard Brent Barry, who missed nine of 10 shots, including all six three-point shots, and had seven points in 33 minutes.

The Clippers, who squandered a four-point lead in the final 39 seconds of the first overtime period in a 111-102 double-overtime loss to the Bulls last month at the Sports Arena, were outscored, 22-10, in the final six minutes.

The Bulls, who trailed, 83-82, with 2:28 remaining, scored seven consecutive points to register their sixth consecutive victory over the Clippers.

Forward Dennis Rodman had his best game as a Bull, getting 25 rebounds as Chicago outrebounded the Clippers, 60-42.

Clipper forward Lorenzen Wright, who averaged 20.5 rebounds in his last two games, had 16 rebounds, including 13 in the first half as the Clippers took a 10-point lead at halftime.

“It’s like leading the Indianapolis 500 and losing,” Fitch said. “How many have led it until the last lap and lost? You don’t even know their names.”