Bulls Reach Final in Paris

The Chicago Bulls, even at half strength, have found their way into another championship game.

This time it is the finals of the McDonald’s Championship in Paris after an 89-82 victory over stubborn French champions Paris-St. Germain on Friday.

“You probably saw the results of a few too many hot chocolates and crepes,” said Bull center Luc Longley, who finished with 14 points.

Michael Jordan, whose presence has drawn 1,000 reporters to Paris--more than for the NBA finals--finished with 28 points and got wild cheers even for the unspectacular. In some polls he’s the most popular athlete in France.

European champion Olympiakos drew the spot in the finals opposite the five-time NBA champions after defeating Argentina’s Atenas de Cordoba in the other semifinal, 89-86, on a four-point play with 9.6 seconds to play by Lithuanian Arturas Karnisovas.

The loudest crowd noise in the Bulls’ lackluster first half came from the 13,515 fans in the Bercy Sports Palace when catcalls greeted French Prime Minister Lionel Jospin as he was shown on an huge arena TV screen.

The NBA is 15-0 in this event and only one NBA team has ever lost to an international team. That came in 1986 when the Atlanta Hawks--fielding an under-strength club--lost to the Soviet national team in Moscow.

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Dallas Maverick guard Robert Pack broke a finger on his left hand in the fourth quarter of a 99-86 exhibition victory over the Phoenix suns and will be sidelined about four weeks.

Dallas rookie forward Ace Custis injured his knee in the second quarter and did not return. Custis will be examined today to determine the extent of his injury.

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NBA Commissioner David Stern hopes to add a women’s game to the McDonald’s Championships and is confident of eventually giving the women their own event.

“I think we have the capacity to have some game at the next McDonald’s and then a tournament shortly thereafter,” Stern said.

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Joe Dumars also has a problem with Nike, but it’s nothing like O’Neal’s. Dumars has developed a rash while wearing the Detroit Pistons’ new practice shirts and game uniforms, which are designed by Nike.

“I think I’m allergic to the swoosh,” said Dumars, a long-time Adidas endorser.

The Pistons switched from Champion apparel to Nike for this season, and Dumars began developing a rash.

“It’s not big, blotchy sores, but it’s itching and aching,” trainer Mike Abdenour said. “It’s one of those things where we have to protect him and correct the problem. . . .

“We’ve sent our detergent and laundry supplies to a lab, we’re waiting for results on tests on our laundry machines, but we’ve been using the same detergent and machines for years and have never had a problem. We’re not quite sure what’s going on with Joe.”