One More Ending Like This One and Bulls Will Be Real Underdogs

OK, now you’re underdogs.

Those aging monarchs, the Chicago Bulls, who have taken to wondering if anyone loves them, if the world is out to get them, if the press is trying to rush them off the stage, whatever, announced upon arrival they were not only underdogs but had already been, as resident loose cannon Scottie Pippen put it, “written off.”

In real life, the Bulls had been installed as 6-5 favorites, but that was before the NBA finals started Wednesday night and the Jazz eked out an 88-85 victory in overtime, meaning it had survived its 10-day layoff, despite an unaccustomed delay in its postal service.

“It’s a relief to win anyway,” John Stockton said. “Ten days was a very long time. I’m not claiming I was rusty or anybody else was. It’s just a long time to sit there and wonder and think about the next series, when last year we were just thrust into it, and in a way, I think that helped us go out and play.

“This time, we had a long time to think about it and sometimes thinking too much can hurt you.”

The Bulls had only two days between Game 7 against the Pacers and Game 1 here, but they’re the Bulls. They could get in trouble in five minutes.

Upon arrival in his beloved Salt Lake City, Dennis Rodman, who contributed little enough to the Eastern finals, confided to a few media friends he was Las Vegas-bound, perhaps between Games 1 and 2.

“I don’t feel comfortable in Utah,” Rodman said. “It’s not my scene, bro. That [Las Vegas] is warm, has a lot of activity, a lot of things are going on there.”

Of course, Rodman didn’t figure to be a big factor in this series, anyway, and unlike last season, it might keep him him from trying to turn this into a holy war.

Or as Coach Phil Jackson, who has already seen it all, mused:

“He’s free to go [Editor’s note: As if he had a chance of stopping him]. That’s a half-hour flight for Dennis. It’s better than him hanging around this town and upsetting some Mormons.”

Then the Bulls did the pregame news conference, at which they did their best to sound like Clippers or Denver Nuggets.

“Sure, we’re underdogs,” Michael Jordan said. “Everybody’s saying it. We went seven games. They’re rested. They have the home-court advantage. For us, we’re battling things. Age. We’ve been through this so many times you lose focus in pressure situations. It’s human nature. So I consider us the underdogs.”

After all the speculation about whether the Jazz would be rusty or the Bulls would be tired, the answer turned out to be both. The first quarter was 17-17.

Then, in a suggestion of how much trouble the shallow Bulls are in against the deep Jazz, Jackson started a weird lineup in the second quarter--Pippen, Rodman, Dickey Simpkins, Jud Buechler and Randy Brown. Johnny Kerr threw out better units in the ‘60s when they were an expansion team playing before family and friends.

The Jazz quickly went 6-0 on them (it would have been worse, but they missed a bunch of layups) and Jackson rushed Jordan back in.

Asked about it later, Jackson replied: “Next question.”

Asked the same question again, he said, “I think that was a lineup I wanted to test. It’s early in the playoffs. You’ve got to figure out what’s going to work. We’re quite aware their bench gives them a jump in that quarter. We were willing to take experimental time.”

Bet on this: You won’t see that particular experiment repeated.

For the game, Howard Eisley, Shandon Anderson and the gang that torched the Lakers, did it to the Bulls too, outscoring their reserves, 22-8.

So Jordan had to go 22 minutes in the first half--which ended Utah 45, Chicago 20, Jordan 20--but faded after that. The Bulls came from eight points down in the fourth quarter to force overtime but had little left for the overtime.

Stockton, who had to play only 30 minutes in regulation, scored seven points in overtime and there went a big, fat opportunity for the Bulls that will not come again, unless Karl Malone shoots nine for 25 again.

Said Jackson: “We felt like we let one slip away.”

On the plus side, Rodman tried. He came out wearing a bulky bandage on his right hand, having just disclosed he hurt it three days ago against the Pacers.

“I thought he was going to be very limited,” Jackson said, “but he turned around and started shooting jump shots as soon as he got in the game.”

And the Bulls still have one game left to break through here before going home, or there will be precious few jokes coming from them and nobody will have to ask who the underdogs are.