Pacers Get a Big Dose of Jordan

Barn-raising jokes. Unfriendly whistles. Michael Jordan. Two losses. Thanks for coming and drive your buggy home safely.

No, this trip to the big city wasn’t everything the Indiana Pacers hoped it would be. Knowing they had to play well to dent the Chicago Bulls’ mystique on the Bulls’ turf, they merely played well for a while again Tuesday night and fell to the Bulls again, 104-98.

Jordan was awarded his most-valuable-player trophy before the game--bad news for whoever’s in town because he feels like he has to show he’s worthy--shot 18 free throws and scored 41 points. The Bulls pressed the Pacer guards into oblivion once more. Mark Jackson, hounded by Scottie Pippen again, turned the ball over seven more times, making it 14 in two games. Reggie Miller went four for 13 from the field, making him nine for 27.

Ask the Pacers, what else is new?

“You know what I’d like to see, I’d like to see Scottie Pippen guard Michael Jordan full court, like he guarded Mark Jackson tonight, see how long he stayed in the game,” Pacer Coach Larry Bird said.

“I thought Scottie got away with a lot more than he did the other night, chest-bumping Mark. . . . So that’s why Scottie should stay in Chicago!”

On the hopeful side for the Pacers, they’re going home for Games 3 and 4. On the hopeful side for the Bulls, they’ve been playing better on the road--they’re 3-0 away from home this postseason--than in the United Center.

Once again, the Bulls started slowly, although not as slowly as the Game 1 when they missed 31 of their first 40 shots. This time, they missed only 12 of the first 20. Once again, the Pacers went ahead by nine points in the first half. Once again, it didn’t matter.

Once again, the Bulls cranked up their trusty defense in the third quarter and turned the Pacer offense off.

“They’re doing a great job,” Miller said. “Every time we come off picks, they’re doing a great job of forcing [Jackson] the other way. Having the big guy hit me to bump me to keep me off balance so [Ron] Harper can recover. Then I’m trying to beat him as well as Toni Kukoc, who’s almost like playing center field and not worrying about Dale [Davis]. It’s tough.”

It must be. Bird, a breath of fresh air among coaches, refused to complain after Game 1, even after the Bulls shot 18 free throws in the first half to his team’s one (on a technical foul against Dennis Rodman).

“I’m not going to complain about officials and call Rod Thorn every week like most of these guys do,” Bird said between games. “If I have a speech to make, I should be giving it to my guys.”

So much for refreshment. After watching Game 2, Bird complained about the officiating, alleging the Bulls bumped Miller off his game.

Said Jordan, grinning of Bird: “He’s truly a coach now.”

Once again, the Bulls weren’t overwhelming, but, for the most part, they still looked like the Bulls. The exception was Rodman, pouting since Phil Jackson demoted him from the starting lineup after missing a practice, and kept him out because he likes the matchups that way.

Rodman arrived at the United Center 30 minutes late. When Bird put Antonio Davis, whom Jackson wants Dennis to shadow, in early, the Bulls coach turned to look for Rodman. No Dennis. He was back in the dressing room, riding his stationary bike, as usual. When he did get in, he played 24 minutes, had four fouls and took six rebounds.

“I’ll have a talk with Dennis in the next couple of days to see if we can get him straightened out,” Jackson said.

That will have to be some talk. Ever obliging, Jordan disclosed his ideas on what Jackson should tell him.

“I think Dennis has to maintain a certain focus,” Jordan said. “I think Phil has been unhappy with some of his antics as of late, being late to practice, not showing up when he should be. . . .

“This is the crucial time of the season. Last thing we need is some BS from Dennis.”

And that’s the team that leads this series, 2-0. They don’t make walkovers the way they used to.