NBA FINALS : Suns Gain Survival of Unfittest : Game 3: Despite painful elbow injury to Barkley, they battle through three overtimes to beat the Bulls, 129-121.
CHICAGO — There was no bathroom break.
No seventh-period stretch.
No winner for 3 hours and 20 minutes.
And, at the end, no Chicago Bulls, victims of exhaustion and headstrong visitors. Only the Phoenix Suns were standing when it was over Sunday night, having earned a 129-121 triple-overtime, one-for-the-ages victory to cut their deficit in the NBA finals to 2-1.
“As far as I’m concerned, from a playoff standpoint, it’s as good a game as has ever been played,†said Sun assistant Scotty Robertson, part of the NBA since 1974.
“The greatest basketball game I’ve ever played in,†Charles Barkley said after fighting through a painful elbow injury to get 24 points and 19 rebounds in 53 minutes.
Fifty-three minutes. As if he played an entire regulation game and then overtime without coming out.
Big deal.
That was only the third-most on the Suns, behind Kevin Johnson’s 62, replaced for the first time with 27 seconds left in the third overtime, and the 59 by Dan Majerle. Three Bulls also had more--B.J. Armstrong 58, Michael Jordan 57 and Scottie Pippen 56. Scott Williams, a Chicago reserve, went 46 minutes.
There has only been one NBA playoff game longer, when Boston and beat Syracuse in four extra periods in 1953. This matched the longest finals game ever, the Game 5 triple-overtime classic the Phoenix Suns, with a guard named Paul Westphal, lost to the Celtics in 1976.
“This is better because the good guys won this time,†said Westphal, now the Suns’ coach.
The 62 minutes by Johnson broke the finals record of 61 set by Garfield Heard, in the same Phoenix-Boston marathon. Johnson made 11 of 24 shots and had 25 points and nine assists after going six of 21 with 15 points and nine assists in 68 minutes of Games 1 and 2 combined. Majerle tied Michael Cooper, Bill Laimbeer and Jordan by making six three-pointers in a championship-series game, finishing with a team-high 28 points.
Jordan had 44 points. But he started by making 10 of 16 during the first half and was only nine of 27 the final five periods, including one of 10 during the fourth quarter and one of four during the first overtime with a clear mismatch against Johnson. In all, Jordan was 19 for 43, and three for six from the line.
“I took a lot of shots,†Jordan said. “I know I did. My body tells me that right now.â€
Still, Chicago almost won without Jordan’s usual output in the fourth quarter, when Phoenix’s 11-point lead with six minutes left was reduced to zero with 1:33 to go. But neither team scored the rest of regulation, so it was 103-103 heading into the first overtime.
The Bulls made two of eight shots, the Suns one of eight with three misses on the final possession. So it was 107-107 heading into the second overtime. Chicago scored two unanswered baskets while Phoenix went scoreless the first 3:16. The Suns were still down by four with 40 seconds left, but caught up on Barkley’s baseline jumper with 33 seconds remaining and Majerle’s 18-footer from the right side with 3.2 to go.
So it was 114-114 heading into the third overtime.
“The first and second overtimes, I thought the game was decidedly in our favor,†said Bull Coach Phil Jackson, whose team finished with only nine free throws, making six. “I figured we would win it there. But we didn’t. I felt it slipped away from us right there.â€
Starting with a three-pointer by Majerle with 3:02 left that put the Suns ahead, 119-118. Then Majerle stripped the ball from Pippen, starting a break culminated by Barkley’s layup with 2:38 to go. Pippen hit the front of the rim on the ensuing possession, a sure sign of fatigue.
That’s when trouble really started for the Bulls. Grant fouled out. Seconds later, Stacey King rebounded Tom Chambers’ missed jumper, but Barkley intercepted the outlet pass intended for Jordan. The result was another layup and the last of Barkley’s nine baskets and 20 shots, and a 123-118 lead with 1:42 remaining.
“I saw Michael open and Charles jumped into the passing lane,†King said. “That play didn’t make the game.â€
The Suns took all blame out of King’s hands by making six consecutive free throws while the Bulls countered only with a jumper by Jordan. It was 129-120 with 35 seconds left. One free throw by Jordan with 27 seconds remaining finished it.
Finally.
“All adrenaline,†Majerle said of the Suns at the finish. “We didn’t have time to be exhausted.â€
It was a contrast to the Bulls, who had made frequent mention of their championship experience in the first two games, but had little to fall back on this time. Little of anything. They were on empty.
If anything, Phoenix seemed relaxed at the start of each new five-minute extra period, much of which was because of Westphal’s jokes during the intermissions.
“He made a remark or two at the start of each overtime that had a little comical--maybe that’s not the best word--approach,†Robertson said. “That kind of relaxed the guys. We came out loose each time, and on the other side, I saw a couple of guys on the Bulls not wanting to take the shots. Some of them, they were eager to give up the ball quickly.â€
The Bulls were clearly more tired at the end, boosted only by the knowledge they still have a 2-1 lead and two more home games, the next Wednesday night.
Game 3 Records
A list of records set or tied during Phoenix’s 129-121 triple-overtime win over Chicago in Game 3 of the 1993 NBA finals Sunday:
RECORDS SET
* Minutes played: 62, Kevin Johnson, Phoenix (previous record, 61, Garfield Heard, 61, Phoenix, June 4, 1976, at Boston (3 OT).
* Most minutes, no personal fouls: 59, Dan Majerle (previous, 50, Jo Jo White, Boston, April 30, 1974, at Boston (OT).
* Most three-pointers made, one team: 9, Phoenix (previous record, 8, Detroit, June 7, 1990, vs. Portland (OT).
* Most three-pointers made, both teams: 14, Phoenix (9) and Boston (5) (previous record, 10, Boston (6) vs. Lakers (4), June 11, 1987. RECORDS TIED
* 3-pointers made: 6, Dan Majerle, Phoenix. (Also held by Michael Jordan, Chicago, June 3, 1992 vs. Portland; Bill Laimbeer, Detroit, June 7, 1990 vs Portland (OT); Michael Cooper, Lakers, June 4, 1987 vs. Boston).
* Fewest points, both teams, one overtime period: 8, Phoenix (4) and Chicago (4), first overtime. (Also held by Boston (4) vs. Milwaukee (4), May 10, 1974).
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