MJ Delivers, Mailman Doesn’t

CHICAGO — The predictability did not serve as an aid, just as it would not eventually provide relief for the pain of an 84-82 loss.

The Jazz knew what was coming, having done its part by all but daring the moment to happen. The other Chicago Bulls knew. The fans inside the United Center knew. “I think anybody watching anywhere in the world knew,” Utah guard John Stockton said.

So Michael Jordan got the ball Sunday night with the clock winding down and Game 1 of the NBA finals on the line. And the Jazz offered single coverage. For his next number, Coach Jerry Sloan will douse his players in blood and have them jump in with sharks.

As if this wasn’t bad enough. Jordan, isolated on the left side with only Bryon Russell between him and another step on Mt. Olympus, hit a 19-footer at the buzzer to give the Bulls the victory and a 1-0 lead in the best-of-seven championship series.

“We probably made a mistake,” Sloan said. “We’ve made them before.”

Oh.

Simple rationalization aside, losing the chance for overtime and the opportunity to steal home-court advantage from the best team of the generation because Russell, a good defender, was left defenseless on the perimeter could become a major mistake. That depends on how the next games play out, but, at the very least, it was a highly questionable move upon the initial autopsy.

The Jazz was satisfied that Jordan was forced to take a jumper instead of getting the landing gear up on a charge to the basket. But the Jordan of this stage of his career has long proved his capabilities from the perimeter, usually even preferring it because youthful legs no longer exist.

And it was only one week earlier that the Jazz had been stung in Houston by choosing to double team in the climactic seconds, allowing Eddie Johnson to hit the three-point winner at the buzzer in Game 4 of the Western Conference semifinals. So it was easy to understand that Utah didn’t want to get beat again by the same attack.

Except for one thing.

Maybe let someone besides Jordan try to beat you?

The Bulls flooded the court with shooters just in case the Jazz was thinking just that--Scottie Pippen, who would play 43 minutes and score 27 points after being questionable because of a foot injury, Steve Kerr, Toni Kukoc, Jud Buechler. All were in after Karl Malone missed two free throws with 9.2 seconds left and Chicago called timeout with 7.5 showing, and all were sent to the right side of the floor.

In an 82-82 game, Jordan, with 29 points so far, got the ball on top, then drifted to his left. He was jettisoning a few seconds, making sure his shot would be the last shot of regulation. Russell, a defensive switch after Jeff Hornacek had spent most of the night on Jordan, stayed between his man and the basket.

“I was looking, surveying the defense, seeing if the double team would ever come,” Jordan said. “It never came.”

He was surprised. So, with about two seconds remaining, he got down to business.

“Well, Jordan said, “the play has a lot of options. And at that time, once I got the ball, Phil [Jackson, the Bulls’ coach] knew the options were limited.”

Because the greatest scorer in the game wasn’t about to give up the ball. A cross-over dribble, right to left, sent Russell lunging forward. It was a near miss, but the only opening Jordan needed. One dribble later, a move to the left, he had an opening.

Swish.

It wasn’t remarkable, at least not in the realm of Jordan. The strange part about it, really, was that it blew him away. Not just the Jazz.

“I can’t really fathom the idea that everybody is watching the game, on TV and in the building, and knows that you are going to get the ball, knows you are going to take the shot, and yet you are able to come through in that situation,” he said. “It is an unbelievable feeling.”

Said Jazz reserve Antoine Carr: “I’ve seen him do it many times. You just hate to see it against your team, though, in the finals.”

The only solace for Utah, a team in which every player was making his first appearance in a championship series, was that Jordan’s dagger did not singlehandedly cost it the game. There were also the eight turnovers in the third quarter, costing the Jazz the opportunity to at least slightly pull away since it also shot 55.6% over the same stretch. There were the seven turnovers in all by Stockton, greatly offsetting the 16 points and 12 assists. And there were the two misses from the line by Malone with 9.2 seconds left on a night when he had 23 points and 15 rebounds, free throws that could have put his team ahead by two and meant that Jordan’s basket would have merely meant overtime.

“I’m from Summerfield, Louisiana,” Malone said. “We don’t have any excuses. That’s how I grew up and I don’t have any now.”

Neither do the Jazz, apparently. It “probably made a mistake” not forcing the ball out of Jordan’s hands. But no excuses.

Just a loss.

(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX / INFOGRAPHIC)

NBA FINALS

Utah vs. Chicago

Best of Seven

* Game 1: Chicago 84, Utah 82

* Wednesday--At Chicago, 6 p.m.

* Friday--At Utah, 6 p.m.

* Sunday--At Utah, 4:30 p.m.

* June 11--xAt Utah, 6 p.m.

* June 13--xAt Chicago, 6 p.m.

* June 15--xAt Chicago, 4:30 p.m.

x-if necessary

AROUND THE NBA

* DALY DEAL: Chuck Daly has reportedly agreed to coach the Orlando Magic for $15 million over three years. C10