Detroit Free Press from Detroit, Michigan • Page 16

4B DETROIT FREE PRESSTUESDAY, MAY 28, 1991 jjjll ji' jll Trail Blazers seek a way to breach Lakers' defense Out west LA leads Portland, 3-1 Free Press Wire Reports PORTLAND, Ore. The Los Angeles Lakers are looking like an NBA championship team. The Portland Trail Blazers are looking like an NBA expansion team. As a result, the Lakers can wrap up their ninth Western Conference title in the last 12 years with a victory on Portland's home court in Game 5 tonight. "There's no reason for this," the Blazers' Clyde Drexler said.

"I can't understand it." That sums up the Trail Blazers' feelings after two blowout losses at the Forum over the weekend. Portland, which had the NBA's best regular-season record at 63-19, went to Los Angeles tied 1-1 in the best-of-seven series. But the Lakers apparently have figured out how to stop Portland's run-and-gun, slam-dunking attack. "1 think the Lakers have played great defense," Portland's Danny Ainge said. "We haven't adjusted to what they're doing.

They know what we're doing. I think we've become predictable. They're just clogging the middle, making it tough on us." The Lakers know what it takes to stop Portland, Magic Johnson said. "We got control of the tempo early, slowed up the game so they couldn't get in their transition game," he said. "The only way we can beat Portland is with defense.

That was the difference in the last two games." The frustrated Blazers have made 34 turnovers in the last two games, 19 on Sunday. "I never thought we would play as bad as we did in these two games," Portland coach Rick Adelman said. "I think we will come back and play much better Tuesday. I believe in my team; I know they can come back." Only four teams in NBA history have come back from a 3-1 deficit to win a playoff series. The last was Boston, which beat Philadelphia in the 1981 Eastern Conference final.

All season long, the Blazers talked about how hungry they were for a championship, how they got a taste of it in last year's Finals and knew what it takes to win it all. The only team that showed that kind of hunger in the Forum was Los Angeles. "If we play like we did these last three games, then there are plenty of doubts," Drexler said. "It's not over yet The question is, do we want it bad enough and do we have what it takes to do it?" The Lakers say they expect a strong showing as the Blazers fight to stay alive. "They're going to show up at home," Sam Perkins said.

"They'll look at the film of the last two games and adjust I'm sure they'll come out strong." Still, the Blazers insist they haven't given up hope of a comeback. "Can we? Yeah," Ainge said. "Will we? We'll see." DAY RESULT Saturday Lakers 111, Blazers 1 06 Tuesday Blazers 109, Lakers 98 Friday Lakers 106, Blazers 92 Sunday Lakers 116, Blazers 95 DAY SITE Today Portland 9 Thursday Los Angeles 9 Saturday Portland 3:30 If necessary Bulls sweep Pistons off NBA thronei Rodman escapes ejection in ruckus with Pippen He complained too vociferously to referee Bennett Salvatore and was slapped with a technical foul That was it. Daly took Rodman out for the remainder of the half. JORDAN THE DEITY: Rodman said it's next to impossible to guard Michael Jordan aggressively because "the officials treat him like he's God." Salley wouldn't go that far, but he agreed that Jordan gets special treatment.

"If you look at him the wrong way, you'll get whistles," Salley said. "I looked at him like, 'Man, that's a nice new haircut you've got there, and the official said, you can't talk about his bald head that way." Salley and referee Mike Mathis went face-to-throat when Salley didn't like a call on him against Jordan. Laimbeer Surgery Uncertain: Laimbeer declined to comment on reports that he might need surgery on his left knee, which has bothered him through most of the second half of the season. When asked whether it would be examined soon, he said it was difficult to think about anything other than the team's elimination Monday. Refunds Ditto: Matt Dobek, the Pistons' director of public relations, said Monday night that the club's plans for making playoff ticket refunds were incomplete.

COMPOSITE BOX Pistons (04) A It mV i rJftU rxi J'IJ nn ilrnr BY DREW SHARP Free Press Sports Writer The Pistons barked about a perceived prejudice from officials this series, but they received a break when Dennis Rodman was spared an early shower after be shoved the Chicago Bulls' Scottie Pippen out of bounds in the second quarter. Rodman and Bill Laimbeer converged on Pippen as he drove to the basket. Laimbeer delivered a not-so-discreet elbow and was tagged with a flagrant foul. But Rodman sent Pippen flying into the first row, a few seats away from Pistons owner Bill Davidson. Rodman wasn't whistled for a foul.

"I think that as a player, you've got to take the blow, shake if off and get back into it," said Pippen, who finished with 23 points 10 in the first quarter. It was a tense moment because the Pistons were frustrated and Rodman was close to going crazy. After a John Salley slam, Rodman and Pippen exchanged shoves again as the Bulls inbounded the ball. This time Rodman was called for a personal foul. Normally, Rodman would sit to cool down in that situation, but Isiah Thomas told coach Chuck Daly during a time-out that Rodman had to stay in because Rodman had played so little in Game 3 and he was about to burst with nervous energy.

Rodman stayed but he erupted nearly two minutes later. GAME 4 Bulls 115, Pistons 94 CHICAGO (115) ft rab m-i min nvs 39 7-18 34 6- 21 3-5 29 4-7 37 11-17 15 0-1 I Pf pts 9-12 1-6 4-7 6-9 Granl Carlwriflhl Paxson Jordan Perdue Levingston Armstrong Hodges Williams Hopson King Totals 0- 0 4-4 6-9 1- 2 2- 4 0- 0 1- 1 1-2 1-2 0-0 22 4-9 2-4 1- 5 2- 3 0-1 2-5 240 42-84 29-43 18-46 28 25 115 I Percentages: FG .500, FT .674. Three-point goals: '2-7, .286 (Jordan 1-2, Hodges 1-2, Pippen 0-1, Paxson 0-1, Williams 0-1). Team Rebounds: 10. Blocked shots: 4 (Jordan 2, Levlngston 2).

Turnovers: 8 (Pippen 2, ICartwright 2, Jordan 2, Perdue, Williams). Steals: 8 i (Pippen 3, Levingston 2, Armstrong 2, Jordan). 'Technical fouls: Paxson, 9:18, 1st. Illegal defense: 1. DETROIT (94) I I fg min nvi II m-i 2-2 4-4 1-1 0-0 4-6 6-8 0- 0 1- 2 0-2 0- 1 2- 6 4-4 1- 7 1-4 1-3 3- 7 3-6 0-0 0-0 Pf Pts 2 4 9 lAgulrre Laimbeer 'Dumars 'Thomas Salley Rodman jjohnson i Bedford Henderson Rollins Hastings 28 3-8 5-11 0 3 0 3 2 5 5 2 1 5 0 3 5- 8 3-10 6- 14 3-6 3- 5 4- 9 0- 5 1- 3 0-0 4-4 0-0 0-0 0-0 2-3 2-3 Totals 240 35-82 22-27 17-43 16 30 I DArrontaruK.

All CT tit Thr-fvint nmlt- 2-9, 222 (Aguirre 1-1, Hastings 1-2, Laimbeer 0-1, Dumars 0-1, Rodman 0-2, Bedford 0-2). Team Rebounds: 9. Blocked shots: 1 (Rodman). Turnovers: 14 (Thomas 4, Bedford 3, Aguirre 2, Edwards 2, Dumars 2, Laimbeer). Steals: 6 (Thomas 2, Laimbeer, Dumars, Salley, Johnson).

Technical fouls: Laimbeer, 9 18, 1st; assistant coach Suhr, 1OI0, 1st, coach Daly, 1010, 1st; Rodman, 6:55, 2nd. Flagrant fouls: laimbeer, 4:57, 2nd. Chicago 32 25 30 28-115 Detroit 26 24 20 24- 94 71,454. 2:24. Officials: Mike Malhls, Joe iCrawford, Bennett Salvatore.

PLAYOFF STATISTICS PISTONS, from Pre IB us. Why should we congratulate them? Now they can go home and rest in peace, the Pistons have lost The world is safe again." Thomas declined to comment about the early exit, but it's clear that the Bulls particularly Michael Jordan struck a nerve when they categorized i the Pistons as armed bandits whosftt NBA legacy was violent excess ratheTn than athletic artistry. Jordan said day that the Pistons' two champion-; ships were bad for the NBA. A "Two championships may have been bad for basketball, but it damn sure did a lot for me," said Joe Dumars, who finished with just six points. "For 1 Joe Dumars, those two championships did the job.

"I'm not angry. We've played on such a high level for five years now. It's been a great run. It's not over, though. We've got to get ready for next sea-.

son." -1 No Piston would concede an imrni- nent decline for the team. This season was an aberration precipitated by nu-' merous injuries, they said. They vowed to return to the Eastern Conference final for a sixth straight season. "We're going to let them borrow (the title) this year," said Thomas, who led the Pistons with 16 points. "We've hogged it all to ourselves the last few years.

We're generous guys." The emotions spilled forth with 4:38 left in the game and the Bulls ahead by 23. Coach Chuck Daly took Thomas and Dumars out, and the fans stood and gave the duo a thunderous thank-you. Bill Laimbeer greeted Thomas near the press table and gave the captain an appreciative hug. Thom-1 as then went out to midcourt and i hugged his good friend, Mark Aguirre. I This might have been Aguirre's last game as a Piston.

i It was catharsis a safety value to release the pent-up emotion of a cham- pionship lost. When the Pistons walked off the court, a teary-eyed general manager Jack McCloskey hugged them. As they approached the locker room, the Pistons' wives saluted them with applause. Thomas and his wife, Lynn, embraced along with Laimbeer's wife, Chris. "It was a happy time," Thomas said.

"It was a relieving time because for the first time in five years we can lean back and say, It's been a cruel kind of torture that we've had toj endure physically and mentally. I don't think anyone looking from the outside; can understand that" If Los Angeles beats Portland tonight, Game 1 of the Finals will be Friday evening in Chicago. If Portland wins, and the Lakers win Game 6 Thursday at the Forum, the Finals1 would begin Sunday. "We haven't won this year," said Jordan, who led the Bulls with 29, points. "We've just won the Eastern Conference championship.

Our work; isn't done." Even in victory, Jordan refused ttf give the Pistons their due as only the1 fourth franchise in 44 years of NBA playoffs to win consecutive championships. But the Pistons clearly see theif place in history. "We represented the championship very well," Thomas said. "When histo ry judges us, they'll say we're one of the greatest teams to ever play." CULL Guard John Paxson scored 10 straight points for Chicago near the end of the first quarter, giving the Bulls a lead they would never, lose. He finished with 12 points.

TIME HI3FEAT scons 2:42 Two free throws 22-22 2:03 18-footor 24-24 1:50 Two technicals, 26-24 on Suhr, Daly 1:36 16-footer 2S-24 1:04 17-footfr 30-24 PLAYER MIN FG FTREB AST PTS Johnson Aguirre Thomas Dumars Laimbeer Salley Edwards Rodman Hastings Bedford Rollins Henderson 29.0 .587 31.5 .453 37.8 .407 39.5 .347 .769 5.5 3.0 21.0 168 6.0 16.5 2.5 12.5 0JJ 6.8 0.5 6.8 0.5 63 0.5 4.5 0.0 2.5 1.0 2.0 0.0 13 1.0 2.8 .724 4.8 13 2.0 1.00 5.5 22.0 .500 17.0 .533 188 .400 29.5 Mi 5.0 Ml 8.0 .000 9.0 1.00 73 .400 .733 2.5 .000 7.5 .000 1.5 1.00 3.5 .000 0.7 .000 0.0 'EL2 TOTALS .45 J86 348 16J 95.3 Thret-poM goals: 12-39 308 (Aguirre 5-9, Dumars 3-10, Rodman 2-7, Hastings 1-2, Thomas 1-4, Johnson 0-1, Laimbeer 0-2, Bedford 0-2, Henderson 0-1). Blocked short: 12 (Rodman 5, Laimbeer 2, Johnson, Dumars, Edwards, Rollins, Salley). Steals: 32 (Aguirre 6, Dumars 6, Rodman 5, Johnson 5, Thomas 4, Laimbeer 2, Salley 2, Rollins, Edwards). Bulls (4-0) PLAYER MIN FG FTREB AST PTS Jordan Pippen Grant Cartwright Armstrong Paxson Levingston Hodges King Purdue Williams Hopson .535 .833 .475 .769 .690 .700 .594 .500 53 7.8 7.8 53 7.0 29.8 53 22.0 2.0 13.5 13 10.5 3.8 7.0 3.8 6.5 0.5 5.8 0.8 4.8 0.0 4.0 03 33 0.0 2.5 .529 .800 2.5 .400 100 13 .455 .500 4.3 .438 1.00 0.0 2.0 .400 .000 .455 .500 4.8 .667 .500 1.5 .000 .500 1.0 0.0 1.0 TOTALS 515 738 41J MS 106J Three-point goals: 7-23, 304 (Jordan 3-5, Armstrong 2-2, Hodges 2-6, Pippen 0-15, Paxson 0-5, Williams 0-1). Blocked shots: 27 (Pippen 8, Jordan 7, Cartwright 4, Perdue 3, Grant, Armstrong, Williams, Levlngston 2).

Steals: 37 (Pippen 12, Jordan 9, Armstrong 5, Hodges 3, Grant 2, Paxson 2, Cartwright 2, Levingston 2). standing or sitting he attracts a had 14 points three more than away Finals JOHN LUKEDetroit Free Press Chicago crowd, in this case Michael his total for the first three games. frustrations BEO at qoter How much did the Bulls dominate the Pistons? So much that Detroit never led at the end of a quarter. The details: GAME FIRST SECOND THIRD FINAL 1 24-13 45-37 68-65 CHICAGO 94, Detroit 83 2 27-22 49-41 76-61 CHICAG0 105, Detroit 97 3 24-16 51-43 82-74 Chicago 113, DETROIT 107 4 32-26 57-50 87-70 Chicago 115, DETROIT 94 AVG 26.8-19.3 SO.S-42.8 78.3-67.5 Bulla, 108.8-85.3 When James Edwards gets the ball Jordan and Scottie Pippen. Edwards Bulls sweep by Steve kornacki Free Press Sports Writer Remember Dorothy watching the Wicked Witch melt away? Or how about all those Bolivians watching Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid dance to the tune of a hundred rifles? Now you know what the Chicago Bulls were experiencing in the final minutes of the Eastern Conference clincher Monday at the Palace.

The Pistons were put away early in a 115-94 dismantling, and for a fourth straight year they would not eliminate Chicago from the playoffs. Michael Jordan did a triumphant chest butt with Horace Grant upon leaving the game for good with 4:38 left. "We got that from Charles Barkley and Rick Mahorn," Grant said. "Except we don't have the hard heads of those guys. We're going with something safer." They were not hardheaded enough to continue playing the Pistons as schoolboys, losing their composure every time the Bad Boys got in their faces.

"We learned how to use their aggressive nature to our advantage," guard Jim Paxson said. His 10-point streak during a 1:38 stretch late in the first quarter came during the most physical part of the game. Paxson's spurt put the Bulls ahead for good, and the game became such a mismatch that Chicago's regulars were able to watch the end and savor it. Jordan tossed a towel around his neck and leaned back. More than a dozen photographers left their baseline perches to converge on bjm for the classic photo: Air Jordan lands in the Through Monday Detroit Pistons (7-8) PLAYER MIN FG-FGA FO 3PT-FGA 3PT FT-FTA FT REB AST AVG Dumori 15 39.2 105-245 .429 17-42 .405 82-97 JJ45 3.3 4.2 20.6 Aguirre 15 25 90-178 .506 12-33 .364 42-51 .824 4.0 1.9 15.6 Johnson 15 29.1 102-220 .464 2-13 .154 22-31 .710 5.1 2.9 15.2 Thomas 13 33.5 60-149 .403 6-22 .273 5M9 .725 4.2 8.5 13.5 Laimbeer 15 29.3 66-148 Mi 5-17 .294 27-31 JJ71 81 10.9 Edwards 15 23.0 61-150 .407 (H .000 38-55 .691 2.5 0.4 10.7 Saley 15 20.5 38-70 .543 0-0 .000 36-60 .600 4.1 0.7 7.5 Rodman 15 33.0 41-91 .451 2-9 .272 10-24 .417 11.8 0.9 6.3 Bedford 8 8.1 5-24 .208 0-2 .000 9-14 .643 2.7 0.5 2.4 Hastings 10 3.5 34 .500 2-5 .500 0-0 .000 06 03 0.8 Henderson 10 40 4-16 .250 0-3 .000 00 .000 0.1 0.6 08 Rollins i 5.3 2-2 1.00 00 .000 00 .000 0 5 0.0 0.6 TOTALS 15 577-1299 .444 46-145 J17 314-432 J31 44J 20J 101.1 OPP.

IS 554-1202 .441 26-97 Mi 399-510 782 427 20.1 1012 Blocked shots: Stf 2C, Laimbeer 12, Rodman 10, Bedford 4, Johnson 4, Edwards 3, Thomas 2, Aguirre, Hastings, Mm Total 59, Opponents 43. Steals: Dumars 14, Thomas 13, Aguirre 12, Rodman 1 1, Johns 1 1, 5 4, Laimbeer 5, Bedford 2, Edwards 2, Henderson, Roins. Team 80. Opponents 94. Toi lomas 4 1, Edwards 24, Aguirre 20, Johnson 17, Laimbeer 17, Dumars 17, Salley 13, Rod 4, Roins 2, Hastings.

Team 173. Opponents 172. Chicago tl 1-1) PLAYER MIN FO-FGA FG 3PT-FGA 3PT FT-FTA FT REB AST AVG Jordan 12 39.1 134-263 8-22 .344 97-115 .843 6.3 7.1 31.1 Pippen 12 40.4 103-194 .524 3-12 .250 55-72 .744 8.7 5.5 22.0 Grant 12 39.0 59-105 .542 00 .000 35-46 .729 8.3 2.5 12.8 Cartwright 12 29.0 50-89 .542 00 .000 18-24 .492 4.4 1.7 9.8 Armstrng 12 19.4 30-59 .508 3-4 .750 20-25 .800 2.0 3.3 4.9 Paxson 12 27.3 3048 .441 1-9 .111 12-12 1.00 1.1 3.0 4.1 Pordue 12 13.4 24-48 342 0-0 10-20 .500 4.4 0.3 5.2 Hodges 12 13.0 24-55 .436 10-22 .455 3-4 .750 0.1 0.8 5.1 Levingston 12 8.5 13-28 .464 0-0 .000 3-4 .500 2.3 0.3 2.4 King 9 8.9 8-24 333 04) .000 5-9 354 2.3 0.2 2.3 Hopson 4 4.0 2-4 J33 M) .000 4-9 .444 1.0 0.3 2.0 Williams 8 3.1 4-9 .444 0-1 .000 7-14 .501 0.0 1.5 TOTALS 12 483-950 J08 25-71 J52 249-340 747 404 247 105J QPP.V 12 407-9y .452 37-104 J49 259-324 799 34.1 19J 923 NBA Finals. Even Bill Cartwright, the Mona Lisa of the hardcourt, was smiling. Chicago coach Phil Jackson shook the players' hands one by one.

The Wicked Witch was dead. "That moment when we were all sitting there, smiling," Grant said, "that was three years of frustration being lifted away. I remember eating up the sour notes in my mouth after those games and knowing we were not experienced enough. "But now we're going to the Finals, and Detroit is going on vacation." And what of Isiah Thomas's guarantee that the Pistons would win Game "We let them do the talking," Grant said. "His words bit him in the rear end." The Bulls were jubilant but hardly wild in the postgame locker room.

They were saving the champagne for another day, merely accepting congratulations for now. "No one remembers who finishes second in the Finals," Jackson said. "We need to keep the same purpose and demeanor we had in this series." Chicago will have the hotye-court arlwntape with the Los Angeles Lak ers but not with the Portland Trail Blazers. The Bulls will meet one of these in the championship round. "The guys who get respect are the guys with rings on their fingers," Paxson said.

"I want to be one of those guys." He credited an early shouting match with Bill Laimbeer. "Laimbeer cheap-shotted me," Paxson said. "I told him, 'I'm not gonna back down from And he said the same thing. But I needed that to get going." The meltdown of a two-time champion began with Paxson and seemed complete when Jordan rebounded after Joe Dumars and Vinnie Johnson missed open shots. He fired the outlet pass to Scottie Pippen for a breakaway slam late in the third quarter.

The Bulls nodded while congratulating one another on that one. They had the defending champions tucked safely in their back pockets. Frustration could be tossed aside. "Did we think we could sweep the Pistons?" Grant said. "Never, man.

Never! Just to win would've been great, But to sweep man!".