Chicago Tribune from Chicago, Illinois • 49

Chicago Tribune, Saturday, June 5, 1993 Section 3 1992-93 playoffs: Bulls vs. Knicks Darkness falls over Knicks' season of destiny r-J Mike hm LuPica Shooting from mi ir the lip Game Dulls S3, Knicks 83 BULLS FG-att FT-att 3pt-att Reb A To St Bl Pf Pts Pippen 43 9-18 5 1-2 0-6 7 4 2 1 4 24 Grant 40 4-7 3-3 0-0 3-11 2 2 0 0 2 11 Cartwright 34 1-2 7-7 0-0 2-4 4 0 2 0 3 9 Armstrong 25 4-8 OO 0-1 0010102 8- Jordan 45 8-24 8-9 1-4 0-2 9 1 3 2 4 25 King 9 3-4 2-2 0-0 2-2 0 1 0 0 1 8 S.Wi!liams 14 1-2 0-0 0-0 0-1 0 1 1 2 1 2 Paxson 23 3-5 2-2 1-2 0-0 2 0 0 0 3 9 Tucker 4 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 1 0 0 0 0 Perdue 2 0-0 0-0 OO 0-0 0 0 0 0 1 0 Walker 10-0 0-0 0-0 0-0000000 Totals 33-70 27-29 3-9 7-26 25 10 9 5 21 96 Percentages: FQ .471, FT .931. Team rebounds: 4. Technical fouls: Illegal defense, 4:08 second; Illegal defense, 1:18 third. N.Y.

Knicks FG-att FT-att 3pt-att Reb A To St Bl PF Pts I Oakley 31 4-8 3-4 0-0 6-11 0 1 0 0 1 11 Smith 32 5-11 4-4 0-0 1-3 1 0 1 1 3 14 Ewing 46 12-18 2-5 0-0 4-13 1 2 3 0 1 26 Rivers 35 1-6 1-1 0-2 0-1 8 4 2 0 5 3 Starks 44 5-11 3-5 1-5 1-5 5 8 0 0 5 14 Mason 34 5-10 4-6 0-0 4-8 3 1 0 0 1 14 Anthony 13 3-6 00 0-1 0O 5 1 1 0 4 6 Blackman 5 0-1 00 00 0-1 020030 Totals 35-71 17-25 1-8 16-42 23 19 7 1 23 88 Percentages: FG .493, FT .680. Team rebounds: 11. Technical foul: Anthony, 11:06 fourth. Illegal defense: 1. Knlcl 21 25 22 20-88 BULLS 29 20 22 2596 Attendance: 18,676.

He wandered the outside of the Knicks' defense, made his jumpers, made his passes. He was not yet getting the kind of help from Scottie Pippen and Bill Cartwright that he had gotten Wednesday night in New York. The Knicks were getting all the rebounds again. They had 25 at halftone to just seven for the Bulls. Jordan had the Bulls ahead anyway.

The Knicks tried, and now at the end, it was as if they could not overcome themselves. As if the team that had won 60 regular-season games and won the home-court advantage from the Bulls only to lose it Wednesday had become its own worst basketball enemy. The Bulls tried to make the game available to the Knicks in the third quarter. They would go four minutes in the middle of the quarter without a basket. But so would the Knicks.

The game had slowed down here. There was a rhythm here, a pace, a beat all Knicks fans could understand. The Knicks still hung around. Only they missed more free throws. Patrick Ewing missed two at one point, got another because of a lane violation, missed again.

Starks missed two later on. The Knicks missed six free throws in the third quarter. It is why they were still behind three points, 71-68, going into the fourth. Jordan fed John Paxson for a three-point basket to start the fourth. Greg Anthony, always mixing bad with good, still yipping in June, got called for a technical foul because he could not keep his mouth shut.

Might not ever be able to. So the Bulls got a four-point play, stretched the lead to seven points. All the months, all the games, nearly 100, came down to these last 12 minutes. The Bulls had their gaudy plans for a three-peat The Knicks just looked for another night. They looked for more season.

You play all the months and all the games, and end up fighting for one more game, one more chance. No more chances for Riley's Knicks. No game tonight New York Daily News columnist Mike Lvpica has appeared in the Tribune during the Eastern Conference finals. New York Daily News They really began to take the Knicks' season last Saturday afternoon. Even on a day when he could make only three shots out of 1 8, Michael Jordan did everything else that day, and Scottie Pippen rode shotgun for him with 29 points.

The Bulls got up off the floor and they took Game 3. Then Jordan took the next game with 54 points. Then finally there he was with Pippen again Friday night in Chicago Stadium, taking everything. There will be no game Sunday night at Madison Square Garden, which was so loud for so long and is suddenly dark and quiet today. There will be no Game 7 drama.

You just have Jordan and Pippen and the Bulls going to the NBA Finals, their third in a row. Going for a third title in a row. The Bulls have taken those two titles and now they take Pat Riley's Knicks. Again. Jordan had 23 points Friday night, Pippen 24.

The final score was 96-88. The Bulls take the Knicks in six games. It felt like a sweep. It felt like that for the Knicks in the Stadium. Everything went wrong in the end.

Michael Jordan, though, he was all right He always is. It seemed impossible after the Knicks had won the first two games of this series that they would be in Chicago Stadium in Game 6 fighting for the season. There they were anyway because of IS missed foul shots in Game 5, because Charles Smith could not get the ball, to the basket with all those tries in the last seconds. The Knicks fought to stay alive, fought the sudden and terrible feeling that they were being swept somehow by the Bulls. They fought in the first half Friday night, even when there were chances for them to go down and stay down.

There was a 16-3 Chicago run in the middle of the first quarter that got the Bulls ahead by 10 points. Jordan, of course, was in the middle of it, with a jumper and a fallaway jumper later and then a three-pointer with three minutes left in the quarter to make it 23-13. The Knicks knew they could not get way behind, the way they got way behind in Game 3, the blowout game that changed the Eastern Conference finals, changed the Knicks' season, really. Now, after nine minutes, they were in danger of being run out of the old basketball hall and into the cold, rainy Chicago night It felt like winter outside. Or maybe just as cold as next season.

Only the Knicks stayed in there. Pat Riley had not even brought them to the Stadium until about an hour before the game, like a manager keeping his fighter away from the arena until the last minute. So his team took the early punch and came back, mostly because of some bright, tough work from Greg Anthony, who should have played more in this series as Doc Rivers' body finally began to break down. Anthony got three fouls, though, and then the Bulls were back up 10. Still the Knicks would not go away.

Jordan's last points of the first half came with 5:33 left. It was 43-33 then. The Knicks outscored the Bulls 13-6 to the half, and it should have been more, but they also kept turning the ball over. With all that, the score was only 49-46 for Chicago. With 24 minutes to go, 24 minutes in Game 6 or the Knicks' season, there was still a chance for the Knicks to get to Sunday.

Jordan had his 17. He was still operating in a basketball place, a level, almost apart from the series, apart from all the gambling allegations. Knicks at Duils I 3rd-round Game 6 summary i "3 Knicks nBull8 -v Free-throw percentage Knicks Bulls Three-point shooting pet. Knicks Bulls ca.o 43.3. Off.

rebounds Blocks Steals Turnovers 19: lC3s': jLili'lTlWiilrjl i .110 Paxson steps up, helps to shoot down Knicks Scoring per quarter 1st 2nd 3rd 4th jTotal Knicks 21 25 22 20 88 Bulls 29 20 22 25 96 Field-goal percentage per quarter 1st 2nd 3rd 4th Total Knicks 40.9 52.9 60.0 47.1 49.3 Bulls 64.7' 43.8 38.9 42.1 47.1 Game 6 statistics comparing the time played, points scored and rebounds by the bench players of the Bulls and Knicks st fZ I 'ill' PS i v. i if i -v I 1 Bulls Minutes Total Knicks Minutes Total Name played pts. Ftbds. Name played pts. Rbda.

Paxson 23 9 0 Campbell DNP S.Williams 14 2 1 Mason 34 14 8 King 9 8 2 Anderson DNP Tucker 4 0 0 Blackman 5 0 1 Perdue 2 0 0 H.Williams DNP Walker 1 0 0 Davis DNP McCray DNP Anthony 13 6 0 Total 53 19 3 Total i 52 20 9 DNP -Did not play Source: News reports fense," Jackson said. "And he was doing the job defensively." And looking like the John Paxson of old. His three-pointer with 11:07 left gave the Bulls a 74-68 lead, keeping the two-time defending champions in front of the Knicks, where they had been since midway through the first quarter. After the Knicks had pulled to within 79-77 on a Patrick Ewing basket with 6:32 to go, Paxson came right back downcourt and delivered again, this time a running 19-footer that put the Bulls back up by four. Then Paxson helped keep the Bulls' offense flowing, capping a solid performance with a perfect pass to Horace Grant at the :2 1 .8 mark.

Grant scored, was fouled by Rolando Blackmon and hit the ensuing free throw. The Bulls were up 94-86 and on their way. "That's what it's all about," said Armstrong. "I'm just glad for our team that John was able to come in and hit big shots like that. He's done that throughout his career.

He's excellent down the stretch. He knows how to handle key situations he's been there before." Like in one of his most memorable games as a Bull. You remember the one, Paxson burying the long-distance bombs two Junes ago as the Bulls beat the Los Angeles Lakers for their first NBA title. "It just feels good to have been in there and have contributed to a win that means a lot to this franchise," Paxson said. Still, he didn't want to make a big deal out of it.

He's been at this for 10 seasons, now. By Terry Armour They've been together, John Paxson and Michael Jordan, before this whole dizzying trip began. Back when you never heard the Chicago Bulls and a National Basketball Association championship uttered in the same breath. Through thick and thin, through good times and bad, Paxson and Jordan have been a part of what has become the NBA's newest juggernaut. So with Jordan struggling a bit, frustrated even, in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference finals, it seemed appropriate that Paxson would be there Friday, doing whatever it took for the Bulls to move on.

Coach Phil Jackson knew that. That's why Paxson was in the game when Jackson needed that veteran savvy, somebody to help the Bulls move on, again. Paxson played his most minutes of this postseason 23 and scored nine points as the Bulls moved into the NBA Finals for the third straight year with a 96-88 victory over the New York Knicks at Chicago Stadium. The most crucial stretch for Paxson and the Bulls came with 3 minutes 38 seconds left in the third period and the Bulls up 62-59. The offense just wasn't running as smoothly as Jackson wanted.

He looked down the bench and saw Paxson. Without hesitation, Jackson put Paxson in for B.J. Armstrong. Paxson never returned to the bench. He was still on the court when the celebration began.

I "John Paxson played with a lot of effort to get us into our of Chicago Tribune DuEIs-Knicks composite box Bulls win series 4-2 bulls Min FG-att FT-att 3pt-att Reb A To St Bl PF Pts jordan 6 41.5 62-155 59-68 10-25 7-37 42 14 15 6 20 32.2 Pippen 6 40.0 50-98 32-45 fc8 840 24 24 11 3 20 22.5 B. Armstrong 6 29.2 26-50 9-10 4-8 4-9 6 6 3 0 11 10.8 H. Grant 6 36.0 24-43 11-16 00 12-39 10 11 6 4 17 9.8 B. Cartwright 6 27.3 7-18 22-28 0 0 9-21 12 1 5 1 19 6.0 J. Paxson 6 19.0 9-20 7-8 4-6 0-3 9 2 1 0 13 4.8 S.

Williams 6 16.0 10-16 7-12 0 0 8-26 8 5 1 4 20 4.5 S. King 6 13.8 9-22 5-6 00 12-17 2 7 4 1 14 3.8 T.Tucker 6 10.8 4-10 1-4 4-7 1-5 4 3 6 0 4 2.2 W. Perdue 6 4.7 1-4 00 00 2-4 0 0 0 0 9 0.3 D.Walker 2 2.5 0-1 00 00 0O 1 0 0 0 0 0.0 R. McCray 2 2.5 0-1 OO 00 0O 0 0 0 0 0 0.0 Bulls totals 6 202-438 153-197 25-55 63-201118 77 52 19Wg7jJ Tribune photo by Jim Prisoning John Paxson questions a blocking call in front of Michael Jordan, but the Knicks couldn't stop Paxson's contributions in Friday's victory. "All that happened was I made there," Paxson said with a shrug, a shot or two, and it got to the "We talked a lot about other guys point where it's tough to bring a getting involved and stepping up.

guy off the bench, and Phil felt It seems to work in our favor at comfortable with the guys out very critical times." Percentages: Field goal .461, Free throw .777. Team rebounds: Technical fouls: 12. Flagrant fouls: 2. Disqualifications (sixth foul): 2. Ejections: 1.

Pts New York Min FG-att FT-att Buils-Knicks notes 14-67 15 14 10 1-23 35 28 6 17-36 15 10 1 14-27 8 9 4 27-65 3 15 1 11 20 25.8 2 24 15.2 1 22 13.3 4 21 12.7 1 18 8.7 0 22 8.3 2-9 28 15 9 3pt-att 12-31 00 0O 0O 4-10 00 0-0 2-8 2-7 00 00 21-57 Jordan speaks (sort of), says book 'sensationalized' "4T8 40.0 27.5 27.0 32.7 30.8 19.0 11.5 15.2 9.3 3.0 5.7 P. Ewing J. Starks A. Mason C. Smith C.

Oakley D. Rivers T. Campbell H. Davis G. Anthony R.

Blackman E. Anderson H. Williams 8.0 -323B- 15- 28 20-32 18-24 16- 24 16-22 2-2 1-2 1- 3 2- 3 00 0O TCFTCff 2 2 1 61-115 32-71 3049 29-52 1841 13-33 3-7 3-5 10-24 5-13 1-2 0-3 205-417 0 4 0 2 1-1 0-1 4.5 2 1 1 0 13 3.8 1-7 24 3 1 11 2.3 2.0 0.0 04 0O 24 1 8 0 0 0 1 0 1 2' 1 79-24412911038 22 159 92.3 Knicks totals to consider rehabilitation before punishment when dealing with employees. "The simple fact of the matter is that anybody who's in a problem situation, the NBA's first responsibility Is to help," said Jackson. "You want to help those people, not chastise them." Once again, the topic of conversation Friday centered around a book written by Richard Esquinas.

a San Diego entertainment executive who alleges that he won $1,252 million from Jordan in a golf bet. Before Friday's game, Jordan Issued a prepared statement on the subject, briefly breaking his boycott of the media. "I think It shows that he can admit it If he's done something wrong and accept the praise when it comes his way, also," said Bulls reserve Scott Williams. "I'm not believing whatever this Richard guy said, I'll believe my teammate vs. what he's got to say." Terry Armour end Melissa Isaacson Percentages: Field goal .492, Free throw .654.

Team rebounds: 66. Technical fouls: 9. Flagrant fouls: 1. Disqualifications (sixth foul): 2. Ejections: 2.

Team scoring by quarters: What an eventful day it was for Charles Smith. According to Friday's editions of the New York Post, the Knicks forward has signed a seven-year, $26.6 million contract with the Knicks, forgoing a chance to become an unrestricted free agent. Knicks spokesman John Cirilk) said the team had no comment on the report. Nobody in the Knicks' locker room did either, for that matter. Smith and his teammates didn't arrive at the Stadium for Friday's game until approximately an hour before game time, keeping their locker room closed to the media.

The NBA announced during Friday's game the Knicks will be fined a yet-to-be determined amount for falling to make their players available to the media. Earlier In the day Friday, Bulls coach Phil Jackson talked about the NBA's role in the whole Michael Jordan situation. Hypothetically speaking, Jackson said the NBA, like any major corporation, ought 131 127 582 145 119 554 147 138 177 152 Chicago Bulls New York Knicks Attendance: Game 1, Game 2, 19,763. Game 3, 18,676. Game 4, 18,676.

Game 5: 19,763. Game 6: 18,676. Time of game: Game 1, Game 2, 2:38. Game 3, 2:32. Game 4, 2:42.

Game 5: 19,763. Game 6, 2:40. Officials: Game 1, Jake O'Donnell, Bennett Salvatore, Hue Hollins; Game 2, Bill Oakes, Joe Crawford, Dan Crawford. Game 3: Hugh Evans, Steve Javie, Jack Madden. Game 4: Dick Vavetta, Darrell Garretson, Jack Nies.

Game 5: Ed T. Rush, Mike Mathis, Hue Hollins. Game 6: Jess Kersey, Jake O'Donnell, Bennett Salvatore. Richard Esquinas with wagers made between us. Because I did not keep records, I cannot verify how much I won or lost.

I can assure you that the level of our wagers was substantially less than the preposterous amounts that have been reported. "It is extremely disappointing to me that an individual whom I caused no harm and who held himself out as my friend would shamelessly exploit my name for selfish gain. It is equally disappointing that my off-the-court activities are receiving more attention in the midst of the NBA championship than my on-court activities. "I want to publicly apologize to my family, my teammates, Jerry Reinsdorf, the NBA and Bulls fans for the distraction this story has caused. I also want to thank those members of the media who had the courage and independence to report this incident, and the coverage it received for what it is: an embarrassment for all of us." CHICAGO Michael Jordan's refusal to talk with the media reached seven days Friday, but the Bulls guard did release a statement through his Washington-based agent, David Falk: "After much deliberation, I have decided to interrupt my media silence and respond to yesterday's reports.

Ordinarily, I would find it inappropriate to publicly respond to unsubstantiated allegations about my private life. But current circumstances are different and they compel a different response from me. "Right now, my total focus and attention is on helping the Chicago Bulls defend our world championship. However, my responsibilities to my family, my team, the NBA and Bulls' fans do not allow me to remain silent and let this sensationalized report undermine the Bulls' mission to win the championship. Therefore, I am issuing the following statement and I will not comment further on the matter.

"I have played golf with J. Game 6 minute-by-minuto Bulls lead Knicks lead Duration and magnitude of lead in Game 6 Knicks vs. Bulls 1 4 7 I I 1 i I I I 1 1 I I I I II "jf 't 21 I I N.Y. 68 nTy. 88 -8 Chicago 29 Chicago 49 Chicago 71 Chicago 96 12 I i I I I I I i l-LJ-JL-4lJM-- 4:00 0:00 12:00 8:00 12:00 8:00 4:00 4:00 8:00 12:00 Chicago (tribune 1-.