The Olympian from Olympia, Washington • 14

The Olympian Monday June 21 1993 B4 1 Sports KEY BARKLEY Sir Charles is speechless open beyond the 3-point stripe Grant with decent vision even through his prescription goggles found him "I was going to grab Grant and foul Ainge said caught the ball and flipped it like a hot And Paxson had the Ef to seal the game resiliency was on every Suns1 mind The Suns forward had won a gold medal in the Olympics had captured the copper most valuable plqyer trophy and had been taring to grab a league title Meanwhile he had been contemplating retirement and the question was would he possibly go tnrough with it? told me not to make any decisions until I sit down and think about Barkley who is 30 said in what was not much more than a whisper year will be a totally different scenerio It'll be a lot harder on us because everyone will be gunning for us It's a lot harder to stay on top But be no decision until I sit down with my family not getting any But also he dropped a hint stick to my normal he said touch a basketball until training camp starts" The team was slightly relieved Westphal said we had won I think have been a tossup on retirement At (east based on what Barkley mostly moped after the game hurt" said Barkley who finished with 21 points and 17 rebounds understand They talk about how much money we make the commercials But at a time like this really bad to be an athlete People don't realize He was not the onto sullen one ever in my life remember feeling more disappointed after a Ainge said still think the nest team in the NBA Nothing against Chicago but last year mien I was with Portland there was no doubt in my mind they were better But this year I think the best team Without Barkley the Suns would have been just another San Antonio His face was advertised on Phoenix buses and people around town held up signs on Sunday that said Barkley before the game had a bundle of fen mail and fan packages to inspect He opened one to find a most valuable player T-shirt Then he opened another to find a T-shirt that read And In That fit Finally he asked a ball boy to bring him a soda have a beer but I have to go to he said Finally he ripped open a box that had a Phoenix Suns tie are making a mint off of he said owe me big Retirement? Will the tough loss make Charles Barkley stick to his earlier words? NY Tunes News Service PHOENIX Charles Barkley did not have his usual panache on Sunday night His voice was barely audible his eyi i eyes only made contact i rug and he mentioned he sleep until July with the might not i He has time to play 72 holes of golf Monday and he was sick about it He had preached ever since his Phoenix Suns fell behind the Chicago Bulls two games to none that basketball is life or death just a But he was about to take his job home with him If he actually surprises everyone by retiring and he has threatened to do so since a team bus ride in December his last defensive play will be one to wipe from his memory bank Michael Jordan with the Bulls trailing 98-96 in Game 6 on Sunday night threw a pass to Scottie Pippen that Barkley saw coming a good half mile away Had he not played basketball the last year straight in places like La Jolla Monte Carlo and Barcelona he might have had more fire in his step but Barkley could not intercept it and the dominoes were about to collapse With Pippen free and clear in the lane center Mark West intervened But that left Horace Grant open Danny Ainge with excellent peripheral vision ran a 10-yard dash toward Grant in the comer but that left Ainge's man John Paxson REACTIONS Most celebrations seem peaceful Thn Aseodatad Press was blocked by Horace Grant Paxson No analysis: Just catch it and shoot it was all John Paxson was thinking The Associated Press PHOENIX With a championship on the line Phil Jackson asked his players what they wanted to do asked the guys if they wanted to go for the 3 to win the the Chicago Bulls coach said of the conversation during a timeout with 39 seconds left Sunday night the play was set up for Michael Jordan Scottie Pippen found Horace (Grant) open and he kicked it back to Paxson Horace wasn't confident in his own ability so he kicked it back to the When Pippen passed to Grant the Suns dropped back to protect the basket folly expecting Grant to put up a shot But instead a 2-pointer himself Grant the ball outside to John Paxson who was all alone The result was a clean 3-pointer and a 99-98 victory in Game 6 that gave Chicago its third straight NBA title I had in mind was catch it and shoot itm Paxson said what you practice doing hundreds of thousands of times in your driveway growing one was even running at said Suns guard Danny Ainge who was caught inside trying to double-team Grant was just standing there checking the wind out there as the second option They put him out there to keep us seemed like the ball was in the air for about an Phoenix coach Paul Westphal said something every kid dreams about and John Paxson got to live that Until then Paxson had been worried that the Bulls had scored only nine points in the fourth quarter all by Jordan had them all" Paxson said fact when I was silting there with two minutes left I was thinking about all the questions we were going to be asked about how no one else contributed I'm thankful we have to answer those Grant held to one point when Phoenix beat Chicago Game 5 again scored only one point But he was credited with an assist on Pax-son's basket and then ensured victory by blocking Kevin shot in the last second turned out Grant The Associated Praia THE VICTORY: John Pax-son's shot won the game for the Bulls STUFFED: Kevin Johnson's shot and that saved the Bulls' lead Finals- FromBI Lakers Paxson whose playing time had dwindled so this year Paxson wide open and ready and with the absolute endorsement to shoot from Jordan knew when he got it he'd make Jordan said catch it and you shoot Paxson said done that hundreds of thousands of times in my seemed like the ball was in the air for an hour" Westphal said something every kid dreams about John Paxson got to live that dream Note that all five Bulls touched the ball on the last play A team effort to grab a victory from the fire The stakes were excruciating Had he missed the Bulls likely would have been a shell for Game 7 after fading so in the fourth quarter were kind of draining us said Pippen who added 23 points and 12 rebounds they were going to Barkley said had to be today" a district fens partied through the street in a festive crowd that danced and cheered between police roadblocks Late Sunday night mounted police began clearing fens from the district pushing hundreds of people west to disperse the crowd Two trombonists played the theme song over and over as their music cases filled with change T-shirt sellers worked the crowd with shirts Dozens of people stood on the edges watching the revelry they always like said Michael Wieczorek a German businessman in town for a wastehandling exposition He and a half-dozen colleagues heard the ruckus as they left a restaurant Germany with soccer it is the he said The city's excitement over a three-peat was tempered by determination to avoid a repeat of the mayhem that caused almost $10 million in damage after the 1992 championship City officials said they were spending at least $1 million on police and promotions aimed at preventing trouble Tha Auocttdd Ptmi JUBILATION: Michael Jordan loves this game Last year 340 businesses were looted and 107 police officers injured More than a thousand people were arrested In 1991 more than 100 people were arrested and dozens of stores looted 200 arrests: nothing like last says Chicago police spokesman Bill Davis The Associated Press CHICAGO The Bulls clinched the championship in Phoenix and the streets filled with sounds: popping firecrackers honking horns ana above it all the shouts of rule! Bulls cried John Chiotelas celebrating the 99-98 victoiy over the Suns going for four next said his brother George Police made about 200 arrests during the first two hours of revelry and there were scattered reports of looting but most celebrations appeared peaceful Five police officers suffered minor injuries when rocks and bottles were thrown in crowds said Chicago police spokesman Bill Davis Two other officers suffered minor gunshot wounds and were listed in fair condition but hospital and police officials did not know if the shootings were related to the victoiy Last year 340 businesses were looted and 107 police officers injured More than a thousand people were arrested In 1991 more than 100 people were arrested and dozens of stores looted nothing like last Davis said and said Illinois State Police Sergeant Peter Haw-ang as he visited a business in a West Side neighborhood looted after the 1992 championship In the city's near-north nightlife Discount MUFFLERS BRAKES I RADIATORS Bring in this ad for 20 Off all work JSSSmys 4518 Pacific Ave SEB Lacey or two plays make the difference between history and not being a part of histoiy" Jordan said The play was deep in irony A shot of such magnitude without Jordan taking it? And Grant who scored only one point for the second game in a row and was 0-for-7 in those two imes deciding to pass for a 25-it shot when he had a three-footer? had missed a layup the time Jordan said referring to a Grant miss in the fourth quarter confidence was shot He did the right thing" Added Grant way things were going for me I was going to get the ball to And if that assist enough Grant closed the show by blocking driving Johnson while the Bulls had Barkley blanketed elsewhere The Bulls had their histoiy Time and destiny had run out on the Suns Barkley was asked how long it would take for the pain to go away don't think it will until we win it" he said a fan you can go back to your real life tomorrow For us this is our one or two shots be looking for me more And that translates into more plaving time A GOOD TEACHER: When rookie coach Paul Westphal prepared his Suns defense he borrowed a few tricks from battle strategy used by Israel in recent Middle East wars likes the Israeli army a lof' said Suns point guard Kevin Johnson says the one characteristic of their army is that it never does the same thing twice even when it In the first five games of the finals Westphal kept the Bulls off balance by constantly changing defensive assignments Paxson says one more year probable With a Continental Certificate of Deposit you get the peace of mind associated with a CD as well as: Competitive interest rates 0 Security of a strong stable Northwest financial institution FDIC insured They say you can't buy peace of mind but what you get at Continental Call us today LA Times News Service PHOENIX The hero of Sunday night's game Chicago reserve guard John Paxson believes he may have one more year left in him Paxson 32 is a 10-ycar NBA veteran hope to play next year and then realistically that might be said Paxson who missed 23 games this season with knee problems His contract expires after 1994 never had personal said Paxson who began his NBA career with San Antonio in 1983 for me has always been determined in winning championships and I feel left my mark in Paxson who lost his starting job this season to BJ Armstrong made four of his five three-point attempts in 108-98 loss Sunday night his 23-footer with 39 seconds to play gave Chicago its third straight title 99-98 played with Michael Jordan for eight years and there has been a certain comfort level there The fact of the matter is when I make Th wrw jwmhf an iwwcwrN Mwwwnw orty iMotafDOdVMiintA IfU COUPON 1 JUNE TRANSMISSION SPECIAL Ie Adjust lindi a linkage Install New Pan Gasket dean Screen Includes Up To Qts Fluid inspect Mounts A Joints Filter Extra If Required MEN Our hairstyles are A Cut Above the Resl Regular Haircuts $1 099 Designer Cuts M399 Look your best! 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