Every superstar has had THAT series.
Working More Magic, Jordan Disappears as Bulls Lose to Pistons
However, could anybody have anticipated, before Detroit’s 94-85 victory over Chicago in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference finals, that:
--Chicago’s Michael Jordan would take only eight shots in 46 minutes?
--Craig Hodges would lead Chicago in shots
and points?
--Bill Laimbeer would be benched by Detroit the entire fourth quarter?
--Detroit’s Isiah Thomas and Mark Aguirre would be benched
almost the entire fourth quarter?
--Detroit’s starting five would combine in the fourth quarter for three points?
--Brad Sellers would play 22 minutes for Chicago after not playing in the past three games--and take one less shot than Jordan?
No wonder it was suggested that the Bulls turned Jordan into a $2.5-million-a-year decoy.
“That’s a pretty crass thing to say,” Jordan’s coach, Doug Collins, snapped back. “That’s a pretty big shot to take at us.
“Michael scores 46 points, and people say he’s not sharing enough of the offense. Now he takes eight shots and you tell him he’s the highest-priced decoy in the game.
“Is that fair?”
Jordan sure didn’t think so.
He made a conscious effort, he said, to involve his teammates in the offense, what with the Pistons putting everybody but their trainer on him when he touched the ball.
“Why should I take the shots if they’re double-teaming me, triple-teaming me, sometimes even putting four guys on me?” Jordan asked. “Didn’t we still get good shots?”
Yes, Michael.
“Well, did we hit ‘em?”
No, Michael.
“That’s the whole story,” Jordan said. “We gotta hit ‘em.”
Held to 18 points--10 on free throws--Jordan was virtually no scoring factor in the game, although he did account for more than half (nine) of Chicago’s assists.
Detroit’s defense just keeps wearing Air Jordan and the Jordanaires down, bit by bit. The Bulls got only 80 points in Game 4. This time they got only 85, and were outshot by the Pistons by a ridiculously lopsided 80-59--the 59 shots an all-time playoff low by any NBA team.
For long passages of time, it was easy to forget Jordan was even in Wednesday’s game. He seemed “almost in a sleepwalk,” Detroit TV commentator dikk Motta said, taking only four shots per half.
Was anything wrong?
No, Jordan said. “I just never felt I had the situation where I could take over the game and do what you all thought I was going to do.
“I feel good. I don’t feel tired. There’s nothing like that wrong with me. I’m going to say it again: I am not going to force anything. I can’t shoot with their whole team on me. If the other guys hit their shots, we win, plain and simple.”
Hodges understood.
“Everybody sees us as a one-man team, we know that, but whether he scores 100 points or 10 points, Michael needs some help. We’ve got to give it to him or we’re finished.”
Yes, almost anybody might have expected the Detroit Pistons to be successful Wednesday night on their home court, to take a 3-2 advantage over the Chicago Bulls in their ferocious match to see who fights the Lakers for the National Basketball Assn. championship.
www.latimes.com
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Imagine if the Coli was around for them Bulls vs Celtics and Bulls vs Pistons 1980’s playoffs
“Jordan needs more help!”
“The Nike agenda“
