Winners tell jokes and losers cry, “Deal.” Sometimes they just cry.
Even Larry Bird.
“We know we are playing against one of the greatest teams,” said the Indiana coach. “We know we are not going to get the calls.
“All we want is a fair shake once in a while. Maybe next game it will get to 70-30.”
This would be instead of 30-27, which is what the foul difference was in the Bulls’ Game 2 victory Tuesday night, admittedly in Chicago’s favor.
But three more fouls is not the reason the Pacers need to win four of the next five games. Michael Jordan’s 41 points is the reason. And Scottie Pippen’s second-skin defense on Mark Jackson.
“I’d like to see Scottie Pippen guard Michael Jordan for 94 feet,” Bird said, meaning what is not clear.
Maybe Bird thinks that ought to be the handicap for any team playing Chicago, the best thing the Bulls do against the best thing the Bulls do and the other team gets to pick up the pieces.
“That’s impossible. It’ll never happen,” Pippen said. “Not this season, anyway.”
Bird thinks Pippen is getting away with too much guarding Jackson, not that Jackson is doing too little to get away from Pippen. The Pacers can’t figure out how to adjust that very serious problem.
“I don’t know what kind of adjustments they could make,” shrugged Pippen.
And, on top of everything else, this was the night that Jordan was publicly presented his fifth MVP award. Not fair.
“Knowing Michael, getting the MVP,” Bird said, “he thought it would probably fire us up. He had to come out and prove he is the MVP, which he is. No doubt about it.”
It is all working against Indiana, isn’t it? Home court. “They did what they had to do, defend their court,” Reggie Miller said.
And now? Well, darned if the Bulls don’t like the road even better than the United Center.
“We shoot better; we bond,” Jordan said.
What passes for intrigue, until the Pacers decide to participate in the playoffs, is in the Bulls’ introductions, whether the announced starter is from Split or Southeastern Oklahoma State, which may be the same place, as far as anyone can tell.
This is known as Phil Jackson’s Doghouse Mystery, Jackson being the author, kennel master and occasional parole officer.
Jackson’s doghouse is a shared address for Toni Kukoc and Dennis Rodman, though for entirely different reasons and nearly never at the same time.
If Kukoc is in there, it is because he has been inadequate. This is not unlike a spare being in the trunk because it is round.
If Rodman is in residence, it is because he has been bad, as bad as he wants to be, which is occasionally worse than even Jackson will allow.
As punishments go, inadequacy does seem to get the worst of it. At least Kukoc takes it harder.
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“Toni knows his value to us,” Jordan said.
In Game 2, Kukoc again was deemed the least blameworthy of the pair and was allowed the opening spotlight, while Rodman, taking it like a near-grownup, retired to the locker room instead of encouraging his teammates in any obvious way, though in most places Rodman leaving the room would be considered a welcome benefit.
Had Rodman started Game 2 it would have meant clearly that he was being punished in Game 1 for assorted absences and private lunacy, all because he had turned 37, still a little early for the classic midlife crisis, but Rodman does like to think he is ahead of his time.
Rather, the fiction can be encouraged that Rodman is a strategic weapon, maybe the kindest thing he has ever been called.
With a little less than five minutes to play in the first quarter, Indiana replaced center Rik Smits with Antonio Davis, not the usual substitution.
Jackson signaled for Rodman. Nothing. Jackson got up from his seat and walked down the bench. No Rodman.
“Go get him,” he snapped at an assistant trainer, and thus, on his own terms, did Rodman rejoin the Bulls, his point made, which is, I can only assume, that Rodman is even smaller than he looks.
Making a grand and obvious re-entrance, Rodman got his moment after all, and more cheers than he deserved.
Who applauds the truant for finally showing up? Isn’t it irritating to have to send for Rodman?
“It was tonight,” Jackson said. “I’ll have a talk with Dennis in the next couple days and try to get him straight.”
Nah, never mind. Fix Rodman and Indiana will just complain about that too.