If there was any danger of the Bulls becoming bored in their second-round series against Charlotte, B.J. Armstrong took care of that. His enthusiasm at the end of Game 2, when the Hornets tied the series with a 78-76 win in Chicago, re-energized the Bulls.
He had been a part of the original three-peat, at times an important one. But when he threw a fist in the air as the Hornets overcame an eight-point fourth-quarter deficit, he provided incentive.
“We utilized that energy that he used at the end of Game 2 to our advantage,” Michael Jordan said. “And we’re good at that. He woke us up when we were asleep.”
The Bulls became more efficient, and Charlotte was not competitive until the fifth and final game at the United Center. Glen Rice scored 31 points in Game 3, but with Scottie Pippen guarding him, he was forced to work for all of them.
The Bulls led by as many as 23 in Game 4, making 51 percent of their shots. Rice scored 30 in Game 5 and initiated a nose-to-nose confrontation with Jordan. Once more, the Bulls saw a challenge. Rice was held to one basket in the final 14:45. The Hornets were within a point with 10:44 to go before the Bulls took over. Rice made 1 of 4 shots in the last quarter. Charlotte made 4 of 14.
“They were very aggressive defensively down the stretch,” Rice said. “I lost my legs a little bit.”